This and the next year, great progress is possible in the expansion process, and whether this will be achieved will depend on the political decisions of the Member States, the Commissioner for the expansion of Marta Kos.
“We can do much, we can open all negotiating clusters this year with Albania, we are able to create all clusters with Ukraine and Moldova, which means the report on the Council, and then Member States should make a decision.”
New dynamics in the expansion process
For each step in the enlargement process, the consensus of all Member States, ie for each country, the candidate in the process of accession is needed 150 unanimous decisions.
About half of the Member States are tended to abolish consensus and transition to decision-making by a qualified majority, but the problem is that there is also a consensus necessary for this change.
Enlargement Commissioner, Slovenian Marta Kos points out that due to geopolitical changes, the new dynamics in the expansion process, which now, in contrast to EU expansion and security dimensions.
He thinks he is up to 2030. Possible to enter several candidate countries.
Thus for Montenegro, which opened all chapters, and some of them and closed, says it is possible to conclude negotiations by the end of 2026. years and then remain two to three years to sign and ratify the accession agreement.
The Albanian government has an ambition to complete the negotiations by the end of 2027. “And the Commission supports it,” so it could enter 2030.
“I think that is a very realistic perspective also for Moldova and Ukraine, we believe that expanding the political security guarantees. At the moment Ukraine and Moldavia could be a strong political branch of security guarantees.” KOS said.
Orban Non-Glove Ukraine
It is hoped for the end of this year, during the Polish presidency Ukraine and Moldova could open negotiations in the first, fundamental cluster, which consists of five chapters, and related rights – judiciary and fundamental rights, freedom and security, financial supervision, public procurement and statistics.
It is a cluster that opens first and last closes in the process of negotiations. Without progress in the rule of law, no country can progress in other chapters.
For Ukraine, it says that the people of Hungarian minorities are discussed with Hungarian water and hopes for a positive solution, which could eliminate the resistance of the Budapest opening the first cluster.
However, if he judged by the statements of the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, that hope is not too grounded.
“Our country is facing a serious threat, entering Ukraine in the EU. This danger is presented to the accession of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union yesterday. If it would have been to be spent on our eastern neighbor,” Orban said on Tuesday.
BiH could stay without a billion euros
As for Bosnia and Herzegovina, which faces a serious constitutional crisis, Kos says “trying to convince entities in BiH to do what is best for the whole country.”
“I would probably be the happiest person in the world that Bosnia and Herzegovina begins negotiations. They deserve it, but unfortunately some politicians work against it,” she said.
She added that I would have not yet spent what it takes to be able to use funds from the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.
She warned that I could remain without funds intended for her, it is a billion euros, if not adopted by the reform program, appoints the main negotiator, etc.
“If they don’t meet what is agreed within a certain period of time, they will probably get a deadline to implement reforms. In the worst case, and we hope that it will not happen, and that money could use other countries,” she said.
Return Serbia to the European track
For Serbia, which has not opened any chapter for three years, Kos says that the new government expects to be a pro-European and proposal.
“Serbia should be returned to the European track and the European Commission is ready to do everything to happen,” said and announced that Belgrade will visit Belgrade by the end of the month.
She said that the EU is looking for the same as the student movement in that country. “We ask Serbia on her path to the EU, exactly what they seek protesters, the rule of law, the fight against corruption, public procurement,” she said.
North Macedonia started the first states of the former Yugoslavia through European integration, but it is due to internal problems, and even more due to the blockage of neighboring Member States remain at the beginning.
The country’s government seeks guarantees that there will no longer be a blockade due to bilateral issues.
Kos says he understands frustrations, but there can be no guarantees. “However, what I expect from all Member States is to discuss bilateral issues in good faith and to tend to compromise. It would best be that bilateral issues do not interfere in the access process,” she said.
For the first time some out of the EU they want an extension failure
The Commissioner points out that the European Union is in history for the first time “with external, rememination forces that would like the expansion process, and these forces do not come only from the east,” he said not stating who was working.
When asked whether he is familiar with the alleged offer of the new American administration Albania to give up negotiations with the EU in exchange for investments, Kos said there was no knowledge.
“I don’t know about that case, but I know that there are third countries that are the situation that the countries of the candidate are open to investments from abroad,” said the Council of Montenegro, which signed a lot to invest a lot in that country.
“Candidate countries can choose investors. Of course we follow what happens in that field, because it bears the candidate with them and some consequences.”
Speaking of the planned American mineral agreement with Ukraine, Kos says that the Commission welcomes any agreement in the interest of Ukraine, but monitors what effects of expansion.
“Ukrainian prime minister told us that they decided to enlarge, which would insist and not to sign any agreement that would jeopardize their way to the EU,” she said, reports Focus.
