§ 12. Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington)If he will make a statement on the progress being made towards EU enlargement. [15435]
§ The Minister for Europe (Peter Hain)The enlargement negotiations continue to make good progress, enabling candidates that are ready to join the EU to do so by 2004.
§ Tom BrakeI welcome the Minister's response and the progress that is being made on accession. On Cyprus, will the Minister confirm that he agrees with Génter Verheugen, the European Commissioner with responsibility for enlargement, that our strategic goal is to take a united Cyprus as a new member, and that reaching that goal requires constructive and substantial progress towards a lasting solution? What does he think constitutes substantial and constructive progress?
§ Peter HainI confirm that we strongly endorse the European objective of accepting a united island into the European Union as part of the enlargement process. The Cypriots want to join. If the island were not united, we would still accept Cyprus's entrance to the European Union. We would not allow anyone to veto that provided that the Cypriots had completed the full process of negotiation and closed all the chapters. Currently they are in the lead among all the applicant countries in doing so.