Kosovo is highlighted by the importance of dialogue. What is envisioned in the approved EU enlargement strategy?

According to the document adopted on March 11th, the cost of non-enlargement would exceed the cost of membership of new countries in the EU, and would jeopardise the creation of grey geopolitical zones sensitive to foreign antagonist influence.

For the strategy voted 385 MPs, 147 opposed and 98 abstained.

The author of the document, Euro-Depute Petras Austrevicius, said that taking into account today's challenges, the EU integration model must improve in order to better reflect EU interests and expectations by candidate countries.

The EU's “enlargement should go hand in hand with internal reforms to protect the functioning of the EU and improve decision-making processes, including greater exploitation of qualified majority voting. The EU needs to complete these reforms by the time candidate countries meet membership criteria and are ready to join the EU”, said Euro-Deputet Austrivicius.

According to the document adopted, Albania and Montenegro have already set ambitious goals for completing membership negotiations by 2026-2027.

Kosovo has applied for membership in the European Union in 2022, but its application has not yet been reviewed.

Thus, it is the only one in the Western Balkans who does not enjoy candidate status.

When Kosovo is mentioned in the report, it highlights the importance of its dialogue with Serbia for advancement on the road to membership, reports REL, broadcast Periscope.

Among other things, the report calls for the start of membership negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova as soon as possible and for no country to be treated as part of a package.

“The rule of lawi, democratic reforms, media freedom, minority rights, judicial independence and the fight against corruption should remain at the top of the enlargement process priorities, with stable support for civil society”, the document said.

It also underlines the necessity of connecting with the EU's common foreign and security policy, which is estimated as “a key indicator of candidate country's geostrategic orientation”.

In this direction, Serbia has often been criticised for having rejected foreign policy with that of the bloc, since it is the only country in the Balkans that has not sanctioned Russia for starting the war in Ukraine.

Prior to this report's vote, a debate has been held in the European Parliament, in which EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, who said the EU will not allow membership of countries that can secretly undermine EU values or institutions.

There are no Trojan horses. Countries that would undermine us from within cannot become EU members. We have to be absolutely sure of that. Countries joining the EU must be strong and capable of resisting the toxic influence of Russia and others”, Kos said, among other things.

The European Union has expanded last time in 2013, with Croatia's accession. /Periscope/