The European Union is on the brink of one of the most important decisions in the European history. Now, once and hopefully for all, we have the possibility of safeguarding peace and stability for future generations. There is a window of opportunity open for leaving behind the divisions of the past.
This is what the enlargement of the EU is all about. By enlarging the Union we unite Europe and engage the European countries from the east and the west, north and south in a close and binding cooperation. Enlargement is the top priority of the EU for the next six months where my country, Denmark, holds the presidency.
The enlargement has been under way for more than a decade. The end of the world war paved the way for the enlargement process. This process is now coming to an end for the first candidate countries as a result of these countries' huge and impressive efforts in order to comply with the membership criteria, the so-called Copenhagen criteria.
Without a strong political commitment to reforms, the process of enlarging the EU would not be as progressed as it is today. The goal is in sight, almost within our grasp.
Nine years ago the European Council met in Copenhagen and defined the conditions which the candidate countries should fulfil in order to become members. Today, 10 candidate countries - the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta - are expected to be ready for membership before long.
Two candidates - Bulgaria and Rumania - still have some way to go and Turkey, which is also a candidate country, has not begun accession negotiations.
The EU is determined to conclude accession negotiations with the candidate countries that are ready by the end of this year. The EU reconfirmed this determination in last month's summit in Seville. Denmark will do its utmost to fulfil this ambition and to make December's European Council meeting in Copenhagen the meeting of enlargement.
We have not yet reached our goal. Difficult decisions still have to be taken and further preparations for membership have to be made by the candidate countries.
For some countries this is a bigger challenge than for others. Further efforts are needed in order to strengthen administrative capacity, to finalise economic reforms and to pass the necessary legislation in the national parliaments. We will only succeed in concluding negotiations if the candidates are ready. With the efforts already made I am confident that the final preparations, will be made in time.
The accession negotiations are comprehensive and very complicated. Transitional arrangements are negotiated for specific areas where the new member states will not be able to live up to the rules of the EU from the first day of accession. The EU has accepted transitional arrangements in a number of areas, for instance concerning the environment, taxation, free movement of capital and agriculture.
On its side, the EU has asked for a few transitional arrangements to take into account legitimate concerns of the member states. This does not change the basic principle: We have no second-class membership in the EU. That is a fact. The candidate countries want to be full members of the EU with all the rights and duties it implies. That is what they will become.
Some candidate countries have reached preliminary agreement with the EU on more than 90 per cent of the negotiations. Other candidates have to find solutions to country specific issues in September at the latest.
For all candidate countries, some of the most difficult and sensitive issues - the financial ones - are still to be negotiated. Negotiations on these issues will be tough. Both sides of the negotiating table will have to be flexible and willing to make the necessary compromises. Rest assured that Denmark's presidency will facilitate these negotiations to the largest extent possible and will seek solutions that will be supported by all parties.
Malta is deeply engaged in extensive negotiations on EU membership, but has still some way to go in the negotiations. It is the objective of the European Union to finalise negotiations with Malta by the European Council meeting in Copenhagen. Thus, it is very important that, during the next few months, Malta accelerates her preparations with a view to reaching agreement on the remaining elements in the negotiations.
EU membership will ensure closer ties between Malta and other democratic European countries. Denmark is a small nation like Malta. I am sure that Malta will discover, just like Denmark did, the clear benefits of participating in the European Union.
To Malta, membership of the EU means unrestricted access to the common market. The prospects for exports and investments will improve. The new members will take part in the social and economic cohesion policy by which the EU seeks to achieve broadly comparable living standards across the entire EU.
The moment of truth is approaching. Will we succeed in finding the solutions that can bring the enlargement process to a successful conclusion? My answer is "we must and we will". There is too much at stake for Europe to let this window of opportunity disappear.