On Wednesday 18 January, the European Parliament called on the European Commission to launch an enquiry into the behaviour and actions of Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi regarding EU accession countries.
The Parliament, by 375 votes in favour, 180 against and 95 abstentions, urged the Commission to “launch an independent and impartial investigation” to determine whether the Commissioner’s behaviour and policies “constitute a breach of the Code of Conduct for the Members of the Commission and of the Commissioner’s obligations under the Treaties”. MEPs are “deeply concerned” by reports that the Commissioner “deliberately seeks to circumvent and undermine the centrality of democratic and rule of law reforms in EU accession countries”.
According to the S&D group, Olivér Várhelyi “constantly downplays” Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s attacks on democracy and even aided Milorad Dodik’s separatist actions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This request for an enquiry is part of the report by David McAllister (EPP, German) on the implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) which they adopted (407 votes in favour, 92 against and 142 abstentions).
In it, MEPs argue that the “tectonic shift in the geopolitical landscape” requires “a swifter implementation of the concept of strategic autonomy, solidarity and for a geopolitical awakening” of the Union, while stressing the need for closer cooperation with NATO and like-minded allies around the world.
In their view, the Union can only properly fulfil its role as an international actor and guarantor of security if it relies on “more flexible and efficient” decision-making and, to this end, it must move as quickly as possible to qualified majority voting for CFSP decisions.
The European Parliament also calls for a faster and fuller implementation of the ‘Strategic Compass’ and the full use of the ‘Team Europe’ approach to coordinate and avoid duplication of EU Member States’ foreign policy.
It also calls for autonomous European diplomacy in all areas, including public, cultural, economic, climate, digital and online diplomacy, among others.
Finally, the Parliament aspires to a stronger role in the EU’s foreign policy and would like to see a clear definition of the competences of the High Representative and the Presidents of the Commission and the European Council regarding the Union’s external action in order to avoid a lack of clarity.
See the report: https://aeur.eu/f/4y9 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)