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Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Full EU membership remains the goal for candidate countries, but the German Chancellor believes the process is taking "too long"...
Full membership in the European Union for the current candidate countries should remain the ultimate goal, but the process is taking “far too long.” That is why the German Chancellor has called for “innovative solutions.”
Ukraine should receive “associated membership” in the European Union as a crucial step on the path to full membership, while the Western Balkan countries and Moldova can move closer to the EU and their accession process accelerated, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote in a letter to European Union leaders.
The letter, obtained by EWB, was sent to European Council President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, whose country currently holds the presidency of the Council of the EU.
In the letter, Merz proposes a new EU enlargement dynamic for the current candidates: Ukraine, the Western Balkans and Moldova. According to him, the enlargement of the European Union is a geopolitical necessity, but at the same time a process that is taking “far too long”.
In the first part of the paper, which focuses on Ukraine, Merz proposes the “associated membership” model. He emphasizes that, although Ukraine should become a full member of the EU, it is clear that the accession process will not be completed in a short period of time.
"However, we have no time for further delays. Now is the time to boldly advance Ukraine's integration into the EU through innovative solutions as immediate steps forward ," he writes.
Associated member state status for Ukraine could include participation in the work of European Union institutions without the right to vote. It could also include the gradual implementation of EU legislation, as well as budgetary and political commitments by member states to create a “substantial security guarantee” for Ukraine.
According to Merz, this proposal will “raise several questions regarding political, technical and legal feasibility ,” but could also help facilitate current peace talks as part of a negotiated solution.
In the following part of the letter, the German Chancellor emphasizes that the European Union must stand firm in its promise that the Western Balkan countries and Moldova can join the EU.
" I propose that we also consider innovative solutions for those candidate countries that have long been preparing for membership and that we also accelerate their membership process. Together with my colleagues, I will continue to work on this ," Merz writes.
He proposes that the EU provide these countries with important steps towards membership, such as privileged access to the European internal market and closer ties with European institutions in the daily decision-making process.
"Gradual integration can be established through the creation of blocks that can serve as a basis for the full implementation of relevant policy areas, and then be accompanied by increased support in the process of implementing the acquis.
"In addition, we can strengthen the institutional integration mentioned above on the basis of substantial progress. All this could bring the candidate countries significantly closer to us and thus stimulate a new ambition for the further reforms necessary to achieve full membership," Merz writes.
Last week, five EU member states circulated a confidential document among other European Union member states, proposing a "merits-based approach, if necessary, step by step, to the European single market" as a way to maintain the pace of enlargement.
Austria, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic have called on the European Commission to review its approach to the integration of the Western Balkan countries into the EU single market.
The proposal is seen as a way to prevent the region from falling under the influence of Russia and China.
The document stresses that maintaining the momentum of EU enlargement requires "strong and attractive incentives" for candidate countries, including Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro.
"A merit-based approach, if necessary, step by step, to the European single market represents such an incentive," the document says.
It describes a model of “systematic sectoral integration”, according to which “gradual integration should be pursued actively and systematically once a candidate has demonstrated a high level of compliance with the EU acquis in the relevant sector”.
At the same time, mechanisms have been put in place to suspend access in case of deviations from European standards.
The document proposes expanding integration into several new sectors, including transport, energy and electricity markets, the digital single market, competition strategies and policies related to critical raw materials.
This approach could serve as an alternative to a more radical proposal to grant candidate countries observer status in EU institutions during accession talks.
Friedrich Merz's letter thus constitutes another contribution to the recent discussions on enlargement within the European Union. /Adapted from Pamphlet /
Dmth, Ukraina anëtare e asociuar, kurse Shqipëria vëzhguese?! Sa per korrupsionin, Ukraina eshte mjafte e korruptuar, edhe ata kane Balluket, Frida Krifcat, Berishe e Ramutet e tyre veç me te mëdhenj. Po me Shqiperine, çfarë kane gjermanet?!
Gjermanet te paret ne shkence e muzike, ne nivele te larta ne sport perkrah vendeve me te zhvilliara ne art e kulture.Jo lajkatar e grabitçar per popujt e pa mbrojtur. Nese arrijne te realizojne futjen ne BE te Ballkanit Perendimor meritojne nje 10".Mirnjohje sidomos Fridrih Merc. Nje promotor I shkelqyer,ngjason me Adenauer e Kohl.