2004 will be the year of the EU's great leap forward, writes Ireland's Commissioner, David Byrne
The year that is unfolding offers unique hope of great progress for Europe's citizens.
The coming 12 months is likely to be the most momentous in the history and development of the European Union. With enlargement to 25 countries we will see the end of the division of the European continent inherited from the Cold War.
Hopefully too, we can agree on a new Constitution, setting out a new vision of how we can all do business together in the years ahead.Enlargement of the Union is the single biggest social, economic and political event of the year ahead. It will dwarf everything else.
Increased trade, competition, and investment will benefit all of our citizens. Europe will pack a bigger punch on the world stage as a result. It is on this enlarged team that Ireland will play.
For the 10 countries involved - from tiny Malta to the 40 million inhabitants of Poland - it involves a fundamental change in their method of governance.
Already their government ministers attend and participate in Council of Ministers' meetings in Brussels. They have observers in the European Parliament. They are preparing to send European Commissioners to join us at the Commission table from next May.
They have been involved for the past few years in preparations for joining the Union. In order to join, they are embracing massive changes in the way they do business.
It is part of the job entrusted to the Commission to monitor how the new members are measuring up to the promises made when they signed the 10 Treaties of Accession. We have carried out a thorough evaluation of their performance and what work still remains to be done.
As part of that evaluation, I have visited most of the new countries to have direct contact with their prime ministers and ministers to make sure there exists a complete understanding of our respective responsibilities and obligations.
From my particular point of view as Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner, my principal concern is to ensure full compliance with all the necessary food safety laws. This is essential to improve standards, not only to benefit their own consumers, but to ensure that the high standards to which we have become accustomed are not undermined.
One of the striking features of the former Soviet-controlled countries is how far behind the "West" they are in terms of health status. Infant mortality rates are particularly high and life expectancy is five or six years lower than in the existing member-states.
These countries now have a great chance to bring tangible benefits to their citizens as they fully engage in the expanded European Union. Sometimes it is all too easy to lose sight of such benefits.
Further big changes will take place over the coming 12 months with the renewal of the mandates of both the European Parliament and Commission. The number of MEPs will increase from 626 to 732 and the Commission to 25.
The Commission will expand to include Commissioners from the ten new member-states from May 1st next. Until the end of October the new Commissioners will be assigned to work in existing Commission departments in Brussels. One such Commissioner will be assigned to my existing Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection for six months. This period will provide an important and useful settling-in and familiarisation for our new colleagues. Of course, in June we should learn who is likely to lead the new Commission as President from November 1st for five years.
The President-designate is expected to be nominated at the June European Council chaired by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern. He or she will then assemble a team of 24 other colleagues based on nominations from the member-states.
Across the EU elections for a new term for the Parliament will take place in June. In Ireland these elections will coincide with the local elections.
A good turn-out for the elections would emphasise the increasing importance of the work of the European Parliament to Irish people and their demand for strong representation. Since the Nice referendum there is greater interest in how the EU works and this must be satisfied.
One of the major issues for the Irish Presidency will be the proposed new Constitution.
Such a Constitution is necessary for many reasons. Not only to establish the rules of decision-making but, just as importantly, clearly to set out the lines of demarcation between the powers to be exercised by the member-states and those by the Union.
The draft Constitution also sets out a clear procedure for giving greater importance to subsidiarity - that is more decisions taken at member-state level where national parliaments have a bigger voice. But I would not like to leave the impression that the lack of agreement on a new text so far has prompted a crisis.
A forced agreement or an agreement at any price would not serve Europe well.
We must now have a period of reflection and discussion to see how things can be moved forward.
I believe that most of the issues are clear. What we need is a little time to see if we can engender the necessary political trust and will to reach a durable agreement. In the interim we have the necessary tools to move ahead with policy development and enlargement.
Yet, I believe that a new constitutional treaty is necessary for the future. Not just for simplicity's sake, but to engender a new sense of democratic legitimacy for what we all do in the name of the European Union and our citizens.
Yet, even with a world-class constitution, it would be little use if national political systems throughout the member-states, old and new, are only semi-engaged with the Union's interests. European issues need to be part and parcel of everyday political life.
For progress to be made in engaging with the European Union, it is important that member-states have greater confidence in the operation of the Union. That can be fostered by a rigorous application of the competences set out in a Constitution where such competences are clearly defined and understood.
In particular, the principle of subsidiarity must become more than another box to be ticked when a proposal for a new Union law is made.
We must all ensure that more than lip service is paid to subsidiarity in the future. Moreover, I believe that greater trust can be fostered by working together towards our common goals. Talk of a two-speed Europe is not conducive to achieving higher levels of trust and may be inimical to so doing.
We must all find the leadership necessary to move forward together. We must take the creation of a new constitutional order for Europe in steps. Steps big enough to allow for greater collective progress to be made. Yet small enough to ensure that our more cautious fellow citizens are not alienated.
All in all, major challenges and opportunities lie ahead for the next year, and particularly during Ireland's Presidency in its first six months.
David Byrne is Ireland's EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection.
Tomorrow: The challenge of the Presidency - John Bruton