EU leaders fail to reach agreement on enlargement and migration pact

Following the informal meeting of the European Council held in Granada, hosted by Spain, which currently holds the EU presidency, European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez held a press conference.

Although the two main agenda items of the meeting were the "enlargement process" and the "migration issue," the "Granada Declaration" text, prepared at the request of Spain, did not address the migration issue, nor did it include concrete statements or a set date regarding the accession process for candidate countries to the EU.

There are differences!

European Council President Michel stated that enlargement and migration have been topics of discussion for a long time, saying, "At this meeting, we discussed what we can do together as EU countries regarding enlargement, how we can act together, or, a more difficult topic, how we can create a budget. There are common points as well as differences among the members."

Noting that the question of how the future of the EU should be built will frequently come to the agenda, Michel assessed, "Priorities need to be determined in artificial intelligence, reducing external dependence on energy, digitalization, and strengthening our core economy. Another point is common defense, multilateralism, and the migration issue. Regarding migration, we have to hold more meetings with countries of origin and transit countries."

Stating that some progress was made during Spain's presidency on the migration issue, which he described as a "very difficult topic," the European Council President said, "We need to be pragmatic. We must work harder to protect the EU's external borders, fight against criminal organizations, and strengthen justice and police systems. We must both better control and encourage legal pathways to enter the EU."

It will not be easy

Emphasizing that the enlargement of the EU "will not be easy," Michel said that there is no discrimination here, that candidate countries as well as the EU itself must prepare, and that organizational and financial issues will be on the agenda more in the coming period.

Michel said, "Everyone agrees on less vulnerability and less external dependence in macro-strategic discussions in the EU. No date has ever been set for candidate countries regarding enlargement. It is more important to focus on goals rather than dates. Some countries wanted a date to be set, but some were not willing. The important thing is to act with responsibility. The steps taken in enlargement will be analyzed. Everyone wants to build a more secure, more stable, more protected, and more progressive EU."

Von der Leyen: "We must invest in countries of origin and transit for migration"

European Commission President von der Leyen argued that the EU has acted very quickly and effectively against the crises it has faced since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Von der Leyen stated that by conveying the financial and military support provided by the EU to Ukraine, energy dependence on Russia has dropped significantly and energy prices have returned to pre-war figures.

Regarding enlargement, she said, "We want to move towards having 30 or more members in the EU, but this does not happen by automatically pressing a button. Not only the candidate countries but we too must do our own homework."

Evaluating the latest situation regarding the Migration and Asylum Pact, which the EU has been discussing for a long time and which is particularly opposed by Hungary and Poland, von der Leyen continued as follows:

"We must invest in countries of origin and transit for migration. We must encourage legal migration and humanitarian aid corridors. It should be us, not criminal organizations, who decide who comes to Europe. We must strengthen Frontex and work more decisively with transit countries. At the same time, we must work with the UNHCR for the return of irregular migrants. The return of irregular migrants is also of vital importance for the defeat of criminal organizations. We must manage migration well. We want legal migration; we do not want people who risk their lives to try to come here by giving all their assets to criminal organizations."

On the other hand, noting that the EU is experienced in enlargement, von der Leyen commented, "Enlargement does not only benefit the country joining the EU; it is equally beneficial for the EU. This is our greatest strength. We are the largest single market in the world."

The European Commission President also made a remark regarding the enlargement process, saying, "There is no coffee for everyone."

Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez: "There are differences of opinion"

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that they had a "successful summit" in Granada and that the discussions started here would mature further with the presidency passing to Belgium on January 1.

Sánchez noted that there are differences of opinion on whether enlargement will happen at the same speed for everyone or in pieces, and that institutional reforms must be implemented.

News Source: AA