Ierland bereidt uitbreidingsfeest 'Day of Welcomes' voor (en)

EUOBSERVER / DUBLIN - The ten new member states will formally enter the European Union amid a blaze of fireworks and parties under plans drawn up by Ireland - the current holder of the EU Presidency.

On the eve of the `Day of Welcomes', as 1 May has been dubbed, Ireland's capital is planning to hold a "fireworks extravaganza" as the EU goes from being a 15 member club to one with 25.

The following day there will be a big European Fair in the centre of Dublin as well as a concert.

All EU leaders have been invited for a "formal ceremony" to mark the occasion not only of the biggest EU enlargement ever but also of a reunited Europe - *eight of the new member states were behind the Iron Curtain.

A sense of occasion

The Irish government is also trying to regain a sense of the momentousness of the occasion.

This has been slowly eroded as the new member states are already to a large extent embroiled in EU bureaucracy.

Added to this was last month's bitter fallout over the EU Constitution, which pitted Poland - the largest new member state - against Germany.

"We want to involve as many people as possible", said an Irish spokesperson "to keep it from being a purely political event removed from the citizens".

Speaking in Dublin on Tuesday (6 January), European Commission President Romano Prodi praised the plans.

Mr Prodi said, "I am happy you have decided to have a great day's celebration with your people". He added that it was a way of saying "Not only did we do it [enlargement], but we like it".

Ten Irish cities; ten cities from new member states

In the run up to 1 May, several other events have also been planned. Irish musicians, dancers and writers will travel to the ten countries to stage various cultural shows.

Similarly, a city in each of the new member states will be twinned with a city in Ireland.

Launching the programme, Irish Culture Minister John O' Donoghue said he was "conscious of the role of arts in celebrating enlargement".

However, for all the planned celebrations there is also an element of practicality. All the EU leaders gathered in Dublin are expected to hold a formal meeting - it is likely to focus on the EU Constitution as well as other immediate issues such as the election of a new Commission President.

*Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia - Malta and Cyprus are also joining.