A perspective from the Netherlands on the EU and enlargement

by ambassador MARTIN DE LA BEIJ

It is a pleasure for me to talk to you today about Europe. I am thankful to the Albanian Institute for International Studies, in particular Dr Albert Rakipi for inviting me to be the next speaker in this series of the Foreign Policy Forum.
The previous speaker in this series, my German colleague, Ambassador Helmut Hoffmann gave a very interesting and eloquent presentation about the German Perspective on the Balkans last month in February. It will not come as a surprise to you that I share much on his views especially when it comes to the situation in Albania.
In order to avoid duplication or repetition of the presentation and discussion of last months, allow me to take a completely different angle and talk not so much about the Balkans, but I prefer rather to talk about the Dutch view on Brussels and the EU. This angle is important since the relation between the Netherlands and the EU determines to a large extent not only the domestic politics of the Netherlands but also determines our views on the EU and the future of the EU (and of course this includes the external policies of the EU). At the end of my discourse I will zoom in on the Dutch perspective on the enlargement policy of the EU and how this effects Albania.
In my presentation I will take the following steps:
First take a look of the history of the forming of the EU; Second step is to look at the way the Netherlands is looking at the EU today. The third step is to give a brief outlook on how a modern EU should look like according to the Netherlands, and finally, as the 4th and last step I will zoom in on the enlargement policies and the position of Albania.

History: the Netherlands as a founding father of the EU.
Throughout history, Europe has tried in various ways to maintain a precarious balance of power, or to adjust that balance, usually by means of warfare. In the 19th century, this geopolitical game was based on the sovereignty of European states. Countries tried to hem each other in through diplomatic manoeuvres and strategic alliances.
After World War II there was a strong felt need to bring an end to the fights between nations and to work together to bring peace and build the society again. In 1951 and 1958 the Netherlands together with Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Italy and Germany formed the European Coal and Steel Community as well as the European Economic Community. One of the founding fathers of the EU is Mr. (Johan Willem) Beijen. As an international banker and businessman he became minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. He was able to convince other countries to form a customs union and economic co-operation within a common European market. This has led to the Rome Treaties of 1957 and is the core of the EU ever since. Mr. Beijen embodies the essence of the EU being both a business man representing the economic dimension and as a minister representing the political dimension of the EU. So the Netherlands has been part of the start of European institutions since the very beginning.
The European Union put an end to the centuries-old struggle for dominance. It forms the core of European cooperation: no one country can dominate anymore; there has to be give and take.The EU is structured in such a way that even the big countries have to go along with what the majority of member states decide. It is a form of solidarity and voluntary modesty. It appeals to our capacity to be reasonable and see things from the perspective of others.
European cooperation is founded on solidarity. By joining together as European countries we can prevent major conflicts and we are stronger on the world stage. This fundamental idea is now being called into question by what are called ‘nationalist’ political parties. Nationalists believe in going it alone. They distrust cooperation based on solidarity, because that implies taking collective decisions on some questions.
The Netherlands shares such fundamental values as freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights with other member states. These values are enshrined in the Treaty on European Union and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
This is not something that just can be taken for granted.
The European community of values requires constant maintenance.
It is something that constantly need to be worked on both. This applies for the countries within the Union but also to those states that want to become member of the Union.

