Mr. President,
Mr. Rector,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The College of Europe, located in the heart of the Cultural Capital of Europe, has a rich history of prominent speeches - one of them being even notorious - about the future of the European Union. I am particularly grateful to you, Mr. Rector, and to your collaborators. You give me the opportunity today to state my views on some important European issues.

In the months ahead of us, and in any event before the elections for the European Parliament in June 2004, we will have to finalise two ambitious projects. First, in 2004, we will enlarge the Union from 15 to 25 Member States and, subsequently, in 2007, to 27 Member States. Second, at the end of 2003 or, at the latest, at the beginning of 2004, we will adopt a European Constitution.

The upcoming change is radical, one might almost say brutal. After the accession of Slovenia in 2004, the other republics of the former Yugoslavian Federation and Albania will ultimately join the Union as well. The continent will then be unified. What only fifteen years ago appeared as an illusion, is becoming reality. With 30 Member States the Union is bound to remain an effective and strong organisation, which provides common, that is to say "Community", and cross-border answers to the challenges of our times.

I may remind you of the fact that the Union has adopted criteria, the so-called Copenhagen criteria, with a view to determining whether a country is in a position to accede to the Union or not. These criteria determine when negotiations are started with a candidate country. The latter must meet a number of political and economic requirements. These are: respect for democracy and the rule of law, the protection of minorities, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the fight against corruption by an independent police force and judiciary, the presence of an efficient public administration, the capacity to cope with market pressure...

To read the full speech see:
http://www.premier.fgov.be/topics/speeches/e_speech130.html