Thursday

28th Mar 2024

EU leaders prepare for delicate enlargement dinner

EU leaders before arriving at Thursday's summit displayed disunity over enlargement, preparing for a dinner discussion about a Finnish presidency text which seeks a delicate balance between further expansion and internal reform of the bloc.

"Tonight during dinner our main topic will be enlargement. Our job will be to find a new consensus on enlargement and I'm sure we can achieve that," said Finnish prime minister Matti Vanhanen at a liberal meeting before the summit.

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Draft summit conclusions prepared by Helsinki say that "the EU keeps its commitments" regarding ongoing accession talks with Turkey and Balkan states, but the text also says that in order to enlarge, the union needs to "function effectively" and policies need to be "developed and financed in a sustainable manner."

Luxembourg's prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker said however that he believes deepening of integration is more important than taking in new members.

Arriving to a conservative pre-summit meeting, he said "I am annoyed by those who attempt to push for enlargement and at the same time oppose deepening of the European Union," in an apparent reference to states such as the UK and Sweden which lead the pro-enlargement camp.

For his part, Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said he would like the summit to be remembered for being a meeting "that ensured keeping the doors open and sticking to our obligations to prolong the possibilities for Turkey to join the EU."

Diplomats from France and the Netherlands - two states seen as spearheading the enlargement-wary camp - said they are happy with the draft conclusions as they are.

Denmark's prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen meanwhile promoted a balanced approach saying "I don't think we could or should draw a line across Europe once and for all. But we also have to take into careful consideration the capacity of the EU to include new member states."

Although foreign ministers on Monday clinched a separate deal on Turkey's accession talks, differences could already re-emerge at the summit on four of Turkey's EU negotiating chapters which the European Commission wants to open without delay.

Chancellor Wolfgang Schussel of Austria, which opposes Turkish EU accession, said he does not expect any chapters to be opened soon - a position echoed by Cyprus.

At the same time, Mr Schussel added he expects the summit to reaffirm a "clear accession perspective for the Balkans" - an aim also highlighted in a letter circulated by Italian leader Romano Prodi who will at tonight's dinner press for a more welcoming EU stance on Serbia in particular.

"Romano Prodi's letter was a very positive signal. There is a statement that there are many views that, especially in the Western Balkans, having a European perspective is most important," Mr Vanhanen stated.

But positions differ on whether to re-open pre-accession talks with Belgrade even if it does not hand over war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic - an idea disliked by France, the UK and the Netherlands.

Meanwhile Romania and Bulgaria, which are sure of EU entry in January, will be "warmly welcomed" by EU leaders in the summit conclusions.

"We are very happy and proud that we will join the EU in a few days...it's a moment of satisfaction...We will regain our place in the the big European family," said Romanian prime minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu.

"Maybe the new member states will be a refresher [to the EU], which is needed to relaunch the constitution process."

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Restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU could translate into military losses in their bid to stop Russia's war, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned EU leaders during their summit in Brussels on Thursday.

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With the war in Ukraine showing no signs of ending any time soon, EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (21 and 22 March) to discuss how to boost the defence capabilities of Ukraine and of the bloc itself.

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