site.btaEU Commissioner Kos: Draft Budget Proposed by EC Benefits EU Enlargement

During a press conference held on Thursday, the European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that the 7-year budget proposed by the European Commission (EC) for 2028-2034 is good for enlargement. She said that the draft budget shows that enlargement is a clear strategic priority for the EU.

Kos noted that it is envisaged that the amounts allocated to the applicant countries will increase by 37%, from EUR 31 billion to EUR 42.6 billion, compared to the current 7-year budget. She added that EUR 100 billion are also earmarked for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

Many of the candidate countries expect their negotiations with the EU to be completed in the coming years. From a technical point of view, negotiations with Ukraine can begin in all areas. Moldova is doing everything necessary to start negotiations in all areas very quickly, Kos said. She urged the Council of the European Union to take the decisions related to the start of negotiations with these two countries soon and clarified that only the European ministers can decide whether Ukraine and Moldova should negotiate simultaneously or be separated in the negotiation process.

Kos clarified that the draft budget does not include funds for Turkiye due to the freeze of accession negotiations in 2019, which freed up funds for other candidates.

When responding to questions, Kos said that the negotiations with Serbia could cover the next negotiating chapters in the autumn, if Belgrade's commitments are met by then. She specified that slow progress is made on the rule of law. In her words, the protests in Serbia have become a reason to delay the negotiations, and hard work is ahead in the areas of Serbian media legislation, the fight against corruption and public procurement.