Speeches

Speech by H.E. Valdas Adamkus, President on the occasion of Lithuania's five years in the European Union

Five years ago, Lithuania and nine other countries became part of the big wave of EU enlargement to the East, which was not so long ago separated by the Iron Curtain. Lithuania's belonging to the European Union signifies our final return to the community of democratic free-market nations.

In this regard, I would like to recall what we said in mid-December of 2002 after having completed EU membership negotiations in Copenhagen. At that time I said, "This enlargement makes history mainly because of its predominant focus on long-term strategic objectives. We are building a Europe that is strong, cohesive and open to a world swept by the ever-growing momentum of globalization."

Today we should remember that the unification of Europe, based on the values of liberal democracy, is a long process. It is also often described as a unique mechanism for coordinating the interests of peacefully coexisting independent nations. But at the same time it is also part of broader global integration. Openness to the world, first of all to our neighbors, has always been and must always be the pillar of EU's existence. It is only by being open, by learning from the achievements of others and by sharing our experience that we will remain strong and prepared to address global challenges.

Lithuania has been actively engaged in this process since the very first years of its membership in the European Union, and we will continue on this path. This is our contribution to the common EU policy and our moral responsibility to our neighbors. The enlargement of the European Union and the expansion of its principles should not stop. Both the people of Lithuania and businesses looking for new markets need to have a secure environment in their neighborhood: in Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, and elsewhere. I therefore welcome the EU support and reform program for neighboring countries, which was approved yesterday. This initiative will further strengthen Europe's presence in these countries and accelerate their integration into Europe.

The people of Lithuania - like all the people across Europe - are now living in an atmosphere of downturn, which seems to overshadow the economic achievements of European integration and its every-day advantages that our citizens and businesses enjoy simply because we belong to the European Union. However, we should keep a broader perspective of European integration. If not for EU membership, this crisis would definitely be deeper for our country: Lithuanian companies would find it more difficult to continue trading on the EU market, while the people of Lithuania would confront more obstacles to traveling, studying or doing business in Europe. It is not only Lithuania, but the entire region and the whole of Europe that share the benefits of rapid economic integration.

According to the European Commission assessment, trade between the old and new member states almost tripled in less than 10 years, while trade among the new members increased as much as fivefold. All of this has contributed to economic growth, employment creation and better-met consumer needs. The assessments made by the Commission and our own experts - which will be discussed today - indicate that EU enlargement has accelerated Lithuania's economic growth, increasing its GDP by more than one percentage point annually. Thus, European integration has contributed significantly to Lithuania's convergence with the average development level of the European Union over the past ten years. The opportunities offered by EU membership might seem self-evident to some, but this does not reduce their significance.

Solidarity demonstrated on many occasions by the European Union and its member states in different areas is also greatly significant to Lithuania. I have in mind here not only the EU funds that reach Lithuania. No less important are the common principles and shared values which bring us together in a community where we can trust each other. Although the basic principles of the EU common market are being put to test in these times of economic slowdown, I firmly believe that we will not give in to one-day temptations and that we will preserve what has been built over more than half a century. We will do this so that future generations may live and create in a united Europe.

This small anniversary is also a good opportunity to think about whether we are making the best of the advantages offered by EU membership and whether we are making a sufficient contribution to implementing the common goals of the entire European community. If we had kept to a prudent budgetary policy and carried through structural reforms as planned back in 2004, Lithuania would have introduced the euro and would have been better equipped for the downturn. Fortunately, we did not repeat the same mistakes when preparing to accede to the Schengen area and now our citizens are able to fully enjoy the benefits of free movement. I am deeply convinced that today we should not be questioning the requirements for the introduction of the euro. What we should do now is to agree on the euro area accession as a top priority, demonstrate its advantages to our people and seek to join the euro zone through coordinated actions in all policy fields. It is coherent and consistent policies across different areas and dialogue with both the people of Lithuania and EU institutions that we have been lacking until now.

I believe that one of the main aspects of Lithuania's EU membership is realizing that we can be active and equal members of the European Union only if we fully comprehend our national interests and work together towards our ultimate goals. The clearly expressed popular approval of Lithuania's membership in the European Union commits us to this.

Our achievements in the European Union, our joint decisions and actions will be meaningful and beneficial to Lithuania only if we work resolutely and decisively not only in Brussels or EU capital cities, but also at home. I am speaking not only about our key energy projects or sound budgetary and business development policies. I am also speaking about other areas where we are and will be independent in our decision making. The European Union provides us with better opportunities to share knowledge and experience, take on the best practices and avoid others' mistakes. However, our belonging to the common European space also creates, indirectly, a specific pressure which produces increased emigration flows if we are unable to handle things properly and provide quality services to our own citizens.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am deeply convinced that our own priorities and needs are the starting point. Some may think that the bureaucratic EU policy process, which has to reconcile the interests of 27 member states, is too complex, slow and imposing. But has it ever happened that our well-argumented and principled statements are ignored or misunderstood? I would say that in most cases we are the ones who have failed to think things over, discuss them and present our position. It is us who sometimes do not decide what is truly important and necessary and how to attain it. Sometimes we are too slow to recognize what needs to be done. We get entangled in the daily bureaucratic routine which makes it so easy to forget our actual goals and what the European Union can do for us. And at the same time we tend to forget what we can do to help formulate and achieve common EU objectives.

All of this will become very important when Lithuania takes over the EU presidency in 2013. It will be a real challenge for us - for our political maturity, administrative capacities and our awareness of own place within Europe. Meanwhile, there is less time left before the Presidency year than the time we have been in the European Union, although it seems that we have acceded quite recently. Therefore, we must start serious preparation work immediately. I believe that this discussion, too, will not only contribute to reflecting on our EU experience, but also to using more maturely the opportunities offered by the European Union and creating them.

I wish you all an interesting and constructive discussion.

Valdas Adamkus

President of the Republic of Lithuania