European Parliament
Van Orden (PPE-DE ),
in writing
. – While I voted in favour of the Brok report on enlargement of the EU on this day that Parliament approved the accession of the ten candidate countries, sending a signal to many countries that had been artificially excluded through years of Communist oppression, I do not accept many of its elements. For example, I do not believe that the EU as such is an appropriate interlocutor with NATO on military matters (paragraph 6) (I reject the idea of a 'common diplomatic service' (paragraph 10); I do not agree with the thrust of paragraphs 11 and 20 which suggest rigid adherence to possibly objectionable EU policy lines; I do not accept that the focus of asylum policy should be on humanitarian aspects instead of reducing the numbers of those being admitted (paragraph 22) or the idea that accession represents a 'starting point for further integration efforts' (paragraph 23). Furthermore, I continue to object to the fact that neither CAP nor Commission accounting procedures have been satisfactorily reformed before enlargement.

