EU official told to explain 'disturbing' comments

Verheugen: Backing away from comments

BERLIN -- A German official in charge of European Union expansion has been called before the Commission to explain his call to slow down enlargement.

Guenter Verheugen, German EU commissioner responsible for member-state expansion, told a newspaper at the weekend that he favoured a referendum on the subject -- throwing doubt on the proposed membership of 12 countries.

His comments sparked controversy both among EU foreign ministers meeting in France and the countries involved as well as in Germany.

The German government has been left back-pedalling following the statement with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder forced to reiterate his commitment to the speedy enlargement of the EU.

He said: "Expansion offers chances, economic as well as political."

Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer rejected the idea that the country would hold a poll on the issue.

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Verheugen is now due before the European Parliament on Wednesday to account for the comments after the president, Nicole Fontaine, said members of the parliament deserved an explanation.

The EU, which currently has 15 member states, is holding membership talks with 10 former communist bloc countries and two Mediterranean islands.

Verheugen tried to play down his remarks on Monday.

He said that while he personally favoured referendums on major issues, that was not EU policy on enlargement.

He added: "I must say that I see a real problem in some member states with public opinion not strong enough in favour of the enlargement project, and we do need positive public opinion and that was what I wanted to trigger."

The controversy has revived German public resistance to new, poorer members joining the EU.

"Eastward expansion might be politically and economically great for the west, but it also prompts fears -- of more competition, more foreigners and more costs," the conservative Die Welt newspaper said.

"I think it is very unfortunate that this debate has been opened up," said Joachim Krause, an analyst with the German Society for Foreign Policy.

"It could mean that high political goals are crippled by parochial interests. It would have been better to let sleeping dogs lie."

Professor Gesine Schwan, president of the Europe University in Frankfurt on the Oder, said worries about EU expansion were particularly pronounced in former communist East Germany, much of which borders EU candidate Poland.

"There are major reservations that many sources are feeding on and are in no way rational," she told ZDF television.

A weekend poll showed that nearly two-thirds of Germans still opposed a common European currency. The country's constitution bars national referendums and a two-thirds parliamentary majority would be required to make them possible.

Fischer said he was against changing the constitution in order to have a vote on EU expansion.

This rejection was welcomed by Eastern European candidates for EU membership, including Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. However, European analysts warned the confusion had not allayed fears that the enlargement process could become slower and more complicated.

"The interview is yet another signal coming from Brussels that EU enlargement will not come early and that membership criteria will not be lax," Janusz Kaczurba, head of the EuroConsulting think tank in Poland, said.

Istvan Szent-Ivanyi, chairman of the Hungarian parliament's Foreign Relations Committee, said: "In my view this statement is not the opinion of the Commission. However, this private opinion is very disturbing and causes growing anxiety because Mr Verheugen is responsible for enlargement."

Hans-Gert Poettering, German Christian Democrat MEP and head of the right-of-centre group of parties in the EU assembly, said: "The indication has been created that new conditions have been created before enlargement can take place.

"I really wish to stress that the EU must be ready for enlargement by 2003 and if the commissioner has given the impression that this is no longer the case this is regrettable and the Commission should correct that," he said.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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