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The Franco-German discussion paper coincides with growing frustration with the pace of EU membership talks, particularly in the Western Balkans...
EU candidate countries should be able to gradually unlock privileges such as partial access to the bloc's single market to keep them motivated as they wait for full membership, Paris and Berlin have suggested in a new joint document.
In the discussion paper, circulated ahead of a Western Balkans summit and seen by POLITICO, aspiring EU members could also gain observer status at key meetings, as well as other advantages, to avoid frustration with the process.
The idea would be for " candidate countries to effectively move closer to the EU through a more structured gradual integration, thus providing additional incentives for reforms," the document circulated among EU diplomats on Thursday said.
The Franco-German discussion paper coincides with growing frustration with the pace of EU membership talks, particularly in the Western Balkans, where countries like North Macedonia have waited for more than 20 years to join the bloc.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has laid out an ambitious vision for EU enlargement, saying that Ukraine belongs in the 27-member union and that Europe could count up to 30 members by the end of this decade.
Ukraine and Moldova received optimistic news about their membership bids this week when Hungary's new prime minister, Peter Magyar, said Budapest would not oppose opening the first negotiating chapter for Kiev, allowing the two applications, which are politically linked, to advance together on June 15.
But the focus on Ukraine has led to growing frustration in the Western Balkans, where officials argue that exceptions are being made for Kiev, while their capitals are being left on hold with no real prospect of when they will progress.
Montenegro is currently in the final stages of negotiations, while Albania has opened all chapters and hopes to join by 2030. Serbia has opened 22 out of 35 chapters but has only closed two, and North Macedonia is still awaiting the formal start of negotiations due to an ongoing dispute with Bulgaria. Kosovo applied for membership in 2022, but has not yet been granted membership status because it is not recognized by all member states and due to ongoing tensions with Serbia.
In fact, a German discussion paper published last month proposed an “associate member” status for Ukraine, including greater temporary privileges, with officials arguing that the ongoing war with Russia makes Kiev a special case for enlargement.
Describing the Franco-German document, an EU official said it was an attempt to inject “new dynamism” into an enlargement process known for its excessive bureaucracy and slowness.
To address these concerns, the document calls for a “new, process-oriented approach that removes overly formalized barriers to intermediate steps and simplifies the current methodology.”
The document specifically suggests that the European Commission, which is responsible for accession negotiations, be given discretion whether to open negotiating groups or formal negotiating chapters, with EU capitals focusing instead on the "core reforms" being carried out by a candidate.
Currently, capitals must give unanimous approval for the opening of each negotiating group. In addition to observer status, the document proposes benefits including access to the bloc's Horizon and Erasmus student exchange programs, defense integration and even full access to the bloc's single market once a candidate has completed five negotiating groups./ Adapted from "Pamphlet" by "Politico"
Epo ne i kemi plotësuar kërkesat e BE, por ata kanë vetë probleme. Aq më tepër që po shtojnë dhe kushtet. D.m.th. jemi në rregull ne, por fajin e kanë ata të BE. Yttttt....sharlatanë bajgash. Nuk pinë ujë këto. Më ka zhgënjyer kjo gazetë, ashtu siç më kanë zhgënjyer jashtë mase edhe këta patriotët që na dilnin në TV kur mbronin Shqipërinë nga greku dhe serbi.
Të 5 vendet ballkanike që aspirojnë anëtarësimin në BE janë Turqia myslimane, Bosnja myslimane Shqipëria myslimane Kosova myslimane Maqedonia 30% myslimane Mali i Zi që po futet Serbia që nuk dëshiron të futet