EU: Limiting enlargement now may damage the EU in the long run, Olli Rehn tells Jamie Smyth in Brussels
Enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn has warned EU leaders against deciding Europe's future borders now to appease public concerns over enlargement.
He has also urged Turkey to speed up political reform to avoid serious difficulties emerging in its negotiations with the union this year.
In an interview before an EU summit on Europe's future this weekend in Vienna, Mr Rehn warned member states against "drawing thick lines on the map that could hurt Europe's strategic interests". He said it would make no sense to lead the debate to a conclusion where it would have to say no to a country such as Ukraine.
"It is not sensible to start drawing lines with a thick pen on the map taking a very static position written in stone in a world that is inherently dynamic . . . sometimes a degree of ambiguity is part of the art of politics," said Mr Rehn, referring to the positive reforming influence the EU exerts on states eager to join the club.
Ukraine is one of several states on the eastern frontiers of Europe that could apply to join the union and intensify an emerging debate on how far the EU can expand.
Mr Rehn made his comments as EU foreign ministers prepare for Vienna, with the hot topic up for discussion the concept of "enlargement fatigue".
Stung by their citizens' rejection of the EU constitution, France and the Netherlands are coming to the meeting armed with plans demanding a fundamental review of enlargement.
Meanwhile, German chancellor Angela Merkel wants the commission to spell out exactly where Europe's borders end, calling into question a principle that any European state can join the EU if it respects democracy and the rule of law.
But Mr Rehn warns against using enlargement as a scapegoat for domestic problems.
"I am fully aware that we have enlargement fatigue in Europe as I spent part of my summer holidays in Germany and France to feel the public mood," said Mr Rehn.
"Of course I am not blind or deaf but at the same time these enlargement blues could very well be called globalisation blues or unemployment blues because it is part of a deeper problem in our social fabric."
Tackling the economic and social problems in Europe with appropriate policies would help overcome public scepticism over future enlargement, said Mr Rehn, who nevertheless acknowledged that the pace of enlargement would slow.
"There is no major enlargement just around the corner following the big bang enlargement in 2004. We will deal with each and every country of the western Balkans on the basis of each country's own merits," he said, noting that the commission had consolidated its enlargement agenda to the western Balkans.
"Concerning the debate on the borders of Europe, the EU treaty says any European state that respects and fully applies European values of democracy and human rights may apply to join the EU. It doesn't mean that every country should apply or that we should accept every application."
Mr Rehn also stressed the need to complete institutional and budget reform for the "sake of the EU of today" and to avoid a huge challenge with enlargement. An institutional agreement need not be called a constitution but the closer the final outcome of the negotiations to the constitutional treaty the better, he said.
"This is for our own sake but let's not wait until 2015 or 2025 when, say, Turkey might be ready to accede to the EU," he said. "We do not take new commitments while we keep our existing commitments to the countries that are already in the process."
Romania and Bulgaria join in 2007 or 2008, Croatia would probably be next, towards the end of the decade, while Turkey would not join before 2014, said Mr Rehn. He stressed the need for accession states to meet all the criteria to join the EU.
He warned Turkey on the slow pace of reforms, which he said would mean the state's negotiations to join the EU would face serious difficulties before the end of the year. He said Turkey had six months to reinvigorate its reform programme in politics and human rights and meet is commitments on Cyprus.