France's Proposal For EU Enlargement

Details of France's proposal to reform the European Union enlargement process have been revealed.

According to the document, France has outlined four pillars where enlargement should be set up and, among other things, requires gradual membership and the possibility to reverse the process.

France proposes adding conditions for candidate countries that want to join the European Union.

This is just one of four pillars where France wants to see the European Union enlargement process set up, which President Emmanuel Macron vetoed at the October European Council meeting.

This proposal is likely to be discussed at the General Affairs Council of the European Union on 19 November. There, France stresses clear support for the European perspective of the Western Balkans but insists that the enlargement process be reformed according to new methodology.

First, this methodology involves the gradual accession of candidate countries, secondly, stricter conditions for accession countries, thirdly, the improvement of citizens' lives before accession and finally the sanctioning of the process of reversibility including the possibility to completely annul the membership.

The purpose of the French proposal, the document states, is full membership of the candidate countries into the European Union. This document, circulated only to some diplomats, calls on member states to take a new approach to EU enlargement.

The document also explains the French veto on Albania and Northern Macedonia. It emphasizes the political, economic and social transformation necessary for the future and the membership process itself take significant time to be achieved.

The French document also points out that the direct benefits to citizens resulting from reforms undertaken have so far been negligible.

“Once the negotiations are opened, the integration process should not be based on consideration of thematic chapters, but on several successive stages and an EU-created scheme that takes into account the specific characteristics of each candidate,” the document reads.

Pёrktheu: Paola Pupla

EMISIONET