EP: absorptievermogen EU beter overwegen bij uitbreiding (en)
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – MEPs in the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee on Tuesday (24 June) approved an enlargement report stressing that the EU's own capacity to absorb new states should be taken into account when considering membership applications in the future.
But the report, which is still to be voted upon in plenary, underlines that the bloc will respect the commitments it has already taken - notably to the western Balkan countries.
The EU's enlargement strategy should "strike a balance between the Union's geo-strategic interests, the impact of political developments outside its borders, and the Union's integration capacity, including its ability to cope with future internal and external challenges and to realise its political integration project," reads the report prepared by German centre-right MEP Elmar Brok.
The so-called "integration capacity" is described as consisting of four elements – accession states should contribute to the EU's ability to fulfil its political objectives, rather than "impair" it and the bloc's institutional framework should remain "efficient and effective."
Additionally, the union's financial resources should remain sufficient to guarantee "social and economic cohesion" and citizens should be informed about the implications of enlargement through a "comprehensive communication strategy."
"Every enlargement must be followed by adequate consolidation and political concentration, that is to say, by a serious reassessment of the Union's institutions, policies and means in order to respond to the expectations of European citizens and to guarantee the viability of the Union as a political project," the document says.
While it stresses that the EU should offer further co-operation and closer ties to it neighbours who have a definite European perspective but "at present do not enjoy membership prospects," the report stops short of promising them a place in the club.
"Participation in the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) does neither in principle nor in practice constitute a substitute for membership or a stage leading necessarily to membership," it reads.
A new enlargement fatigue?
The document and its lukewarm approach towards further EU enlargement represent a blow for some countries – such as Ukraine or Moldova – which are currently part of the ENP, but have expressed hopes they will one day be full members of the bloc.
It also comes in the aftermath of Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon treaty in a referendum 10 days ago, which has prompted divisions among EU leaders about the possibilities of continuing with the enlargement process at this stage.
France's president, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, have both declared that EU expansion will have to be halted until the document enters into force, while leaders in other countries – such as Poland – have said the process can continue.
At the moment, Croatia, Macedonia and Turkey have candidate status to join the EU, while Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina have all been promised EU membership in the long run.
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