In Slovenia, the President of the EU Council, Charles Michel, stressed the EU's readiness for expansion by 2030.
According to Euronews, addressing representatives of candidate countries, Michel outlined his vision of Europe's extensive development, shaped by significant geopolitical shifts post Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"Expansion is no longer a mere dream. It's time to move forward. There's much work ahead. It will be challenging, complex, and at times, painful for future member states and the EU. But let's be clear. If we want trust, we must talk about timelines," Michel declared.
Following the onset of war in 2022, the EU queued up Ukraine, Moldova, previously Bosnia and Herzegovina, for membership. Interaction with other Western Balkan countries, official candidates like Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Albania, has also gained momentum. European perspectives for Georgia are also taken seriously.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the EU must reform itself first before integrating new countries, requiring agreement from over 30 member states—a formidable task.
According to Steven Blockmans, a researcher at the Center for European Policy Studies, the EU's expansion process towards the East and South is gaining pace. He emphasizes the need to reconsider granting new members the power to veto collective decisions to ensure the Union's preservation:
"EU expansion does risk putting more veto-wielding member states around the negotiation table. This might slow down the consensus-building process. The danger of disruption to the EU's normal functioning will increase at this stage. It'll be particularly detrimental if questions of rule of law and democracy aren't well addressed in these new member states."
Both Ukraine and Moldova were granted candidate status in June. Many Brussels politicians are urging the EU to initiate negotiations with Kyiv and Chisinau for membership by December of this year.
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