He noted that since the last elections the House had adapted to MEPs from 12 new countries, adopted scores of pieces of legislation and had undertaken internal reform.
Pieredzējušais deputāts, kurš Eiropas Parlamentā darbojas kopš 1979. gada, pauda gandarījumu par ES paplašināšanos un Eiropas Parlamenta ietekmes pieaugumu gan Eiropā, gan citur pasaulē.