高级商务英语阅读补充时文SupplementaryReadingforChapter8EUEnlargementContinuingenlargementandcontinuingintegrationThereismuchworktobedoneduringtheNetherlandsPresidencyandbeyondtointegratethenewEuropesuccessfully,DutchprimeministerandnewEUCouncilPresident,JanPeterBalkenende,toldtheEuropeanParliamentinStrasbourglastweek.HesummedUPthekeychallengesas:“Internally,byworkingforconsolidationoftheenlargedUnion,forsustainableeconomicgrowth,forsecurityandforasoundfinancialfoundationfortheyearsahead;externally,bylookingahead,togetherwithourpartnerselsewhereintheworld,andbyoperatingmoredecisively,asaUnion,ontheworldstage.”PresentingtheNetherlandsPresidency'sprioritiesforthenextsixmonthstotheParliament,Balkenendesaid:“Thetencountrieswhichjoinedon1May2004needtobeabletofeelcompletelyateasewithintheUnionasquicklyaspossible.ThePresidencyhasaparticularresponsibilityinthis.WeshalldoourlevelbesttoensurethatthenewMemberStatescanfullyparticipateinalloftheUnion'sproceedingsassoonaspossible”.“Atthesametime”,hewenton,“wewanttopavethewaythoroughlyforfutureenlargements.MembershipnegotiationswithBulgariawerecompletedashortwhileago.ThosewithRomaniahavereachedaveryadvancedstage.MembershipnegotiationswithCroatiaaretobeginnextyear.InDecember,too,theEuropeanCouncilistoconsiderwhetherTurkeyfulfilstheCopenhagenpoliticalcriteriaforhumanrightsanddemocracy.Ifso,membershipnegotiationswillbeopenedwithTurkeyaswell.”AndonthequestionofwhethertoopentalkswithTurkey,heinsisted:“Thedecisionmustbearrivedathonestly,underthegroundrulestowhichwepreviously,in2002,firmlycommittedourselves.Thatmeansstrictapplicationofthecriterialaiddown,butwithoutinventinganynewcriteria.Wemustnotallowourselvestobeguidedbyfear,e.g.ofIslam.RaisingbarrierstoanyparticularreligiondoesnotfitinwithEurope'ssharedvalues.Ouroppositionshouldbedirectednotagainstreligionsbutagainstpeopleandgroupsmisusingtheirreligiontogettheirwaybyforce.Islamisnottheproblem.Muslims,Christiansandpeopleofotherbeliefscanlivetogetherperfectlywell.Theproblemis...
