European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos has stated that no country seeking membership in the European Union has ever received—and cannot receive—guarantees that no new bilateral disputes will arise during the accession negotiations.
Ahead of her official visit to North Macedonia, Kos stressed that fulfilling agreed commitments, including the inclusion of the Bulgarian community in the country’s Constitution, remains the only path toward advancing the EU integration process.
“Based on my experience, trust is built primarily on two elements: fulfilling commitments and the attitude of candidate countries toward the European Union and its member states. This begins with good neighborly relations. As mutual trust grows, the accession process becomes more secure. I am convinced that this would also be the case for North Macedonia. The reality is that no candidate country has ever received a guarantee that no additional dispute will emerge during the accession process until the last EU member state ratifies the accession treaty. That is simply how EU enlargement works. It is important to accept this reality,” Kos said in an interview with AIM.
The European Commissioner also announced that the European Commission will present new initiatives this autumn aimed at bringing candidate countries closer to the European Union even before they achieve full membership.
