EU expansion must continue

European Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn released yesterday his annual progress report on EU enlargement. The Berliner Zeitung writes that the accession of new member states into the EU must not be made dependent on the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon: "Olli Rehn ... has reminded Europeans in no uncertain terms that Turkey's significance for the Union is growing rapidly. And he left no doubt that he would like to see Croatia in the EU as soon as possible." The newspaper argues that "the unresolved issue of the Treaty of Lisbon ... must not be used as a pretext for putting EU enlargement on ice. What is at stake is the trustworthiness of the EU. The mere prospect of membership has a stabilising effect on many countries. And in others it makes reforms possible that would otherwise be unthinkable."

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