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Current AffairsEU commissioner Verheugen discusses further enlargement on Prague visit
Gunter Verheugen, vice-president of the European Commission, is currently
in Prague meeting senior Czech politicians, including Prime Minister Jiri
Paroubek. But he is no stranger to the Czech capital - he was a frequent
visitor prior to May 2004, in his then capacity as commissioner for
enlargement. On his first visit since the Czech Republic and nine other
countries joined the EU, he discussed the experience of the last two
years, and prospects for further enlargement.
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Current AffairsWhat is the Czech Republic's position on Turkey joining the EU?
This Wednesday the European Commission is finally going to say whether it
believes the European Union should begin accession talks with Turkey. It
is of course a sensitive issue which has divided opinion around the
continent, though most EU governments seem to be coming round to broadly
supporting Turkish membership. But what is the Czech Republic's position? More
Current AffairsEC Commissioner dismayed at predicted low turnout for European Parliament elections
Gunther Verheugen, who played a key role in negotiating the Czech
Republic's accession to the European Union as EU commissioner for
Enlargement, paid a flying visit to the Czech capital on Thursday. During
the week of the Czech Republic's first ever elections to the European
Parliament, Mr Verheugen who is now Commissioner for the European
Neighbourhood Policy was in Prague to give a speech on the challenges and
opportunities that confronted the new enlarged EU.
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Business NewsPassivity, not labour restrictions, will likely stem Czech 'brain drain' to West
Prague's Charles University is the oldest in the whole of Central Europe —
having been founded in 1348 by Charles IV— so, even allowing for outbreaks
of war and the bubonic plague, the venerable institution has been handing
out diplomas for some 650 years. But what makes the "Class of
2004" unique is that this years' freshly minted graduates will also
be citizens of the European Union, with the right to seek work in all 25
member states of the expanded EU, although most of the original 15 have
imposed some restrictions.
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Current AffairsNew NATO, EU members call for enlargement to continue eastwards
The Czech Republic has just marked the 5th anniversary of NATO membership,
and joins the European Union in less than six weeks' time. But while the
Czech Republic and most of central and eastern Europe is now safely
ensconced in NATO and the EU, attention is now shifting to the south and
the east - towards the Balkans, the Black Sea, even the Caucasus. Last
week, leaders of more than a dozen countries met in the Slovak capital
Bratislava, to discuss the future of European integration. Rob Cameron
attended the summit, and has this report.
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Talking PointWestern Europe still needs to confront the reality of EU enlargement: an interview with EU Commissioner Gunther Verheugen
No other European politician can rival the German Social Democrat Gunther
Verheugen in the huge role he has played in steering the countries of
Central Europe towards the European Union. As the EU Commissioner for
enlargement since September 1999, he has travelled over vast areas of the
region and has become a familiar face to millions of Central Europeans. In
his native Germany he has also been tipped as a future foreign minister.
With just nine months to go until the biggest enlargement in EU history,
Gunther Verheugen is our guest in today's Talking Point. When I met him in
Berlin a few days ago I began by asking whether his work as Commissioner
for enlargement had changed his perspective on the continent.
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