BRUSSELS – EU leaders, gathered together in Brussels for the European Council summit on June 26-27, reaffirmed the “strong support for the EU accession process of the Western Balkans”. The conclusions adopted at the meeting state that “the European Union will continue to work closely with the Western Balkans and support their reform efforts on their paths towards EU membership”.
It is stressed that the European Council remains committed to advancing the gradual integration between the European Union and the region during the enlargement process itself in a reversible and merit-based manner.
“The future of the Western Balkans is in the European Union”, the document states.
In addition, the European Council conclusions called for stronger European defence, since it “will contribute positively to global and transatlantic security and is complementary to NATO, which remains, for those States that are members of it, the foundation of their collective defence”.
To this end, “the need to continue to substantially increase expenditure on Europe’s defence and security, and invest better together” is expressed.
Also, the EU member states are invited to coordinate among themselves the implementation of relevant commitments in the domain of defence of security, which implies the continued work on the relevant financing options.
At the same time, the EU leaders exchanged views on economic developments. It was concluded that boosting Europe’s competitiveness and further integrating the Single Market were key for sustaining Europe’s prosperity and social model, and would contribute to strengthening the EU’s global influence and position as a predictable, reliable and credible partner, including by enhancing the international role of the euro.
In addition, the European Council stressed the importance, for Europe’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy, of reducing energy dependencies and welcomes the progress achieved since 2022. In this context, the European Council underlines the importance of security of supply, affordability and legal certainty and of addressing Member States’ concerns, in a spirit of solidarity.
Also, the European Council addressed the situation and latest developments in the Middle East, “in particular the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and the latest developments as regards Iran”, as well as the situation in Ukraine.
“Europe’s security is interlinked with Ukraine’s security. This is why we continue to push for a just and lasting peace, while paving the way for European Union membership… The Commission’s assessment is clear: despite the incredibly difficult circumstances, the Ukrainian government is carrying out reforms at an impressive pace. So now is the time to intensify our work and advance on the path towards European Union accession”, said António Costa, President of the European Council at the press conference following the European Council meeting.