Republic supports treaty McCreevy

The Minister for Finance will today tell a European audience that Ireland fully supports the enlargement of the European Union. Addressing the Second European Cohesion Forum in Brussels, Mr McCreevy will attribute Ireland's enthusiasm to its positive experience of EU membership. He is confident that on June 7th, the Irish people will affirm their commitment to Europe and enlargement by voting Yes to the Treaty of Nice.

The treaty provides for the necessary institutional changes to prepare the Union for enlargement.

Mr McCreevy says Ireland has benefited greatly from EU membership and access to its single market. This market will be greatly expanded as a result of enlargement with major benefit for the European economy as a whole. "It is from this positive viewpoint that the prospect of enlargement must be viewed," Mr McCreevy says.

He says Ireland is an example of what can be achieved if structural fund assistance is integrated into a coherent policy.

But he warns applicant states that structural and cohesion funds on their own will not deliver economic convergence.

"It is vital that the appropriate domestic economic and sectoral policies are also in place to ensure maximum leverage of the funds," Mr McCreevy says.

It is because Ireland is a first class example of the success of the Union's cohesion policy that it is a strong advocate of a credible cohesion policy after enlargement, he says.