Dear Minister Tajani,

Madam President,

Dear Colleagues,

Let me begin by thanking Italy for convening today’s discussion and for presenting its timely non-paper.

The European Union is approaching what could become its largest enlargement in more than two decades. If we succeed, it will not only be a success for the candidate countries. It will be a success for Europe as a whole. This is why we should remind ourselves of one simple truth. Enlargement has never been merely a technical process.

It has always been built on trust. Trust that if a candidate country fulfils all the agreed conditions, it will become a full and equal member of the European Union. That trust is the greatest strength of the enlargement policy. And it is something we must preserve.

For this reason, the Czech Republic warmly welcomes the Italian initiative entitled “One Union, One Finish Line.” Its central message is both simple and compelling. There is only one European Union. Therefore, there should also be only one finish line. Future accession treaties may certainly include safeguard clauses or transitional arrangements where they are genuinely necessary. But such measures must be clearly justified, proportionate and strictly time limited. They must never create permanent distinctions between Member States or lead to different categories of membership.

Equally important is preserving the predictability of the accession process itself. Enlargement must remain firmly merit based. Every candidate country must know exactly what conditions it is expected to fulfil.

The European Union has every right to be demanding. But it cannot keep moving the finish line while the race is already under way. Doing so would undermine the credibility of the entire enlargement process and weaken the motivation of those countries that have spent many years implementing difficult reforms.

The Czech Republic therefore supports gradual integration of candidate countries into selected EU policies wherever they are ready. Earlier participation in the Single Market or in specific Union programmes can bring tangible benefits to citizens and businesses alike, while also facilitating the accession process itself.

However, gradual integration must remain a pathway towards full membership, not a substitute for it. Allow me to make one further point.

Just as candidate countries must prepare for membership, the European Union must prepare for enlargement. A discussion on the future functioning of our Union is both legitimate and necessary. However, that discussion should not become part of the accession process.

And above all, enlargement must never become a Trojan horse for the further centralization of the European Union. The Czech Republic does not support any further extension of qualified majority voting into areas where the Treaties currently require unanimity.

The national right of veto is not an obstacle to European cooperation.

It is an essential guarantee that all Member States, regardless of their size, remain equal partners in shaping the future of our Union. Nor do we believe that enlargement should serve as a pretext for transferring further competences from democratically accountable national governments to the European institutions.

We cannot invite candidate countries to join a Union founded on the equality of its Member States while fundamentally changing that very balance during the accession process.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Enlargement remains one of the European Union’s greatest achievements. It has brought democracy, stability and prosperity to much of our continent. Let us ensure that the next enlargement is guided by the same principles.

One Union. One Finish Line. The same rules for every candidate.

And once those rules have been met, full and equal membership for every new Member State.

 

Thank you.