site.btaBrussels Contemplates Simpler Procedures to Prevent Bilateral Issues from Hampering EU Enlargement

“The European Commission is exploring ways to simplify accession procedures to prevent bilateral issues from hampering [EU] enlargement in this very sensitive geopolitical context,” European Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said during a hearing at the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.

Kos specified: “With North Macedonia, our political objective is to open negotiations on the ‘Fundamentals’ cluster as soon as the necessary constitutional amendments are adopted. For this, Bulgaria and North Macedonia should start talking extensively and find a solution to this bilateral issue, and I stand by to facilitate, if necessary.”

Albania is already negotiating with the EU on 24 chapters, Kos went on to say.

She said she has called on Serbia to carry on with reforms and has urged the country’s government to regain public confidence. She has told Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that his visit to Moscow for the May 9 Victory Day Parade made things more complicated for his country as far as European integration efforts are concerned.

Kosovo’s European path goes through normalizing relations with Serbia, the Commissioner said. She called for prompt composition of the new Kosovo institutions in the wake of the latest elections.

Bosnia and Herzegovina remains caught in a political stalemate but the EU door remains open, Kos said.

Montenegro is advancing rapidly in the accession negotiations with the EU. Six chapters have been closed. The talks are expected to be completed next year.

Turkiye remains a strategic partner to the EU, and it is a matter of shared interest to keep the country associated with European values, Kos said.

The authorities in Georgia are taking the country away from the European path and creating risks for the foundations of democracy in the country, she noted.

The EU needs to take the next steps for Ukraine and Moldova right away; everything is ready and it is up to the EU Council to open negotiations, she said. The unification of Europe should be completed for the sake of peace and security on the continent, Kos argued, adding that this is more than just a moral obligation. According to her, enlargement is becoming part of Europe’s unification and serves as an economic catalyst. Candidate countries need to implement reforms and to have stable democratic institutions and economies. The Commissioner expressed hope that at least one more country joins the EU in the next four years.