STRASBOURG – MEP Tonino Picula presented a draft report on European Parliament recommendations to the Council of the EU, the European Commission and the High Representative in EP Foreign Affairs Committee today.
The recommendations are intended to be adopted ahead of EU-Western Balkans Summit in Zagreb on 6 and 7 May, with the view of launching accession negotiation with North Macedonia and Albania, as well as giving fresh impetus to the enlargement process.
“This morning I presented my draft report in EP Foreign Affairs Committee ahead of the upcoming Zagreb Summit. I reiterated the strong European Parliament’s support for EU enlargement and the need to open accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania already in March,” Picula announced on his Twitter account.
According to Picula’s report, the prospect of EU membership is a fundamental incentive for reforms in the Western Balkans. He recommends to the EU’s institutions to immediately open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia and to grant visa liberalisation to Kosovo.
Picula called to ensure that the enhanced methodology sustains fully-fledged EU membership as the final goal and that the EU sets clear and predictable rules and criteria and applies them consistency, thus restoring its credibility.