VIENNA – The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria, Alexander Schallenberg, and the Minister of European Affairs, Karoline Edtstadler, sent a “non-paper” to the EU, in which they state that EU integration of the Western Balkans should be accelerated.
According to FoNet, the “non-paper” with specific proposals was addressed to the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and the Commissioner for Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, reports Kosovo Online. The “non-paper” concretizes the proposals presented in May last year.
Schallenberg and Edtstadler, believe that the enlargement process, which is stagnating, must be accelerated and demand from the EU “a clear agenda for faster integration until 2024.”
Vienna demands an action plan that would include concrete steps for the gradual integration of the countries of the Western Balkans.
It is stated that financial support should be more effective, through an improved system of incentives modeled on the reconstruction and resilience plan, and the Austrian ministers also request that the countries of the Western Balkans be regularly invited to EU Council sessions and remind that Ukraine is regularly invited to participate in the council ministers of foreign affairs.
Schallenberg: It is time to be bold about EU enlargement, we cannot wait
They also propose that informal sessions of the EU Council be held in the Western Balkans region, and they advocate for increased gradual integration, for example through further trade facilitation through customs cooperation, participation in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), or in the European network of higher education.
Schallenberg emphasized that enlargement is the most powerful geostrategic instrument of the EU.
“Let’s use it.” We must not make the mistake of forgetting about Southeast Europe because of the justified focus on the East. “Austria was and remains a supporter of the gradual rapprochement of the Western Balkans with the EU,” said Schallenberg.
Minister Edstadler stated that the EU must now send a signal to the Western Balkans and encourage enlargement. “Tangible steps and a purposeful incentive system for reforms are needed because otherwise, we will lose the people of that region. We can’t waste any more time. The geopolitical reality requires acceleration and an innovative approach,” said Edtstadler.