Being a Member of the European Parliament gives me the opportunity to take part in politics at the very core. It is fascinating to see how the mechanism works and it even gets more interesting when you find yourself at the helm of one of the many projects that the European Parliament undertakes.

This is a very interesting time in European politics, and after the enlargement in 2004 and the adhesion of Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, the European Union is taking unification a step further by extending its economic borders. With Malta and Cyprus joining the eurozone in 2008, it will then be Slovakia’s turn in 2009 and it is precisely their admission in this important economic area that will be very much on my agenda.

Slovakia’s economy is on track for further growth and should meet the adoption criteria by 2009; however even though the country is well positioned there are several steps that the Slovak government has to undertake to ensure a smooth transition. Furthermore, some decisions taken by the Slovak government should be weighed carefully so as to have minimal consequences especially on the employment market with special emphasis going to low skilled workers.

In this regard labour laws have to be revised to give part-timers a fairer deal and to avoid extra obstacles. When a country has so many radical political changes in a few years, it is imperative that one acts with extreme caution when it comes to major upheavals, such as a change in currency and therefore all aspects have to be evaluated with extra care.

Undoubtedly Slovakia faces a challenge. It must bring the budget gap to below three per cent to qualify and even though it seems that the target will be met, it has to be ensured that this does not have too many negative effects on the standard of living of the citizens.

I had the opportunity to meet Slovakia’s ambassador to the European Union recently. The meeting has set the ball rolling for me and the Economic and Monetary Affairs committee, to start preparing the report that will determine, in a big way, Slovakia’s future. The Slovaks seem determined to succeed in their bid and this augurs well considering that the commission has also extended the evaluation time allotted to the European Parliament on the matter.

The Maastricht criteria are set to be met but fiscal discipline is a must. The Slovak government has already embarked on a project to extend welfare policies but at the same time adopting a prudent fiscal stance in order to remain sustainable.

The Slovak economy is one of the most robust in the European Union, growing at 9.4 per cent in the second quarter, while it met the euro adoption criterion – defined as inflation no more than 1.5 percentage points above the average of the three lowest EU inflation rates – for the first time in August.

All this goes in favour of the Central European country, and on our part the European Parliament has now to ensure that there are no double standards when the decision is taken, and that the bureaucracy that – in a way – was much in discussion during Malta’s and Cyprus’ negotiations, will not hinder the process.

The adoption of the euro will further ensure a European type of social state and with European politics ever moving towards the centre, it will highlight even more the perception of a United Europe.

Earlier this month the European Commission’s economic forecasts showed that Slovakia should meet the euro entry criteria on inflation and budget deficits in May, when the EU executive will judge whether the country is fit to adopt the single currency.

But EU Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said the Commission would assess scrupulously whether Slovakia met the inflation criterion in a sustainable way. I fully agree with this, and I am sure that when the time comes all parties will evaluate the situation in a way that is just and fair.

David Casa is a Nationalist MEP

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