This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Europe to 'change Scotland for the better'
04/05/2004
Decentralisation will be an important
factor in making a success of an expanded EU, First
Minister Jack McConnell said tonight
The First Minister was speaking at an
event in the Signet Library in Edinburgh organised by the
European Commission and the Irish Presidency to mark the
entry of 10 new states into the EU last Saturday.
The First Minister said:
"As the events of the weekend have
shown, this is an exciting time in Europe. A new beginning
after centuries of conflict.
"Enlargement is not some remote
concept, applying to foreign people in distant lands. It
will bring real change to the lives of Scots - change for
the better. The peoples of the accession states bring
optimism, enthusiasm and passion to the European Union -
qualities that can sometimes seem in short supply when
dealing with complex issues at EU level.
"Enlargement will bring new challenges
to all the governments involved in making the EU work.
Persuasion, co-operation and collaboration will be the
order of the day. Devolved governments, especially those
like Scotland with legislative powers, will have a key role
to play in making sense of a growing complexity in
decision-making. We are close to the people but also close
to the Union. We can not only help the 25 member states to
make the right decisions; but also help to make them
happen.
"An enlarged Europe can be peaceful
and prosperous. But if it is to have genuine participation,
the EU needs to learn to decentralise too."