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The
Czech Republic has lately considerably intensified its integration
efforts. We welcome the results of the Nice summit because they
make the EU enlargement possible. We are looking forward to the
discussion on further EU development. The Swedish presidency with
its emphasis on integration agenda sends very positive signals
to the candidate countries.
I believe it is very important to apply rational
criteria when assessing the readiness of the candidate countries
for their EU accession. Thus the decisive factor should not be
the degree of enthusiasm for EU expressed by individual candidate
states but their ability to succeed as a future member of the
European Union. The potential EU membership represents for us
a great challenge and a chance to prove our qualities. We can
assure you that Czech population is grateful for this chance.
We do understand that the EU cannot be a panacea for our problems
and shortcomings. We must overcome them ourselves, naturally with
an effective assistance provided by our friends from member states.
We are satisfied that the communication between the
Czech Parliament and the European Parliament has lately significantly
improved. We are glad our mutual exchange of opinions has not
been limited only to the satisfactory agenda of the Joint Parliamentary
Committee. Czech parliamentarians (as well as their counterparts
from other candidate countries) have been invited on several occasions
to attend the meetings of the European Parliament committees.
The most recent one was the meeting of the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy of the
European Parliament held on March 20th, 2001 which dealt with
the situation in the Czech Republic. We have also appreciated
the appearance of one of our members at a meeting organised by
the Committee on Constitutional Affairs on the same day, which
was devoted to the results of the Nice summit and to the post-Nice
process.
The visits of the European Parliament members to
the candidate countries have also become more frequent. For example
on March 28th we discussed the relevant issues in Prague with
the EP Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs members and
in May we are expecting the delegation from the EP Committee on
Industry, Foreign Trade, Research and Energy.
We believe the increased interest of the European
Parliament in direct contacts with the members of national parliaments
from the candidate countries is a positive signal and we hope
it will persevere also in future. We feel particularly positive
about the position of the European Parliament according to which
the first candidate countries will be able to take part in the
EP elections in 2004. We are convinced the Czech Republic will
be in the first group of the new EU members.
Prague, April
3th , 2001
Jaroslav Zverina
Chairman of the Committee for European Integration
Chamber of Deputies
Parliament of the Czech Republic
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