On Thursday 28 September in Murcia, the European Affairs ministers of the EU27 discussed the enlargement of the EU and its consequences for the functioning of the Union. Ten countries are candidates, potential candidates or have a European perspective.
“Geopolitical developments around us show us that the long-term peace, stability and security of the European Union will depend to a large extent on the success of enlargement and on welcoming new members from our immediate vicinity into the EU”, summarised Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi at the end of the meeting.
The Spanish Presidency has organised three discussion panels: - institutions and the necessary reforms; - the impact of enlargement on the EU’s policies and budget, and on how these policies should be adapted and financed; - gradual integration, particularly with regard to the effectiveness of existing mechanisms and the possibility of new ones.
While the candidate countries have “a lot of work to do” to join the EU, “we also have a lot of work to do to prepare ourselves to welcome new members”, stressed the Portuguese Secretary of State, Tiago Antunes. He emphasised the need to find a way of ensuring that the EU’s absorption capacity is sufficient to enable it to function effectively and efficiently with 30 or more Member States.
“We should not get bogged down in an endless institutional debate, but rather discuss how we can accommodate our budget, our economy, our cohesion, our agricultural policies, because that is how we can strengthen our union”, said Lithuania’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Jovita Neliupšienė. In her view, the EU’s waiting room should become an exercise room for the candidate countries.
Mr Várhelyi reiterated the Commission’s view that it was not necessary to amend the Treaties in order to welcome new Member States, and that the internal debate could go hand in hand and in parallel with the accession process. It is a view shared by many Member States. Slovakian State Secretary Peter Mišík, for example, felt that an “evolving” approach to changes at EU level, rather than a “revolutionary” one, was “the right one”.
The Commissioner said he was convinced that the enlargement process and the adaptation of the EU could “be concluded in the short term”.
According to Mr Várhelyi, the new enlargement package, which will be presented at the end of October or beginning of November, will be “a new way of conceiving enlargement” and will provide the means for accelerated integration. He issued a reminder of the EU’s proposal for a growth plan for the Western Balkans, which should be based on four pillars: - encourage and create incentives to strengthen socio-economic reforms; - create the opportunity to gradually integrate these countries into the single market; - strengthen work on reforms relating to the rule of law and democracy; - provide the tools needed to bridge the economic and social gap well before accession. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)