"...so it would happen only naturally, over a long period of time."
Everything happens over a long time in the EU, Jim. That's the way it operates: "But that's only a little different to what we already have" (repeat at regular intervals until the starting point and the end point are two entirely different animals). It's done this way because they know that a single step from A to B would be totally unacceptable. But it doesn't make it any more attractive.