– We want a stronger European Union.
I believe that any fresh associate who meets the criteria and who will go through the full accession process of accepting further clusters has its place in the Community. These actions are mainly taken towards the countries of the Western Balkans, e.g. Albania successfully implements its negotiations, says Newseria Michał Szczerba, MEP from the PO.
For Denmark, which has a presidency in the EU Council on 1 July, further enlargement of the EU will be 1 of its priorities
A Eurobarometer survey shows that just over half of Europeans (53%) support further enlargement of the EU to fresh countries. Denmark, which takes the Presidency of the Council of the EU after Poland on 1 July, announces that it will be 1 of its priorities for the next half of the year, calling enlargement a "geopolitical necessity" key to stabilising Europe.
On Monday 30 June and Tuesday 1 July in Skopje, the EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marty Kos meets Western Balkan leaders on the implementation of the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. This is simply a €6 billion plan that helps to integrate the region's economy into the European Union, allowing investments in energy, transport or digital transformation.
Albania and Montenegro are the closest to joining the EU, and Moldova could besides join Moldova over respective years
Currently, 9 countries have authoritative EU candidate position (not including possible candidates like Kosovo) – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, Moldova, Turkey and Ukraine. Turkey has formally had this position since 1999, but negotiations have been frozen for respective years. The Georgian government has besides decided to halt accession talks. Albania and Montenegro are the closest to joining the EU, and Moldova could besides join Moldova over respective years.
“Moldova is simply a country which at the last minute has avoided the misfortune of losing the control of society over its own state. We are so going to support Moldova by expanding its institutional, democratic resilience. The plan for Moldova is EUR 1.9 billion, which is about to strengthen the institutions, but besides to defend this country from unauthorised interference from a 3rd country, I am reasoning primarily of the Russian Federation,” says Michał Szczerba.
There's always any unresolved cases, conflicts that are temporarily or longer dormant.
Moldova has been a candidate since 2022, negotiations began in June 2024. The Union sets a possible deadline for accession by 2030. The EUR 1.9 billion EU improvement and Growth Plan for Moldova (520 million grants + 1.5 billion loans) adopted this year is intended to accelerate economical and social transformation and integration with the EU. 1 of the most serious geopolitical challenges in the process of integrating Moldova into the EU is the issue of Transnistrian, separatist, pro-Russian region in the east of the country.
– There are always unsolved cases, conflicts that are temporarily or for longer. However, I am absolutely convinced that Commissioner Marta Kos is consistent in this respect, she has worked with the Polish abroad Minister in order to guarantee that enlargement is not a slogan, but a circumstantial task to be carried out, says Euro MP PO.
Remaining Ukraine and Moldova in the grey region between the EU/NATO and Russia could increase the safety risks for Europe as a whole
The Stockholm Centre for east Europe Studies states that the EU decision to launch accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova is simply a geostrategic investment that can strengthen the European safety order and prevent Russia from achieving its ambition. If Ukraine and Moldova stay in the grey region between the EU/NATO and Russia, this could entail crucial risks to the safety of Europe as Russia can usage these countries as arenas to proceed conventional and hybrid aggression. Furthermore, the delayed or unsuccessful enlargement of the EU would let another countries, specified as Russia or China, to increase their influence in the region.
