EU should be ready for new members by 2030: European Council chief

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - European Council President Charles Michel on Monday reiterated the bloc's commitment to the enlargement policy towards Western Balkan countries by 2030, saying the EU should be ready for new members.

Michel's remarks came at the opening ceremony of the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia – a global platform for generating ideas and exchanging views on contemporary society and its future.

“Enlargement is no longer a dream. It is time to move forward. There is still a lot of work to do. It will be difficult. It will be complex, and sometimes painful for the future member state and for the EU but let's be clear. If we want to be credible, we must talk about timing. We must talk about our homework. We must set ourselves a clear goal, We must be ready on both sides by 2030 to enlarge,” said Charles.

According to Charles, it is now time for both the bloc and the candidate members to tackle the challenges of the enlargement.

“It is time to face the challenges with clarity and honesty,” said Charles.

In 2003, the six countries of the Western Balkans were designated "potential candidates" at the EU Leaders Summit held in Thessaloniki, Greece.

While Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are still considered "potential candidates," Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, and North Macedonia have acquired the status of "candidate countries" over the years.

Ukraine and Moldova were also declared candidate countries in June 2022.