Building a common future in Europe is a journey that has not come to an end, Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Štefan Füle, said in Vienna on 3 June. In a speech delivered at the Western Balkans Conference Vienna 2014, he spoke about the enlargement of the EU in the context of the Western Balkans and next steps to be undertaken in this successful project fostering peace and stability. The conference was organised by the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the occasion of the First World War Commemoration and was also attended by Ministers from Western Balkan countries.
Mr.Füle stated that while enlargement has extended the area of peace and stability in Europe, at the same time, many doubts have arisen on the level of preparedness of the new Member States.
“That’s why I have made it the priority of my mandate to further strengthen the credibility of the enlargement process. While keeping the process strict but fair, we have put fundamentals first, focusing on values and principles, including respect for fundamental rights and freedom of expression”, stated Mr. Füle.
He emphasized that he is looking forward to see three priorities for enlargement implemented.
1. Continuing the process which we started four years ago to strengthen the credibility and political side of enlargement and to bring the benefits of enlargement closer to the citizens;
2. Making sure that the two policies which accompanied the EU from the very beginning – enlargement on one hand and deepening of EU integration on the other, interact also in the future in a reinforcing way to the benefit of the Union as a whole;
3. Through enlargement, becoming bigger and stronger, to be better equipped to face the consequences and use the opportunities of globalisation.
He concluded that the European door remains open to the Western Balkan countries and that it is now up to the political leaders to live up to the expectation their peoples have and implement the necessary reforms – not for Europe’s benefit, but for the benefit of all citizens. The full speech of Mr. Füle can be read here: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-14-423_en.htm
