The European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) will discuss tomorrow the draft report on the EU enlargement strategy, authored by Lithuanian MEP Petras Auštrevičius (Renew Europe). The report stresses that the EU accession process must remain merit-based, with progress in rule of law, democracy, and fundamental values as its cornerstone.
Key points of the draft report include:
- Enlargement as a strategic tool for EU foreign policy and a driver of long-term security, peace, stability, and prosperity in Europe.
- Countries undergoing accession are encouraged to implement reforms decisively and on time, with a focus on the independence of the judiciary, anti-corruption measures, media freedom, and protection of minority rights.
- Full alignment with the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy is emphasized as a precondition for accession, including compliance with restrictive measures and defense objectives.
- Regional cooperation, reconciliation, and resolution of open bilateral issues are highlighted as essential prerequisites for successful accession.
- Merit-based accession may involve temporary freezing of negotiations if there is backsliding in core values, resuming only after significant reform progress.
- Early integration of candidate countries into EU institutions, for example as observers in relevant bodies, is encouraged to strengthen ties and prepare for full membership.
- Pre-accession financial support remains critical for institutional and economic transformation, but must be conditioned on rule of law and democratic reforms.
- The report calls for stronger proactive communication strategies to highlight tangible benefits of EU membership, countering disinformation campaigns, particularly those from Russia.
Almost 300 amendments have been proposed to the draft report and resolution. After tomorrow’s discussion in AFET, the report could go to a plenary session in March.
