Deal removes final obstacle to EU enlargement

EUROPEAN leaders swept aside the iron curtain that divided Europe in Copenhagen last night to usher in 10 new countries into the European Union and create the world’s largest trading bloc.

It took €1.3 billion extra and two additional hours of hard haggling but finally the deal was done to enlarge the Union when Ireland holds the presidency in 2004.

The Poles proved themselves to be tough negotiators, willing to risk a lot to win the final euro from the tight-fisted 15 members of the EU. The final cost was just over €41bn over three years.