Interview with the Mayor of Karlskrona

After growing from 6 to 15 members the EU is now preparing for its biggest enlargement ever in terms of scope and diversity. The enlargement makes it possible to unite Europe after decades of division in east and west. Everybody is a winner with a Europe in peace, stability and growth.

A bigger union makes better possibilities to create a safer and secured existence for the citizens of the European Union. EU has with more members better assumptions to solve common problems and e.g. fight international organized crime and smuggling of people. Another evident example is the environment. The enlargement has already implied that considerable investments have been done for purification of environment in the East and Central Europe.

The membership of EU will give the new countries continued social and economic development. EU grows with 75 million inhabitants and forms by that a common market for over 450 millions inhabitants.

Now 13 countries have applied to become new members and 10 of these countries join on the 1 May this year. Among them are Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

What does this mean to South-East Sweden and Karlskrona? Ten new states knock on the door to get into the European Union. A world of new possibilities is opened for Karlskrona. The political map has changed during last fifteen years. Closed borders have been opened, impossible trade obstacles have been erased and projects of assistance have become fruitful cooperation partners.

The enlargement is important for Sweden and Karlskrona. We, of course must be within this connection and I am sure that this is only a West wind of what is coming later.

The unique position of Karlskrona in the centre of the Baltic Sea is very good for the development of business and trade. We have a common interest around the Baltic Sea. New companies will be established in the new EU-countries as well as with us. But the cooperation in the enlarged EU is not only economic matters. It is to a great extent human exchange e.g. tourism, culture and town twinning.

The municipality of Karlskrona has arranged a couple of conferences, one about "The Polish view on the EU-membership" and another one with subjects as "European Union enlargement and the free movement of workers" and "The Nordic Countries, the Baltic States and Poland -a common building market" and another subject "An enlarged labour market -possibilities and challenges".

We are inviting early in June our twin cities around the Baltic Sea and from the Nordic countries to a conference "European Union enlargement 2004 possibility of growth"

Mats Johansson
Mayor of Karlskrona, Sweden