Politico: EU minimises enlargement talks ahead of elections

The European Union is hesitant to discuss the topic of enlargement publicly, especially amidst large-scale protests of EU farmers, due to the upcoming EU Parliament elections in June. Source: Politico, as reported by European Pravda Details: Currently, European leaders are reluctantly making concessions to appease angry farmers while simultaneously minimising discussions on expansion, especially with only three months left until the elections in the European Union.

Some EU officials have told the publication that they consider it better to keep preparations for the possible accession of Ukraine, Moldova, and Western Balkan countries behind closed doors, particularly considering the implications such integration would have for farmers.

"Let's be honest: nobody wants to talk about this [enlargement] before the European elections," said one EU official anonymously. "Talking about lower subsidies for European farmers is not something you'd want to put on your campaign slogans - or give to the far-right as ammunition for their own electoral campaigns," added the official, referring to the upcoming elections for the European Parliament in June. Ukraine, upon joining the EU, would have one of the lowest GDPs of member states, placing a significant burden on the bloc's cohesion policy - funding that flows from richer regions to poorer ones.

An internal memo of the EU Council from last autumn indicates that Ukraine's integration into the EU could mean approximately EUR186 billion of EU funds would flow into the country over seven years. The future expansion would mean that all current EU countries "will have to pay more and receive less," the document stated unequivocally. When European leaders gather this week at a summit to discuss, among other things, the issue of expansion, they will hardly touch upon their internal homework regarding expansion.

EU leaders simply intend to "take stock" of what needs to be done, according to the latest draft conclusions of the meeting, as reported by the publication. The European Commission was supposed to publish a document on internal EU reform before the expansion at the end of February, but this did not happen. Instead, the draft was significantly weakened, three other EU officials said.

One EU diplomat added that several countries have asked the commission to focus less on financial implications and future institutional reforms. The commission's document is set to be published on 20 March - after it was supposed to be discussed by the EU foreign ministers. At the end of June, European leaders will sign the so-called strategic agenda for the next European Commission, particularly concerning intra-European reform.

Poland, which will take over the rotating presidency of the EU Council in 2025, is expected to begin laying the groundwork for enlargement.

Background:

Earlier reports indicated that both the Ukrainian side and Brussels were working to ensure that the official opening of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU would take place no later than the end of June - when Belgium concludes its presidency of the EU Council and Hungary begins its six-month presidency.
By that time, the European Parliament elections should have already taken place.

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