AFR Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen to speak to the European Parliament

18.11.02

Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen will speak to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday 19 November 2002.

The Prime Minister will take part in the great debate in the European Parliament on the enlargement of the EU. Parliamentarians from the national parliaments of the candidate countries will take part in the debate. Also Minister for European Affairs Bertel Haarder and President of the EU Commission Romano Prodi will attend the debate. On the occasion of the meeting, the Prime Minister states:

”This great debate on the enlargement, with the participation of parliamentarians from the candidate countries, marks a fine start to the last enlargement negotiations. I hope that the debate will send a clear message to the populations and Governments of Europe that the time has come for concluding the enlargement negotiations.

It is a well-known fact that the goal of the Danish EU Presidency is to be able to complete the first round of enlargement negotiations with up to ten countries at the Summit in Copenhagen in December.

We shall do our utmost to ensure that this may take place. However, we cannot execute the task alone. It requires support from all our partners, the European Parliament, the EU Commission, the Member States and the candidate countries.”

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The debate will be conducted in the Plenary Room of the European Parliament, Strasbourg, between 8:45 AM and 12:45 PM.

After the end of the plenary debate, there will be a joint press conference, with the participation of Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, President of the European Parliament Pat Cox, President of the EU Commission Romano Prodi and Commissioner in charge of the enlargement Günther Verheugen, from 12:45 PM to 1:15 PM in the ground floor press conference room of the European Parliament.

Contact information Head of Section Jesper Fersløv Andersen, phone no.:+45 33 92 22 35/+ 45 40 80 36 88 Head of Section Michael Helbo, phone no.: +45 33 92 22 22/+45 40 80 36 85.