Members of the European Parliament insist on the accession of Ukraine, Moldova and Bosnia to the European Union

The European Parliament (EP) this Wednesday insisted that it is necessary to begin formal negotiations with Ukraine, Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina on membership of the community bloc so that the enlargement calendar can be completed by the end of the decade.

According to the resolution approved this Wednesday at the plenary meeting taking place this week in Strasbourg (France), with 468 votes in favor, 99 against and 58 abstentions, MEPs insist on the need to open negotiations with the three countries and set an agenda. their.

The call comes a day before the last European Council meeting of the year, attended by Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa and other heads of state and government of the European Union (EU) in Brussels.

At the same time, the European Parliament wants Georgia to be granted accession candidate status.

Recognizing that reforms are also needed from the three candidate countries, MEPs want the calendar to be adopted “without delay” so that the three countries have a clear idea of ​​when they can achieve accession and the political-economic bloc understands this. when it will begin and complete this expansion phase.

This calendar must be completed “before the end of this decade,” the EP emphasized.

“In light of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, enlargement has become even more strategically important and is one of the most important geostrategic tools the EU has. […]”, investment in peace and security, and support for democracy and European values ​​on the continent,” they added.

The start of negotiations with Ukraine may be in jeopardy.

In recent weeks, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban believed that the EU’s strategy towards Ukraine had failed, that the country’s accession to the political-economic bloc was contrary to Hungary’s national interests and did not bode well for the 27 countries.