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It is proposed that by 2030 the EU and the candidate countries will be ready for enlargement

2023-08-28 14:56:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

It is proposed that by 2030 the EU and the candidate countries will be ready for

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, called for the year 2030 to be set as the deadline by which the European Union and the candidate countries are ready for enlargement.

During the speech at the Bled Strategic Forum, he repeated several times that from now on the candidate countries should be referred to as "future EU member countries".

Michel said that the EU must face the dilemma of whether it will be only a union that deals with crisis management or an actor that decides on the future.

He admitted that the long road of the Western Balkan states towards the EU, which started more than 20 years ago, has caused disappointment to many people, both in the region and in the European bloc.

"I agree with Chancellor [of Germany, Olaf] Scholz when he says that the EU must keep its promises," added Michel.

This time, the president of the European Council also called for setting a clear agenda with deadlines.

"At the time when we are preparing the future agenda of the EU, we must also set clear goals before ourselves. I believe that we should be ready, from both sides, to expand in 2030. This means that the next multi-year budget should also include these goals of ours. This is very ambitious, but necessary. It shows that we are serious. It will create momentum," he said.

Michel warned that at the next EU summit the leaders will also discuss the enlargement process. But, from the topics within the framework of enlargement, he only mentioned the possibility of opening membership negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, as well as the return of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the agenda.

He admitted that it would be ideal for everyone to enter the EU at the same time, but emphasized that the enlargement process will continue to be based on the merits of the countries that are in the process. In this context, he also mentioned the adaptation of aspiring countries to EU policies, including in the field of foreign policy and security.

Michel called on the states of the Western Balkan region to resolve their bilateral conflicts.

"Resolving bilateral conflicts from the past can be more painful than reforms. But it is necessary. In this way, you will follow the same path as the founding countries of the EU. There is no cooperation without reconciliation. And, let's be very clear, there is no place in the EU for the conflicts of the past", he emphasized.

The President of the European Council, repeating that it should be avoided that conflicts between different countries are transferred to the EU, which can then be used in the future to block the processes of neighboring countries, requested that the membership treaties include " the trust clause". This, according to him, would ensure that the countries that enter the EU do not have the opportunity to block the future member countries.

During the speech at the Bled Forum, he also reiterated the idea that the candidate states should gradually be included in some EU policies without having to wait for formal membership in the bloc. This, according to him, would be done in those areas in which the respective country will close the chapter in the membership negotiations. In this regard, he mentioned several areas, such as energy and transport, which he said would provide opportunities for the representatives of the candidate states to participate in the relevant meetings of the EU Council.

Michel warned that during December he will convene the new EU-Western Balkan joint summit.

He also expressed understanding for the calls of some EU states, especially the head of France, Emmanuel Macron, for the EU to get ready to accept new member states and for this matter to build absorption capacities.

"I completely agree with President Macron. Not reforming on our part before the next enlargement would be a big mistake. To be honest, we have sometimes used the lack of progress from prospective member countries to avoid lack of preparation on our part. Now we must seriously look at the capacities of the EU to absorb other member countries. This idea has sometimes been misunderstood as a hidden barrier to expansion. It is the opposite. It is understandable that for the member countries it is valuable to join an EU that is efficient", he said.

According to Michel, among the arguments why the EU should prepare for future enlargement is that all the candidate countries have a low level of gross domestic production compared to that of the EU. Therefore, the new members would benefit from the common budget of the European bloc.

Mentioning several times also Russia's unprovoked aggression in Ukraine, Michel said that this war fundamentally changed the global security situation and had a great impact on the future of the continent.

"To be stronger and more confident we must strengthen our ties and become more powerful. Therefore, now is the time to deal with the challenges of enlargement, both for us in the EU and for our future member states. But, I believe that we should now call these countries with a European perspective as future member states", he said.

The leaders of the countries of the Western Balkans region, as well as leaders of several EU countries, are participating in the Bled Forum in Slovenia.

Bled's strategic forum gathers participants from different fields every year, who share views and generate ideas to address current and future challenges./ Rel