The MEP from “Vazrazhdane” Stanislav Stoyanov expressed his position in the Foreign Affairs Committee, which was also attended by Marta Kos, Commissioner for Enlargement, in connection with the process of accepting new member states into the European Union.
“I welcome the Commissioner's efforts to achieve progress in the EU enlargement process, but it must be in line with the long-term interests of the member states. We need to have a clear strategy to address issues such as corruption, weak rule of law and human rights violations,” Stoyanov said.
He also said that there should be no compromise on the membership criteria, nor on the commitments already agreed with the candidate countries.
The Western Balkans region faces systemic economic problems, including low productivity, limited innovation, high unemployment. In this sense, investments are essential, but it is not clear how the spending of the funds provided by the EU will be monitored and, above all, how their effective and transparent spending will be guaranteed. The internal reform of the EU also awaits an answer. A larger union requires significant changes in the decision-making process, and it is still unclear how the EU will adapt to accept new members, and at present it is not clear whether efficiency can be ensured in a union of over 30 member states.
“Public sentiment on both sides is a critical factor that we cannot ignore. Growing euroscepticism in the EU and in the Western Balkans puts the entire enlargement process into question. Here too, the Commission's plan to foster trust and build public support for enlargement is of utmost importance”, Stoyanov further commented in his speech