The European Commission is expected to present its annual progress report for all countries aspiring to become EU members on Wednesday (8 November), which will help guide discussions between EU member states at the next European Council in December.
Eight countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine) currently have official EU candidate status.
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Australian actress Cate Blanchett will address MEPs on Wednesday in her capacity as UNHCR ambassador (Photo: Wikimedia)
But Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans have become frontrunners in this process, largely for geopolitical reasons.
Analysts predict that the commission will likely grant Ukraine and Moldova the opening of accession negotiations under certain conditions, mainly related to reforms of the judicial system and the fight against corruption.
According to Engjellushe Morina, researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations, it is necessary to restart the process and seriously implement reforms in the Western Balkans. “In some Balkan countries, in recent years, there has been considerable regression in many areas.”
Serbia does not fully respect the common foreign and security policy and faces problems in media freedom and judicial reform. Political crises in Montenegro hamper EU reforms. And in North Macedonia, the process has stalled due to resistance to constitutional changes linked to the Bulgarian minority, she explained.
THE question of enlargement has historically been linked to the credibility of the EU itself – and, latterly, to its ability to maintain the reforms necessary for wider integration.
“The credibility of the EU’s enlargement policy goes hand in hand with the predictability of the accession process” and unanimity rules for accepting new candidates remain problematic, said Steven Blockmans of the Center for Policy Studies Europeans at EUobserver.
Pre-accession states should receive more financial support and greater participation in EU institutions when they meet specific criteria in order to catch up with the EU more quickly, he said.
At the same time, the debate on “absorption capacity” also revealed existing fears regarding the enlargement of the EU to a country as large as Ukraine, for example.
But the EU membership prospects of Ukraine and smaller states should serve as catalysts for reform of the common agricultural policy, cohesion spending and institutional arrangements, all of which are essential to the functioning of an EU expanded, Blockmans said.
Later on Wednesday, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi will present EU enlargement plans to MEPs in the Foreign Affairs Committee.
This comes a week after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen toured the country. Western Balkans, and a few days later she went to Ukraine.
Ukraine has “made excellent progress,” she said at a news conference in kyiv.
“I know that you are completing exceptional reforms. If this happens, and I am confident that it will, Ukraine will be able to achieve its ambitious goal of moving to the next stage of the accession process.”
Meanwhile, EU ambassadors from more than 140 countries are meeting this week in Brussels. EU security and defense is expected to be high on the agenda at this year’s event, organized by the European External Action Service.
Tax rules
MEPs will also hold a plenary debate on Wednesday on a report examining how to increase so-called own resources – a timely discussion amid negotiations over the EU budget review, including a proposed €100 billion top-up by the Commission.
Also on Wednesday, the Eurogroup will meet to discuss inflation and fiscal policy in the eurozone.
New EU spending rules will also be discussed by EU economy ministers on Thursday (9 November).
But a deal looks unlikely this week as Germany has shown little willingness to compromise on its debt reduction demands, with France and Italy calling for more room to maneuver on debt relief. expenses.
In 2024, countries will have to follow specific budget recommendations again, after the rules were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic, and then again in 2022 due to the economic impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
On Friday (10 November), the Council will seek to reach an agreement with the European Parliament on the EU annual budget for 2024.
NATO chief meets Hungarian Novak
Also on Wednesday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg will meet Hungarian President Katalin Novák, amid security concerns following the attack. recent handshake between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is subject to EU sanctions.
Hungary is also in the spotlight for delaying Sweden’s NATO membership, especially after Turkey started the ratification process last month.
After visiting South Sudan, Niger and Jordan this year, Australian actress Cate Blanchett will address MEPs on Wednesday in her capacity as ambassador for UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency.
On Tuesday (7 November), MEPs from the Justice and Home Affairs Committee will have an exchange of views with representatives of the EU judicial agency, Eurojust, and the EU police agency, Europol.
And on the same day, a draft proposal establishing common rules for the recognition of parenthood in all EU member states is expected to be adopted by MEPs in the Legal Affairs Committee.
MEPs from the Budget Committee will discuss EU funds for Ukraine with representatives of the Budget Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament on Monday 6 November.
European Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra will start the week in Kenya to prepare the UN climate negotiations (COP28), starting later this month.
Also on Tuesday, a resolution on the EU position for COP28 will be adopted by the Environment Committee. The EU’s initiative to tackle pollinator decline and a report on mental health will also be put to a vote that day.
On the same day, the European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, will hold a debate with lawmakers from the Budget Committee.
MEPs expected to adopt new rules on car emissions on Thursday (Euro7), paving the way for interinstitutional negotiations with EU Member States.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization will discuss the latest pandemic treaty proposal this week. The global agreement aims to set obligations before and during a pandemic.