Berlin, 7 February 2024 (MIA) - David McAllister, chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), says the European Union has made mistakes and failed to deliver on some of its promises in the Western Balkans enlargement process.

McAllister told Bild both sides have a share in the delay of the accession process.

"Countries of the Western Balkans have made insufficient progress in reforms out of various reasons. On the other hand, the EU gave promises that were not kept. Look at the example of North Macedonia, a candidate for EU accession since 2005. The country changed its name under the pressure of Greece in 2019, but the accession negotiations have not opened until this day - contrary to what was promised. The EU cannot longer allow such gray zones in the enlargement policy," notes McAllister.

He adds that the accession process is a regatta not a convoy, where each country moves towards EU membership at its own pace and is individually assessed. Accession criteria are not subject to compromises. Instead, our task is to gradually make it easier for countries in the Western Balkans to connect with Europe, for example through gradual access to the internal market and EU funding programmes," says McAllister.

According to him, EU is currently not ready for all nine candidates, which have a mid- and long-term membership perspective.

"None of the countries will meet the required accession criteria in the near future. EU must use the next few years to prepare itself for the possible enlargement rounds. We must adapt our European house for the future. This includes a reform of the decision-making processes, so that we can react in a faster and more flexible way as a community. The EU budget should also modernize, otherwise enlargement cannot be financed," underlines McAllister.

MIA file photo