The first of May 2004, a day when 10 new members officially join the European Union, marks a new beginning for Europeans, senior EU representatives said here Saturday as the bloc was launching formal ceremonies to welcome the new members mostly from central and eastern Europe.

The European Union's historic enlargement, the biggest ever in the EU history, brings Cyprus, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia to live in one big family with the existing 15 EU members.

"Enlargement is a testament to the European Union's success," Irish Prime Minister Bertin Ahern, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, told a news conference here jointly addressed by President of the European Parliament Pat Cox and President of the European Commission Romano Prodi.

The news conference by the three kicked off the formal ceremonial events aimed at marking the EU enlargement. Later in the day, leaders of all the EU member states would be gathering in the Irish presidential residence in Dublin to attend a special flag raising ceremony for welcoming the new member states.

In conjunction with the formal ceremonial events, the Irish government has undertaken a number of exciting cultural events on "the Day of Welcomes".

At one of Dublin's most beautiful Georgian squares, Merrion Square, people could enjoy the colorful bazaar of marquees and stages making up the European Fair. Marquees from all the EU member states and three pre-accession states, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey were lining the outside of the park, providing the sights, sounds and tastes of Europe with food, craft, tourism, technology and culture from 28 countries vibrantly represented.

A further initiative of the Irish EU presidency has been to twin all the accession countries with various towns and cities around Ireland.

These towns were expected to host on Saturday artists and performers from the new member states, who would enhance the cultural activity in each locality with singing, dancing, and literature recital, as well as with culinary delights.

"Our union will change with 25 members...that change will be for the better. The union has been strengthened and enhanced by the contributions of each of its current members. Ten more members will enhance and strengthen the union that much more," Ahern said.

Echoing Ahern, Prodi and Cox hailed the enlargement with splendid words.

Prodi called May 1 "truly an historic and a happy day" and enlargement a 'win-win' exercise for all the peoples of the continent.

Cox said that the new member states will now be firmly anchored in the community of values, which inform and permeate the public purpose of the union.

Their rightful place at the heart of this community will also give them new confidence and new dynamism, which will generate positive effects on the whole union, he added.

The three, however, all pointed out meanwhile that the enlarged bloc has much unfinished business ahead despite the fact that it is now closer to becoming geographically coterminous.

"Our first task together will be to agree a new Constitutional Treaty," Ahern said, adding there remain other challenges, including fight against terrorism.

The proposed EU constitution is aimed at streamlining EU decision making after the enlargement.

"Perhaps the most serious concern we can currently address together is the need to combat terrorism, the evil specter that haunts all of us who strive for peace. No country...can stand alone against this sinister phenomenon," Prodi echoed Ahern as saying.

"There are two further challenges which the new Europe must meet in a spirit of solidarity. These are the interlinked issues of how best to manage economic globalization and, in an increasingly multipolar world, how best to ensure systems of political governance that are both efficient and equitable," Prodi said.