EARLIER this month, 10 eastern and southern European countries got the green light from the European Commission to join in the EU in 2004.

But they are not on board yet. Some tough decisions lie ahead before EU heads of government formally invite the applicant countries to join at the Copenhagen Summit in December.

I firmly believe that we must seize this historic opportunity to reunite Europe. Indeed, this latest and biggest ever enlargement of the EU will finally mark the end of the Cold War that divided and disfigured our continent for more than 50 years.

In less than two years' time, therefore, we could be living in an EU of 25 member countries and almost 500 million people. But Budapest is a long way from Bolton. Just how will EU expansion affect our town?

Clearly, many economic benefits will flow from enlargement. Bringing down the barriers between western and eastern Europe will boost trade and open up new business opportunities for local companies. Here are just two simple illustrations.

Firstly service industries, especially financial services, in many of the accession countries are very under-developed, compared with western Europe. EU membership should lead to major growth right across the service sector and create new markets for British businesses.

Secondly, the new EU member countries will need to spend an estimated £80 billion over the next 20 years on environmental improvements. Once again, this opens up new opportunities for go-ahead local firms and organisations.

Some are already taking advantage, like the Groundwork Trust. It is developing schemes in Poland to help companies there become more efficient and environmentally friendly at the same time.

Overall, even the most cautious economists calculate that the existing 15 EU member countries will gain over £6 billion and 300,000 jobs from enlargement. For Britain, the economic benefits are put at £1.5 billion.

An expanded EU should also help us to tackle Crime more effectively. Crime is now increasingly international, whether it's people trafficking, money laundering or drugs running. Once the new member countries join, we shall be able to take the fight against the international criminal gangs way beyond the EU's current frontiers.

Above all, though, enlargement is a security issue. Enlargement should extend stability right across the continent. That is in our self interest, because it is about our security. There can be no greater prize, not only for us, but for future generations.

By Gary Titley, Labour MEP for the North-west