Euro and enlargement dominate year

European enlargement was agreed at Copenhagen

Iolo ap Dafydd BBC Wales Europe Correspondent

Between January and July 2001, the Swedes in their first ever presidency countered that the 3 "E's" would be their priority.

Many assumed the liberal Swedes were into drugs and looked forward to visiting Stockholm and Gothenburg for the main summits.

Alas, the "E's" stood for employment, environment and enlargement.

Now at the end of 2002, the most important, the longest legacy of the Swedes continuing work to expand the European Union from 15 member states to 25, "enlargement" - rubber stamped by their Scandinavian neighbours, the Danes - has actually been agreed.

The 10 new countries will join on 1 May 2004, pending referendums by their electorates.

The euro is commonplace across the EU

Finally, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, at well after midnight on 13 December, declared a warm invitation to the "European family" to Poland, Hungary, the Czech and Slovak republics - all three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - tiny Slovenia from the former Yugoslavia, and the Mediterranean islands of Malta and Cyprus.

Well, only half of Cyprus actually, as the Turkish north of the island won't be admitted until the UN peace accord is signed and completed between the warring Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

And Turkey itself will have to wait at least 2 years before starting negotiations to join the EU.

Euro

Another big "e" in 2002 was - and still is - the euro.

The euro symbol is now commonplace across the EU, apart from Britain and, yes those Scandinavians again - Sweden and Denmark!

All three countries opted out of the "eurozone", and are according to the European Commission's "euro barometer" poll, published every few months - the most "euro sceptical" people in the whole of the EU.

But the currency is here to stay, and in the face of a struggling US dollar, has done better in 2002 than previously.

Stable currency

Most states seemed to get used to the new currency with amazing speed.

Belgians, especially here in Brussels, had got rid of their old francs after barely two weeks, and love being able to spend the same currency in Athens as they can in Antwerp.

The Germans mourned their Deutschmark more than most it seemed, then again it had been the most stable and strongest of all European currency - sterling included - for decades.

Britons it seems are still nervous of ditching the pound.

They like the idea of not keeping several currencies to travel in mainland Europe, but the feel good factor that Peter Hain - then Europe Minister - and Tony Blair wanted, didn't seem to materialise.

Pim Fortuyn's murder marred polls in the Netherlands

A BBC Wales poll showed the Welsh might be more receptive than our English neighbours to joining the euro.

The Swedes have already set 14 September 2003 as their referendum date to join - or not.

The Danes are likely to follow, or being suspicious neighbours, might opt to do exactly the opposite to Sweden.

And on a personal note, an Easter holiday for my family in Portugal showed us precisely how expensive Brussels was in comparison to Lisbon and Estoril.

London, and most of the UK, is more expensive than most of the continent.

Should Britain join the euro, it would make for some interesting shopping comparisons, and new patterns of "buying" abroad that currently happens in the "booze and fags cruises" which plague the French port of Calais so consistently.

Assembly elections

As Wales prepares to vote for new assembly members next May, Europe has been awash with election debates and promises in 2002.

Within the EU, electorates in Portugal, the Netherlands (which was marred by the murder of the populist Pim Fortuyn), France, Germany, Sweden and Austria all voted - and Chirac, Schroeder, Persson and Schussel retained their political power.

In the rest of Europe Slovenia, Serbia (twice, as political chaos continues) Bosnia, Macedonia, Slovakia and Turkey also had presidential or parliamentary elections - Lithuanians vote next week.

In 2003 the Belgian election with the strong right wing Flemish party Vlaams Blok should create a few headlines.

Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic: Still on trial

Other stories BBC Wales have followed have been the temporary foot-and-mouth committee of the European Parliament.

Euro MPs Jonathan Evans and Eurig Wyn have been actively involved, and made sure the committee visited Wales, twice.

Some of the report's recommendations will be implemented into a new foot-and-mouth directive by the European Commission next spring, and the UK government is expected to be criticised more than other EU governments.

Denmark provided a useful comparison with Pembrokeshire's decision to halt new houses being built within the coastal national park.

Milosevic's trial

Denmark won't allow anyone outside their borders from buying a house on Danish soil.

You may be German, Japanese or South African and can own a house, or a second home there if you happen to be a resident of Denmark.

One can only imagine the outcry if any part of Wales tried to implement such a ruling.

Former Yugoslav and Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic is still being tried in the International Court of Justice in the Hague.

His trial looks set to continue if his health, and his willingness to defend himself, carries on.

Compromise

Just like the French beef ban on British and Welsh beef was maintained illegally by the French government, another recurring theme during 2002, and a story covered to its end was the closure of the Sangatte refugee centre near Calais.

Both stories ended with a compromise.

Britain accepted 1200 refugees, and the French government complied finally with the EU and lifted its ban.

The EU is nothing if slow.

It may take a while to get from A to B - but eventually, it does get there!