Today the European Union stands on the threshold of its enlarged future and our expectations are high.
   We, the parliamentarians of Europe, are convinced that our duties and our responsibilities towards Europe's citizens are best carried out through close cooperation. To strengthen the role of the national parliaments, as stipulated in the declaration to the Treaty of Nice, can only be beneficial to European integration. With our mission in mind, I warmly welcome the delegations from the Member States, the candidate countries and the European Parliament to the XXIVth COSAC in Stockholm on 20-22 May 2001.