The EU today
In the last few months a new question has arisen in our national debate: wouldn’t the Netherlands be better off, if it gave up its membership of the EU? Main cause of this concern stems from the economic crises leading to rising unemployment in the Netherlands.
The idea that it would be in our interest to leave the Union strikes me as nonsense. We are a trading nation. Those who put our trade at risk do not have the Netherlands’ best interests at heart. No border controls, no foreign exchange risk within the eurozone, no ambiguity whatsoever about what rules products must comply with: these are essential conditions for the success of a country that relies on exports, especially within the EU. The EU’s internal market can only function thanks to the joint control we exercise from Brussels. Thanks to the European Commission, the internal market functions well, although improvements can and should be made.
The Dutch economy has benefited greatly from the free movement of goods, capital, services and also persons.
The former Czech president, V⤬av Havel, put it this way: ‘Europe is the homeland of our homelands’ – a common roof over our different homes. For Havel, Europeans were primarily citizens of their own towns and cities, their own regions and nation states. But as inhabitants of Europe, they are also part of a greater whole: the homeland of homelands.
There’s no denying that friction sometimes arises in our ‘homeland of homelands’.
The decision by the European Council in December 2013 NOT to grant ‘candidate’-status to Albania is sometimes blamed on extremist parties in some European countries, when I read Albanian newspapers. I want to use this opportunity to refine or even correct this picture for the Netherlands.
Like always, my government meets with parliament to discuss its position on the agenda of the Council. In December 2013 the report of the European Commission on enlargement was on the agenda of the Dutch parliament.
In the debate several political parties expressed their views on Albania stating that Albania is not ready yet to join. Main argument used was that the new government just recently came to power after the positively evaluated elections of June 2013 and that 3 months is just too short to be able to show clear results of the new reforms.
One political party referred to the Corruption Index of Transparency International which was just published a few days before and where Albania lost another three places at the bottom of the list. This hurts, but shows the real content of the debate. Only one party made a reference to Islam, but was immediately
attacked for this in the debate by other parties.
The debate resulted in a motion which got wide support by a majority in parliament stating that Albania is not yet ready to receive candidate status. All this is public information, but in Dutch so I tell you now in order to get a good understanding of the keen debate in the Netherlands.
Finally, all member states of the EU had their own evaluation, resulting in the Council Conclusions of December 2013.
The EU is based on solidarity. Solidarity means that countries cannot always have their own way. The Netherlands being no exception. Sometimes we have to give ground, we have to yield and accept a decision that is not in our immediate interest. It’s important to be honest about that. But we should not forget that this process of give and take brought together the countries of Europe in the European Union. This has proved a resounding success – in terms of peace, political stability in member states, Europe’s position in the global power play, economic growth and the development of the welfare state.

Future of the EU
The question is not if we should be in Europe, but what kind of Europe we should be in.
As a medium-sized country, the Netherlands supports a democratically legitimate EU that is capable of taking decisive action while showing restraint, based on the principle ‘European where necessary, national where possible’. Challenges and problems should be tackled at the most appropriate level and in the most suitable manner.
The Community method can only work properly if the Commission functions as efficiently and effectively as possible. It must be able to fulfil its role as the institution of the Union as a whole: one that acts in the Union’s interests and works with, for and on behalf of its member states and citizens. To this end, the European Parliament and European Council, as representatives of the Union’s two democratic pillars, must provide the Commission with a strong substantive mandate at the beginning of its new term after the elections in May 2014. The Commission will have to work hard to prove that it listens not only to the increasingly assertive European Parliament but also to the Council. While doing so, it must also have sufficient latitude and policy freedom to effectively exercise its right of initiative.
The EU has also an important role to play in the European economy.
An open economy like the Netherlands’ benefits from a strong and resilient European economy. More than 20% of our country’s revenue comes from intra-EU trade and investment (approximately EUR
120 billion out of a total of EUR 607 billion in 2012). The incipient economic recovery that has been visible in the EU since the summer of 2013 is expected to continue this year. However, this does not mean that we are already in safe waters. Growth figures vary widely between member states, and employment is recovering too slowly in some countries. High debt burdens are another risk. In the years ahead, moreover, we will be increasingly confronted with the consequences of demographic ageing.
In order to guarantee an optimally functioning single market and a level playing field for all participants, it is essential that all citizens and businesses in the European public sphere can count on a comparable level of protection and the same rights. The values linked to the rule of law and freedom must be shared throughout the EU. All member states must demonstrably uphold the rule of law. Mutual trust in each other’s legal orders contributes to cooperation across the European policy spectrum. The government regards the further development of the area of freedom, security and justice as essential for realising the EU’s objectives both for the member states as well as for those countries who want to become member states.
Many regard the European single market, which acts as an engine for growth and jobs, as daily proof of the power of European cooperation. Businesses have access to over 500 million consumers, who in turn have unprecedented freedom of choice at competitive prices
This Union cannot function without strong member states as its foundation, just as the member states cannot thrive in today’s world without the EU. In particular, the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) requires strong, well- functioning states that are able to meet the high demands that the currency union places, for example, on their ability to be competitive and guarantee healthy government finances.
So a new balance has to be found between what is possible at national level and what is necessary to do at European level.

