EU states adopt Granada declaration on bloc’s future, omitting migration

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - The European Union adopted a joint declaration in the Spanish city of Granada on Friday that included a section about enlargement, but left out any mention of migration.

Heading into Friday’s talks, there was tangible tension with Hungary and Poland over a key part of a migration pact agreed upon by the EU member states earlier this week.

“Poland and Hungary were not satisfied with the proposal, but they pushed us… because legally we are raped. So if you are raped legally, forced to accept something that you don’t like, how would you like to have a compromise and agreement? It’s impossible,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told the media Friday.

On Wednesday, Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska hailed the agreement related to migration crisis situations as a “huge step forward,” saying it put the EU in “a better position to reach an agreement on the entire asylum and migration pact with the European Parliament by the end of this semester.”

But it seemed to be more of a sticking point that held up talks on Europe’s broader strategic direction. Although migration was omitted from the Granda Declaration, European leaders said it emerged as a key issue.

The declaration stated that the enlargement of the EU is “a geo-strategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity,” and called on aspiring members to “step up their reform efforts in line with the merit-based nature” of the accession process.

Europe’s commitment to lay the necessary internal groundwork and reforms for amplifying the union to “30-plus members," in the words of President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, was also emphasized in the statement.

The Granada declaration also included the EU’s commitment to continue building its military, energy security, and partnerships with countries outside of Europe.