Enlargement & Neighbourhood
European Political Community’s UK summit should heed Churchill’s ‘blood, toil, tears and sweat’ warning
Est. 5minAs the European Political Community (EPC) gears up to meet this week and discuss the arc of conflict and instability and Europe's borders, European leaders must heed Winston Churchill's call to action, write Dylan Macchiarini Crosson and Steven Blockmans.
Georgia’s accession process to the bloc ‘de facto’ halted, EU leaders warn
Est. 3minGeorgia's accession to the bloc has 'de fact' been halted after the country's authorities passed a controversial Russia-style 'foreign agent' law, EU leaders warned on Thursday (27 June).
Serbia and Kosovo talks collapse despite EU efforts
Est. 3minA European Union bid to breathe new life into stalled negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo fell through Wednesday (26 June), with Serbia's president and the Kosovo prime minister failing to meet as planned.
Ukraine, Moldova set sight on next milestones in EU accession process
Est. 6minAfter Ukraine and Moldova formally opened their accession talks on Tuesday (25 June), they are expected to kick off a process of further aligning their own legislation to the bloc, Euractiv spoke to both countries chief negotiators about their expectations for the next stages of the process.
Ukraine, Moldova begin long road to membership as EU formally opens talks
Est. 4minThe European Union formally launched accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova on Tuesday (25 June), starting a long process that could once again redraw the geopolitical map of Europe.
EU eyes targeted sanctions, visa restrictions over Georgia’s ‘foreign agent’ law
Est. 4minThe EU is considering a range of measures, including sanctions on top government officials, cutting financial assistance and restricting visa-free travel, in response to the Georgian government's controversial 'foreign agents' law, according to an internal document seen by Euractiv. EU foreign …
Netherlands clears EU’s final hurdle for Ukraine, Moldova accession talks to formally start
Est. 1minThe Dutch parliament on Thursday (20 June) voted in favour of greenlighting the negotiation frameworks for Ukraine and Moldova, clearing the last hurdle for the EU to formally open accession talks with both countries next week. Though the new far-right Dutch …
Breaking: EU member states greenlight Ukraine, Moldova negotiating frameworks
Est. 3minAfter weeks of wrangling, EU ambassadors late Friday (14 June) evening, agreed in principle on the negotiating frameworks for the accession negotiations of Ukraine and Moldova.
Without proactive approach, EU risks further unravelling in Western Balkans
Est. 6minFor nearly 30 years following the fall of the Berlin Wall and the violent break-up of Yugoslavia, our two countries were divided over the “name dispute”, which obstructed the relations between our peoples and weakened regional stability and the European perspective of the Western Balkans, write Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev.
EU Commission tells member states to move with Ukraine, Moldova negotiation frameworks
Est. 3minThe European Commission said on Friday (7 June) that both Ukraine and Moldova are sufficiently ready for the formal opening of EU accession talks.
EU enlargement is a geostrategic imperative
Est. 4minEnlargement to the East, and to the Western Balkans, is a geostrategic imperative and will require reforms on both sides, writes Paulo Rangel.
Candidate countries must sync and blend with the EU, argues EESC’s Dimitris Dimitriadis
Est. 7minTo catch the enlargement train, EU candidate countries must run simultaneously with the European Union, argues the EESC’s Dimitris Dimitriadis. He says responsibility for an increasing Western Balkans' disillusionment with the EU is shared.
Twelve EU countries push for key next step in Ukraine, Moldova accession process
Est. 3minA dozen EU member states have made a joint push to move forward the accession process for candidates Ukraine and Moldova and formally kickstart membership talks by the end of June, according to a letter to the Belgian EU presidency, seen by Euractiv.
Why the next European Commission’s enlargement portfolio could be its most wanted
Est. 6minIn the next European Commission mandate, the enlargement and neighbourhood file is expected to be one of the most prized possessions when it comes to the distribution of EU top jobs between member states.
EU defence spending should not cut into cohesion funds, Commissioner warns
Est. 6minNew EU priorities, such as defence, should not come at the cost of helping poorer EU regions, European Commissioner for Cohesion Elisa Ferreira told Euractiv on Monday (3 June) in Berlin.
EU countries hope to agree on Ukraine, Moldova negotiation frameworks next week
Est. 2minEU member states said on Wednesday (29 May) they are hopeful to agree on the negotiation frameworks for Ukraine and Moldova in the first week of June, though some objections from Hungary remain.
EESC deploys learning curve engagement for EU candidate countries
Est. 5minThe European, Economic and Social Committee has taken a unique approach to enlargement, using a future-proofing strategy to engage with EU candidate countries through a pilot initiative to include them in policy development discussions.
UN creates Srebrenica genocide memorial day, despite Serbian opposition
Est. 4minThe UN General Assembly voted Thursday (23 May) to establish an annual day of remembrance for the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, despite furious opposition from Bosnian Serbs and Serbia.
Ball in Georgian Dream’s court as Venice Commission asks to withdraw ‘foreign agent’ law
Est. 5minGeorgia must repeal the 'foreign influence' law as it could be used to silence critical voices, according to The Council of Europe’s top constitutional law body, the Venice Commission, on Tuesday (21 May). Georgian lawmakers passed the controversial Kremlin-style law last …
EU could formally start Ukraine, Moldova membership talks in June, but hurdles remain
Est. 3minSeveral EU member states called on Tuesday (21 May) for the bloc to start membership negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova by the end of June, but several technical and political obstacles remain for the decision to be taken.
‘Foreign agent’ bill fundamentally alters relationship with West, Georgia’s president warns
Est. 7minGeorgia's controversial 'foreign agent' law profoundly changes the country's relationship with its Western partners and the EU should take the outcome of the upcoming elections as a basis to reassess its ties with Tbilisi, the country's President Salome Zourabishvili told Euractiv.
Turkey should be ‘firmly re-anchored’ in EU, finance minister says
Est. 4minSpeaking in Brussels on Tuesday (14 May), Mehmet Şimşek added that the EU and Turkey share “equal blame” for the deterioration in their relationship in recent years.
Fresh start for Belgrade-Pristina after the elections?
Est. 9minWelcome to EURACTIV’s Global Europe Brief, your weekly update on the EU from a global perspective. You can subscribe to receive our newsletter here. What seemed like a breakthrough a year ago is now facing a stalemate: Neither Belgrade nor Pristina …
The Brief – Europe Day: Who’s actually waving the EU flag?
Est. 4minWhile the current EU member states need a specific day as a reminder that belonging to the bloc bears advantages, for those outside, every day is ‘Europe Day’.