20.02.2006 - 09:53 CET | By
Mark Beunderman
EU industry commissioner Gunter Verheugen has predicted that some
EU states will in 20 years form a political union.
In in an interview
with German daily Die Welt, the commissioner was asked how he sees the EU in 20
years' time.
He responded by saying "I believe
we will have a political
union, but maybe not with all states that now form
part of the EU."
"Certain European states will agree to
have common competencies in foreign, economic and financial policy as well as in
judicial policy," he said outlining his long-term vision.
The remarks
point to the possible creation of a "core" Europe of EU states further
integrating policies, with other states opting out.
This vision emerged
in the 1990s in German conservative political circles, and has since won
supporters mainly in France and Belgium, with the Belgian prime minister Guy
Verhofstadt recently suggesting closer co-operation between the eurozone states.
The commissioner also appeared to predict predicted a further enlarged
EU encompassing the western Balkans, Turkey, Switzerland and Norway - but
excluding states like Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Russia.
"In 20 years
all European states will be members of the EU, except the post-Soviet states
that do not yet form part of the EU now," he said.
Mr Verheugen served
as the EU's enlargement commissioner in the previous Prodi commission from
1999-2004, succesfully managing the bloc's 2004 expansion while championing
further enlargement, including with Turkey.
© 2006 EUobserver, All rights
reserved
Gunter Verheugen, comisarul european pentru Extindere, a
declarat ca fostele republici sovietice nu vor deveni membri ai UE, in pofida
faptului ca procesul de extindere va continua.
