BRUSSELS – In the conclusions adopted last night, the European Council reiterated its call to the European Commission to present in-depth policy reviews on internal EU reforms ahead of accepting new members. The Commission has already postponed the adoption of this document at least twice this year.
The Council also adopted conclusions on Ukraine, the Middle East, European defence and security, the next multiannual financial framework, enlargement, internal reforms, migration and competitiveness.
In the conclusions, the European Council stated it held a strategic discussion on the way forward on enlargement, including aspects related to internal reforms.
“Recalling its previous conclusions, the European Council stresses the continued importance of enlargement as a geostrategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity. It is a driver for improving the economic and social conditions of European citizens, reducing disparities between countries, and must foster the values on which the Union is founded”, the conclusions read.
The document stresses that, looking ahead to the prospect of a further enlarged Union, both future Member States and the EU need to be ready at the time of accession.
“Aspiring members need to continue their reform efforts, notably in the area of rule of law, in line with the merit-based nature of the accession process and with the assistance of the EU. In parallel, the Union needs to lay the necessary internal groundwork and reforms. This will make the European Union stronger and enhance European sovereignty”, Member States stated.
As the enlargement process is moving forward, the European Council once again invited the Commission to present its in-depth policy reviews so that this work advances in parallel.
Reacting to the text of the conclusions, Janis A. Emmanouilidis, Director of Studies at the European Policy Centre, wrote for EPC that they “repeat the mantra that the EU ‘needs to lay the necessary internal groundwork & reforms’ in view of an enlarging Union”.
“But EU leaders again failed to agree on concrete steps to prepare the Union for reform. This undermines Europe’s credibility and shows that the EU27 are not able to live up to the test of times”, Emmanouilidis wrote.
