1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:29,960 Europe is a permanent building site here at the EU headquarters in Brussels. 2 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,440 Major works are underway to make room for newcomers. 3 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:41,360 No less than 10 new member states are joining on the 1st of May 2004. 4 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:54,920 Meeting rooms must be extended to adapt to the Europe of 25. 5 00:00:55,120 --> 00:01:00,080 You will see screens on all the tables and screens in interpretation booths because the 6 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:08,200 distance between delegates is now so large, so big, they can't see each other from this 7 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:10,380 corner to the other corner. 8 00:01:10,380 --> 00:01:17,080 So that's why there's a whole video system also in this room. 9 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:22,000 At the heart of the EU decision-making process, the weekly meeting of ambassadors from member 10 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:25,200 countries. 11 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:26,200 Their job? 12 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:30,000 To prepare the main political decisions for the EU. 13 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:33,880 Here old and new members sit side by side. 14 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:34,880 Newcomers have been well-integrated. 15 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:44,880 But with 25, meeting rooms had to be tightened up and speaking times reduced dramatically. 16 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:50,880 Spaniards we are normally quite concise and precise in our way of expressing our position. 17 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:58,040 But this was not the case for other member countries who had a long tradition in rhetorics. 18 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:06,560 This rhetorical approach now I think is completely incompatible with the numbers and it has made 19 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:16,640 everybody to go to the point. 20 00:02:16,640 --> 00:02:20,960 Ten new members mean nine new official languages in the EU. 21 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:23,520 Documents must be translated. 22 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:29,160 Important meetings such as debates in the European Parliament require simultaneous translation. 23 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:38,800 The number of languages is evidence of the wide cultural diversity of the new Europe. 24 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:50,080 Channel 5 Latvian, Channel 6 Slovene, Channel 7 Estonian, Channel 8 Maltese. 25 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:57,680 So welcome to our new multicultural Europe. 26 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:03,960 This is not the first time that the European House has been extended. 27 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:10,640 When it was created after World War II, the then European community was always meant to grow. 28 00:03:10,640 --> 00:03:13,440 There have been four enlargements before this one. 29 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:15,640 But this is the biggest ever. 30 00:03:15,640 --> 00:03:23,040 Ten new countries boost the EU population from 370 to 450 million. 31 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,040 This is not just an expansion. 32 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:29,120 It is the reunification of the European continent. 33 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:46,720 As communism crumbled along with the Berlin Wall in the late 80s, people were no longer locked behind an iron curtain. 34 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:50,720 They knew they had the key to a bright new future. 35 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:55,400 People in the West reached out a welcoming hand to their new neighbours. 36 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:06,400 At a summit in Copenhagen in 1993, EU leaders set the ball rolling for new members to join. 37 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:14,400 But first, they said, there must be proof of stable democracies and fully-fledged market economies. 38 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:18,400 A decade later, ten countries were ready. 39 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:24,080 And again in Copenhagen, they were brought back to the Europe where they feel they belong. 40 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:30,080 And to our new members I say, warmly welcome to our family. 41 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:33,080 Our new Europe is born. 42 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,080 But what happened during those ten years? 43 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,760 It had been a daunting challenge for the countries wishing to join. 44 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:54,760 The complete overhaul of their political and economic systems. 45 00:04:55,440 --> 00:05:01,440 With the help of the EU, they undertook step-by-step to catch up with their neighbours from the West. 46 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:07,440 Sector by sector, they reformed and adopted common European legislation and standards. 47 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:13,440 But the EU was not alone. 48 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:16,440 It was not the only EU member state. 49 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:19,440 It was not the only EU member state. 50 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:24,120 Major financial help was provided to boost economies, 51 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:30,120 manage the environment, improve infrastructure and reform education. 52 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:39,120 There were many years of tough negotiations, too. 53 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:42,120 Everybody was aggressive. 54 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:45,120 But the EU was not alone. 55 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:48,800 There were many years of tough negotiations, too. 56 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:51,800 Everybody was aggressive. 57 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:54,800 But there were plenty of worries along the way. 58 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:58,800 Would there be massive population movements from the East to the richer West? 59 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,800 Would cheap labour destabilise working markets? 60 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:06,800 You might have a situation where the poorer countries coming in, 61 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,800 means a redistribution of wealth and other things, 62 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,800 so that France and other places struggle a bit more 63 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:15,480 in terms of agriculture. 64 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:39,480 Agriculture led to hot debates during accession negotiations. 65 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:45,160 The current system of support to farmers can't be extended to the new members as soon as they join. 66 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:49,160 Their large farming sectors would disrupt the system. 67 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:55,160 A compromise was reached for a gradual introduction and so avoid a big bang. 68 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:02,160 There are other concerns, for example about working rights, 69 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:05,160 which is why safeguards were built in. 70 00:07:05,840 --> 00:07:08,840 People will be able to travel freely, 71 00:07:08,840 --> 00:07:11,840 but borders won't be dismantled overnight. 72 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:14,840 There'll be a period of confidence building 73 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:18,840 to give time for the new countries to settle into the new system. 