COPENHAGEN – An informal meeting of EU Ministers for European Affairs was held in Copenhagen on 1–2 September, attended by ministers from all 27 EU Member States as well as representatives from the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova, Türkiye.
In the first working session of the meeting, the participants discussed the prospects for the EU enlargement, while the second working session focused on ways to strengthen the rule of law in the EU. The meeting ended with a working lunch, where the discussions centered on the EU’s internal reforms with a view to the enlargement.
Danish Minister for European Affairs, Marie Bjerre, said that with the full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, enlargement has become no less than a geopolitical necessity.
“Not delivering on this agenda will be a strategic mistake. Delivering on this agenda is a joint task”, she said.
According to here, for the aspiring members, there is the huge effort of living up to the Copenhagen criteria, adding that for the EU the task is equally complex.
Bjerre said that the EU needs to be clear about the requirements for membership and Assist the aspiring members on their European path through measures such as gradual integration, as well as get ready for enlargement by reforming itself and its policies.
“Gradual integration has already been practiced for many years with good results. It is not a substitute for enlargement, but a way to keep the integration process going”, she said.
According to Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, the main topics referred to the “anchoring the respect of rule of law; bringing early benefits to candidate countries; preparing our Union for new members; communicating the benefits of enlargement to our citizens”.
Speaking about the meeting, Maida Gorčević, Minister of European Affairs of Montenegro, noted that the country would close “a considerable number of chapters by the end of the year”.
“We’re determined to deliver the expected results by the end of 2026 in order to complete the negotiation process. That’s why starting the drafting of Accession Treaty of Montenegro would be both recognition and a boost for our European path”, Gorčević wrote on X.
In addition, Nemanja Starović, Serbian Minister of European Integration, stated on X that he was honoured to represent Serbia at the meeting in Copenhagen, thanked his Danish counterpart, Marie Bjerre for the “amazing hospitality” and stressed that he looked forward to meeting her in Belgrade soon.
