The EU’s annual report on EU candidates’ progress towards membership shows a Union preparing for its next wave of enlargement. Brussels says the momentum for a bigger EU is there – but not every country is moving at the same pace.
The outgoing chief of the EU Economic and Social Committee, Oliver Röpke, bows out with a message for Brussels – keep the enlargement push alive.
EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas has urged the ruling Georgian Dream party to make changes that align with core European values. The country was granted EU candidate status in 2023.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has called on Serbia’s incoming government to ensure the country gets back on track towards EU membership. She warned that accession was at stake unless the country tackled key issues.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos regards a new wave of enlargement by 2030 as “realistic” with Ukraine, Moldova, Albania and Montenegro leading the way. But she warns that progress hinges on merit and commitment by the EU candidate countries to deliver on required reforms.