The complex process of a country joining the EU normally takes years, even decades. For Ukraineτη Agriculture and Moldova It is possible that the whole process will be accelerated, at least in its first steps.
Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky asked Brussels immediate accession of his country to the EU by sending a request. However, accession by summary procedures is not provided for in the European Treaties. According to the European Commission, the immediate accession of a country is not possible. In an interview with the German radio station DLF the President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen made it clear that: “In the EU we can not bypass the criteria. Member States have co-signed Treaties, which set out specific criteria to be met.”
THE Polish President Andrei Duda However, just a few days after the start of the war, he called for a speedy process of Ukraine’s accession to the EU, stressing that “Ukraine should immediately receive candidate status and then start accession negotiations as soon as possible.” In addition, he supported her Kiev’s access to the European Recovery Fund. Poland’s proposal for summary proceedings is supported by a number of Eastern European countries.
The demands will be discussed at the Summit on Thursday and Friday
The “27” agreed to accept the request for membership of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia and to forward it to the Commission for consideration. For his part President of the European Council Charles Michel promised that the issue would be discussed at the informal Summit next Thursday and Friday in Versailles under the French EU Presidency.
Regime candidate country have today tfour countries of the western Balkans and Turkey. With Serbia and Montenegro negotiations have begun, Northern Macedonia and Albania are still waiting while Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo do not yet have candidate status. Bosnia and Herzegovina has applied for membership since 2016 and Kosovo has not been recognized by member states such as Greece and Spain. As far as Turkey is concerned, the accession negotiations have been frozen since 2016?
Frustration in the Western Balkans?
The EU has signed an “Association Agreement” with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, with no guarantee of candidate status or the start of accession negotiations. However, the President of the Commission emphasizes that relations between the EU and the three countries do not start from scratch.
In signing the request for EU membership, Moldovan President Maia Santou stressed: “We want to live peacefully, freely and be part of the West. “Some decisions take time, others will have to be made faster.” However, it is possible that candidate countries from the Western Balkans, which are waiting for progress in their accession process, may feel marginalized if Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova overtake them due to military attacks and threats from Moscow.
DW / Bernd Riegert, Brussels / Editor: Stefanos Georgakopoulos
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