Spring favours EU enlargement

THE next stage of EU enlargement will "transform the Union from a region to a continent, and finally give us the right to call the Union `Europe'," the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Spring, said yesterday.

Speaking to a meeting of Socialist MEPs in Helsinki, Mr Spring said "we have a real opportunity to give meaning to the treaty objective of creating an ever closer Union among the peoples of Europe."

But Mr Spring reiterated his view that any enlargement must not take place at the price of the central values of the Union, "the commitment to mutual solidarity and economic and social cohesion."

Mr Spring, acknowledging that many of the applicant countries are still far behind the level of economic development of the EU, praised the progress they had made "in a far shorter time than any of us would have though possible three of four years ago".

On security, Mr Spring said that "it is generally accepted that peace and stability can only be secured on the basis of a comprehensive concept of security, one that acknowledges that our security is indivisible and inclusive, that it is based on democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights; and economic and social equality of opportunity."

Reuter adds: France hopes Poland will join the EU by the year 2000, President Jacques Chirac told both houses of the Polish parliament yesterday.