74 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:26,840 During the process, I really became more and more aware 75 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:29,840 that we are really changing the future of our continent. 76 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:32,840 And if we did it right, 77 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:39,520 then we have organised something that will make Europe a safer place 78 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:43,520 for 450 million people, a better place, 79 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:49,520 and a place that gives people more opportunities and more chances. 80 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,520 It was in Athens that the final deal was signed, 81 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:58,520 a treaty to shape the new face of Europe. 82 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:05,200 So what are the real benefits of all this for the people living in an enlarged Europe? 83 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:12,200 Let's see what accession brought to Spain, for instance. 84 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:15,200 Since joining the EU in 1986, 85 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:19,200 Spain's per capita income increased by 15%. 86 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:23,200 Trade with its new EU partners grew dramatically. 87 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:27,200 Economic growth was spurred by EU funding. 88 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:31,880 Fears of massive movements of Spanish workers to other EU countries 89 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:33,880 proved to be unfounded. 90 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:37,880 Today, there are more people coming to live in Spain from elsewhere in the EU 91 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:40,880 than there are Spaniards moving away. 92 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:45,880 On the opposite side of the continent, 93 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:49,880 an incoming member state with roughly the same size and a similar profile 94 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:52,880 hopes to repeat Spain's positive experience. 95 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:54,880 Poland. 96 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:00,880 Poland is more or less of the same size, 97 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:04,880 and, of course, we compare Poland to Spain. 98 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:09,880 Maybe we have similar ambitions to play a stabilising role 99 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:12,880 in their respective regions. 100 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:16,880 Spain in the Mediterranean, Poland in the centre, 101 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:18,880 Eastern Europe. 102 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:24,880 But Poland's emergence in the EU is also a concern to Spain, 103 00:09:25,560 --> 00:09:29,560 It's now Poland and other countries' turn to benefit from EU money 104 00:09:29,560 --> 00:09:31,560 for regional development. 105 00:09:31,560 --> 00:09:34,560 The Spanish, who've done so well in the past, 106 00:09:34,560 --> 00:09:37,560 will inevitably see their part shrink. 107 00:09:37,560 --> 00:09:40,560 There's one healthy response to this. 108 00:09:40,560 --> 00:09:43,560 If you can't beat them, join them. 109 00:09:45,560 --> 00:09:49,560 This is Warsaw Airport, where expansion work is underway 110 00:09:49,560 --> 00:09:51,560 and a new terminal being built. 111 00:09:51,560 --> 00:09:56,240 The works here are being done by a Spanish company. 112 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:26,240 Many Western European companies have seen investment opportunities 113 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:29,240 in the fast-growing economies in Eastern Europe. 114 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:32,240 There's no doubt enlargement will boost growth 115 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:35,240 and create jobs in both old and new member states. 116 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:39,240 Quality of life is being improved as we work together on the environment. 117 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:43,240 And tourism is opening up new regions for discovery. 118 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:49,240 But the European Union was not meant to be just about increasing prosperity, 119 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:52,920 but also about boosting peace and stability. 120 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:57,920 More security not just for the 25, but for neighbouring countries too. 121 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:04,920 The EU will have a stronger presence on the world stage. 122 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:07,920 A wide range of people and cultures are being united 123 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:10,920 on the basis of shared values. 124 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:15,920 They will bring in new traditions, new history, 125 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:18,920 new concepts of thinking, new ideas. 126 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:23,600 Peace will contribute definitely to a very diverse population. 127 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:38,600 These young people will live in the new Europe. 128 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:41,600 At the College of Europe in Natalin, close to Warsaw, 129 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:44,600 they're already getting a taste of wider horizons. 130 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:48,280 For the first time this year, I sort of travelled through 131 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:51,280 the Czech Republic and Slovakia. 132 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:54,280 And it seemed to me that these places, 133 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:58,280 these are places that very naturally belong to the European community. 134 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:11,280 For me, as a student, 135 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:14,960 it's possible to work everywhere in Europe, 136 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:18,960 to move, to travel, to install where I want, actually. 137 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:25,960 Bronislaw Geremek, Polish academic and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, 138 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:29,960 teaches history of European civilisations at the European College. 139 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:33,960 For him, this enlargement is a great historical moment. 140 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:43,960 And the story goes on. 141 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:47,960 As a new constitution is drawn up for tomorrow's Europe, 142 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:51,960 the foundations are being laid for other countries to join in 143 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:55,960 and share the values on which the European Union is built. 144 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:02,960 The European Union is a global, 145 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:05,960 multilingual, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, 146 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:09,960 multi-ethnic, multi-ethnic, multi-ethnic, multi-ethnic, 147 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:13,240 multinational, multinational, multinational, 148 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:16,240 multinational, multi-ethnic, multinational, 149 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:18,240 the European Community. 150 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:21,240 and multinational, multinational, multinational, 151 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:24,240 multinational, multinational, multinational.