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With 385 votes in favor, the European Parliament adopted the report on enlargement, calling for the acceleration of negotiations with candidate countries, but without exemptions from the EU criteria...
The European Parliament has adopted a new report on the European Union's enlargement process, stressing that the integration of candidate countries must remain a merit-based process and without exceptions to the EU's fundamental standards and values.
The report highlights that the cost of not enlarging the European Union could be higher than that of accepting new members. According to MEPs, delays in the enlargement process risk creating “geopolitical grey areas” that could become vulnerable to the influence of antagonistic external powers.
The document notes that several candidate countries have set ambitious targets for the completion of accession negotiations. Montenegro aims to close negotiations by the end of 2026, while Albania has set a target of completing them by 2027.
In this context, the European Parliament calls on the Council of the EU to recognise this moment and remove any obstacles that may exist on the part of the European Union itself. MEPs also call for the opening of new negotiation chapters with Ukraine and Moldova as soon as possible.
However, the European Parliament's message remains clear: the enlargement process must continue to remain merit-based and reversible, and no candidate country should be treated as part of a package deal.
This approach also constitutes an indirect message to countries that have declared ambitious objectives for EU membership. In Albania, Prime Minister Edi Rama has stated that the country's integration into the European Union is a strategic objective that is intended to be achieved by 2030. However, the European Parliament emphasizes that the enlargement process cannot be accelerated beyond the real reforms required by the membership criteria.
MEPs underline that the rule of law, democratic reforms, media freedom, protection of minority rights, independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption must remain at the heart of the integration process.
Another important indicator of the strategic orientation of candidate countries is their alignment with the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). According to the report, the most worrying trends of democratic regression have been observed precisely in countries with the lowest level of alignment with this policy and where the integration process has stalled.
The European Parliament also calls for stronger monitoring of reforms, especially in the so-called “foundations cluster”, which includes the rule of law and democratic institutions. MEPs stress the importance of support for pro-European civil society in candidate countries, which is considered a key factor for progressing reforms.
The report also calls for sufficient pre-accession funds to be provided in the EU's next long-term budget, as well as for deepening cooperation with candidate countries in areas such as infrastructure, security, sustainability and the fight against information manipulation by foreign actors.
The report was adopted by the European Parliament with 385 votes in favor, 147 against and 98 abstentions.
The rapporteur of the document, MEP Petras Auštrevičius from the Renew Europe group, stated that the enlargement of the European Union has always increased the political and economic power of the Union, bringing more prosperity and security to its citizens.
" With each new member, Europe's political and economic power has grown. Faced with current challenges, we need to improve the model of European integration to better reflect the EU's interests and the expectations of candidate countries ," he said.
According to Auštrevičius, enlargement should also be accompanied by internal reforms of the European Union, to improve the functioning of institutions and the decision-making process, including the wider use of qualified majority voting.
He added that the European Union must complete these reforms by the time the countries at the forefront of the enlargement process meet the membership criteria and are ready to join the Union. / Pamphlet
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