EP President Roberta Metsola, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, former EP President Pat Cox, and former Commission President Romano Prodi participate in a formal sitting of Parliament to mark the 20th anniversary of the 2004 EU enlargement round along with representatives from the ten countries that joined the EU 20 years ago. During the ceremony, the guests answer questions from a group of young people born on or around 1 May 2004 from the ten member states, who are invited to attend the sitting. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Strasbourg

speech

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

formal sitting

president's agenda

20th Anniversary of the 2004 EU enlargement (T)

20th Anniversary of the 2004 EU Enlargement: Speech by Roberta METSOLA, EP President

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/76086504/1713948775274_I256293Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (Maltese), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Distinguished Presidents, Members, and colleagues. Dear Europeans. Like hundreds of people in this hemicycle and millions of Europeans across the continent, I will never forget where I was on the night between the 30th of April and the 1st of May 2004.

SOUNDBITE (Maltese), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, 20 years ago, I was standing in Valetta together with thousands of people. We were all focussed on the Grand Harbour, just as we saw on the video. We were counting down the minutes and seconds until Malta, together with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia joined the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (Maltese), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, I will remember the huge crowd, and it will remain in my memory forever. A whole country looking forward to a possibility, to hope. And we could see the our own potential, the potential of our people. And we could look forward and in optimism.

SOUNDBITE (Maltese), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, These were feelings that were shared by so many across Europe. For millions of people, acceding into the European Union gave a renewed spirit, a sense of purpose and a unity. The future was suddenly limitless. It meant safety, opportunity and prosperity. It meant everything.

SOUNDBITE (Maltese), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, I remember thinking of all those generations of Europeans for whom the European Union was only a dream, and now it had become a reality. How against all odds, we had managed to bury the ghosts of the past, to pave the way towards a new era of freedom of peace and prosperity across our continent. We had a divided continent, but now it was a united one. From the north to south, from east to west, from the Baltics to the Mediterranean, we were united.

 And now a generation on, and together with the people of Ukraine, the countries of the Western Balkans, and Moldova, and Georgia, who are looking to Europe with the same sense of hope and belief, just like when it came to the enlargement of 2004 and to Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia integration in the years after. Europe cannot be the one to look away.

SOUNDBITE (Maltese), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Dear friends, in these past two decades, Europe has been met with unprecedented challenges. But together we have managed to meet to meet them head on. There were many difficult moments where it was easy for each of us to go at it alone. But we resisted. We understood that even with all of its frustrations and imperfections, the European Union is still the best guarantee for all our people.

SOUNDBITE (Maltese), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, The transformative effect of the EU enlargement on the lives of Europeans is still evident today. We can see it and we can feel it in every Member State. We have heard it directly from our young Europeans, who we are so proud to have with us today in this chamber. There are rights for every citizen from the young to the old. The single market that is strengthening our economies, and our cohesion policy that realises our commitment to the equality of Europeans.

SOUNDBITE (Maltese), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Joining the European Union does not just mean the transposition of legislation. It goes much deeper, far beyond that. At the same time, unity does not mean being homogeneous. Europe does not seek to make everyone the same. We cherish our differences, our unique traditions, our cultures, our languages and our diversity.

SOUNDBITE (Maltese), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, We can say that we have proven that over the past 20 years. Rather, Europe is about embracing differences while ensuring equality of opportunity. Everyone must have the same chance, even if we don't have the same viewpoint. That is our strength and that is why membership is a win win for all.

SOUNDBITE (Maltese), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Europe has changed every Member State since 2004, and every Member State has equally changed Europe. With us today, we have some people who have been really important so that their countries joined the European Union in 2004 and helped to write this extraordinary chapter in Europe's history. And therefore, on behalf of the European Parliament, the voice of European citizens, we thank you. We honour you and we appreciate all of your work. We understand the responsibility that we have inherited so that we pass on your work, your commitment and determination to the next generation of European leaders. Thank you.