And the Council reaffirmed its commitment to include the democratic states in central and eastern Europe in the integration process. In the Presidency’s Conclusions it is said: “Enlargement remains a historic priority for the European Union.” Nevertheless, this priority calls for further reforms in the Community.
Otherwise, observers may get the impression that, in some discussions, very little seems to have changed over the past thirty years. As long ago as the summit meeting at The Hague in 1969, tension between enlarging and deepening the Community was perceptible.