Enlargement

The Union was the engine that drove the advance of democracy in the countries that were outside the EU. And it still is in those countries that are not yet members. It is a force that has brought sustainable democratisation in the countries that lay behind the former Iron Curtain; that has guaranteed peace, freedom and democracy throughout Europe; that has enabled universal values to take root across Europe, values like equal rights for all, freedom of expression and socioeconomic security.
Since the start of the enlargement policies in 1993 the Netherlands has taken an approach to assess progress on the
enlargement agenda which we like to call “strict and fair”.

What does this mean?
Strict means that we take the starting point of the ‘acquis’ very serious. The acquis sets out the basic principles of the EU and the Copenhagen criteria stipulate the minimum conditions that need to be fulfilled before a new country can be become a member of the EU. These are:
ՠ stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities;
ՠ a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope with competition and market forces in the EU;
ՠ the ability to take on and implement effectively the obligations of membership, including adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union.

In the strict and fair approach on the Netherlands ‘fair’ means that the EU and the member states are prepared to help the candidate countries in fulfilling the minimum conditions of the Copenhagen criteria. The IPA program is very instrumental in this, but also on a bilateral basis we support candidate countries through projects and programs.
Till 2010 the Netherlands was giving a substantial amount of support to Albania on rule of law, human rights, environment and rural development through its development programme. Since the program stopped in 2010 the Embassy has only limited funds available. These funds are used to support Albania in the field of the judiciary, human rights and the rule of law in addition to what the EU and other member states are doing. Examples of these projects are 1) training of judges in collaboration with the School of Magistrates, 2) Improvement of Prison Conditions for Reintegration of Juvenile Detainees with Ministry of Justice and 3) Enhance professional legal framework and capacities of the National Territorial Planning and Development Agency in the project ATELIER ALBANIA. Just to mention
3 examples out of a list of 14 projects. Following Croatia’s accession in 2013,
it is not expected that new member states will be joining the EU soon. The countries of the Western Balkans all have a genuine prospect of EU accession – their integration in the EU will contribute to regional and European stability – but they are responsible for determining the pace of their accession.

Finally Albania.
The Council Conclusions of December 2013 state that the Council will examine, continued implementation of anti- corruption and judicial reform strategies and of recently adopted relevant legislation as well as a continued trend of pro-active investigations and prosecutions, including in the area of organised crime. On the understanding that Albania continues to build on the encouraging progress made so far, the Council looks forward to a decision regarding granting candidate status to Albania in June 2014, subject to endorsement by the European Council.
In the conclusions there is good appreciation of the great changes that happened in Albania since the beginning of the ’90. Especially, I want to mention the positive progress of parliamentary elections of June 2013 and the smooth handover of powers immediately after the elections. This is a good example of coming of age of a young democracy.
From the Dutch perspective allow me to highlight three important issues that are in the centre of the news these days and that have the special attention in the Netherlands.
a) The proper functioning of parliament. Full or partial boycott of the parliament, using of harsh language and extreme polarisation is not helpful to say the least and gives a bad impression.
b) Both government and opposition should work within the law when it comes to hiring and firing of staff in order to strengthen the public institutions and make them function based on merit.
c) Improving the functioning and independence of the judiciary. This is important in the fight against corruption. It is also important for improving the business climate. European business wants a level playing field and legal protection on investments in the country.
A good functioning of parliament, public institutions and the legal system has helped the Netherlands to prosper within the EU and will also help Albania to grow economically and socially.
It is the position of my government that Albania could potentially become a candidate country in 2014, but a great deal would subsequently have to happen before accession negotiations could be started.

Martin de la Beij is the ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Albania. This is the speech he delivered at a forum organized on March 4 by the Albanian Institute of International Studies.