On December 13, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on enlargement policy, calling on the European Council to grant Georgia EU candidate status at its meeting on December 14-15. The resolution also urges the Council to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, Moldova, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Civil.ge reports.
“MEPs welcome the interest and political will from so many countries to join the EU and acknowledge the serious efforts being made to meet the requirements for membership,” reads the EP press release. MEPs stress that the EU must set clear deadlines for candidate countries to complete EU accession negotiations by the end of this decade and ensure that there is no fast-track for membership and that the Copenhagen criteria are met in each country’s case.
MEPs stress the strategic importance of enlargement as a key geopolitical tool for the EU amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They strongly criticize Hungarian Prime Minister Orban’s remarks on Ukraine’s accession talks and his policy shift on Kosovo. MEPs warn that Orban’s statements are hindering EU enlargement and raising concerns about Hungary’s EU presidency in July 2024. The resolution urges concurrent EU reforms during enlargement and proposes qualified majority voting for the seamless integration of new members in foreign policy and relevant accession areas.
The MEPs also welcome “the willingness of the Government of Armenia to come closer to the European Union” and the new Growth Plan for Western Balkans.
