Brussels, 17 January 2024 (MIA) – At the European Council meeting in December, we have confirmed our collective commitment to the future where all six Western Balkan partners are part of our Union. How will a Union of 30 plus countries work in practice? Only we, inside the European Union, can answer this question, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

“This House has already put forward bold ideas for a reform of our Treaties. Next month, the Commission will set out our ideas in a communication to the European Parliament and the Council, ahead of the Leaders' discussion organised by the Belgian Presidency,” President von der Leyen said in her speech at the European Parliament plenary on the conclusions of the European Council meeting of 14-15 December 2023.

She also commented on the decision of the EU leaders to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, emphasizing that ‘the hearts of millions of Ukrainians were filled with joy and hope’ when we announced the opening of accession negotiations,' and according to her, the whole nation is showing us just how much Europe means to them.

“Now we must follow up on the political situation and decision that we took at the European Council. In preparation for the accession talks, we are starting the screening process and putting together now the negotiating framework. And in the meantime, we will also start working on our own reforms to prepare for a Union of 30 plus Member States,” Ursula von der Leyen said.

“At the last European Council, we also agreed to launch accession negotiations with Moldova, and with Bosnia and Herzegovina, when the necessary criteria are met. We have granted candidate status to Georgia,” she noted.

She also underscored that the last European Council has shown the political will to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. “But we must back this decision with adequate funding. We have proposed to guarantee stable and substantial financing to Ukraine over the next four years to support the daily functioning of the State, to stabilise the economy and to bring it closer to our Union,” she said.  

“All this requires an updated EU budget. And as you all know, the mid-term review is not only about Ukraine. It is about competitiveness; it is about migration; it is about our support for the Western Balkans; it is about solidarity when natural disasters hit, like floods or wildfires. These are priorities that we collectively share. And we need this mid-term review, and I am confident that we will find a solution at 27 so that this is possible,” Ursula von der Leyen said.

EC President also referred to the situation with migration, reminding that “after almost ten years of divisive debates, we have an agreement on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. I want to thank all of you in this Parliament who have never stopped seeking common ground. And of course, I count on you and your final green light before the end of this mandate.”

“Our world is in an era of confrontation and conflict, of fragmentation and fear. And this moment calls for focus and responsibility inside our Union. Only together can we address the grave challenges we face. And that is the greatest lesson we have learnt over those four years: When we stand united, Europe stands strong,” she noted.

“A global year of elections has just begun. It is the hour of democracy, also here in Europe. But the world around us keeps spinning. We have two bloody wars that continue to rage just outside our borders. The human suffering is immense. And the shock waves are felt well beyond Ukraine and Gaza. After the energy and food crises set off by Russia, global trade is now being disrupted by Houthi terror in the Red Sea,” Ursula von der Leyen said.

Photo: EbS