Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, Hungary's campaign for accession kicks off , Presentation of EU flags to Hungary's Mayors, Budapest, 27 February 2003

Your Worships,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for your warm welcome and for the chance to be here with you today.

The presentation of these flags to the mayors of your cities marks the beginning of the last stage before Hungary's accession to the European Union.

At this crucial point, I want to pay tribute to Peter Medgyessy for the way he has so wisely and single-mindedly defended the interests of Hungary and of his fellow citizens.

The negotiations were tough, but both Hungary and the European Union came out with flying colours.

Up to now, the work has been done in ministries by diplomats and civil servants. Now it is your turn.

Along with these flags you will carry the debate into the market places of your towns and cities, into cafés, into people's homes -- wherever Hungarians discuss their future.

You will have to answer people's questions. You will need to encourage them to use their democratic rights and take part in the vote. And this will trigger a debate that will celebrate popular participation in democracy.

Safeguarding peace has always been the main aim of European integration, right from the start.

Deep down, the Coal and Steel Community -- the first Community -- was not primarily about quotas, subsidies or customs duties.

Deep down, it was about bringing the strategic raw materials used for waging war under the control of an international authority.

And that idea is behind our most recent achievements, such as the single currency. Of course, monetary union is good for the economy, but most importantly economic integration makes peace in Europe irreversible.

For decades, European integration involved just western Europe. But when the Iron Curtain fell, it gave us all the chance to unify the whole continent.

We will never forget how Hungary opened its border with Austria in September 1989. And this allowed people in the eastern bloc to pass through the Iron Curtain.

This country set the process in motion, and that shows your determination to share in building Europe and to be part of it.

We Europeans are a family. And we all know what families are like: we bear a family resemblance, but we are all individuals -- with our own identities, our own histories. And that diversity is our strength.

Our enlarged Europe will bring other benefits, the most important being lasting stability throughout the continent. The recent wars in the Balkans have shown how much we need that.

Stability in the European Union is based on shared values: democracy, the rule of the law, freedom, respect for minority rights and solidarity. And they have brought us our longest period of peace in modern times.

Now the time to decide has come and the Hungarian people must choose.

There is broad political consensus on accession in Hungary. I am pleased to see that all four parties represented in Parliament are behind the campaign in support of accession.

But no vote is ever a foregone conclusion.

I sincerely hope the Hungarians will vote wisely and decide in favour of accession.

When you go back to your towns and cities, I want you to tell your fellow citizens how much we look forward to welcoming you into the EU. Because we know Hungary will make a big contribution to the Union.

You will enrich the Union intellectually and culturally. I think of your great composers and artists and your 16 Nobel Prizes.

You will bring us your architects and fashion designers, who will boost Europe's creativity and enhance its image abroad.

You will bring your knowledge-based economy, which a recent Financial Times survey ranked higher than France's or Germany's.

Your universities and research institutes will compete and work with sister establishments throughout the EU. And this will help put Europe on track to meet the Lisbon targets and become the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010.

Hungary will make a difference in Europe in all fields -- culturally, economically and politically.

And Hungary has a role in shaping the Union of the 21st century through your representatives at the Convention now, and at the Intergovernmental Conference that will follow.

Above all, I look forward to a shared future as a festive celebration of restored democracy and I hope it will always be joyous like today's splendid ceremony.

We count on you to help strengthen our Union of peace, freedom and solidarity.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The European flag symbolises the determination of a few visionary statesmen half a century ago, who worked to unite Europe and transform it into a continent of peace, prosperity and shared values.

That goal is now within our grasp.

It is a great privilege for me to present you with these European flags, and to ask you to take them back with you and display them in your towns and cities.

Thank you.