EU needs to “keep preparing ground” for enlargement for Western Balkans, Georgia - EP president

The European Union needs to “keep preparing the ground” for enlargement for the Western Balkan states as well as Georgia, Roberta Metsola, the president of the European parliament said at an informal meeting of the European Council in Prague on Friday. 

Metsola stressed the Russian invasion of Ukraine “also makes it all the more important for us to secure our critical infrastructure to counter further attacks and hybrid attacks in particular”. 

The EU official said the war was entering “a new phase”, adding “it is imperative that we understand the level at which states like the Baltics, Sweden, Finland, Denmark are exposed. Member states need the full and unequivocal support of the EU”. 

And here I must mention Moldova and the very real, very present dangers they are facing both financially and politically. Moldova and Ukraine need to continue on the road to EU membership, and we need to keep preparing the ground for enlargement, for the Western Balkans, for Georgia”, she said.

The official also noted “if we are to remain credible, we also need to move forward on Schengen accession for Bulgaria, for Romania and now for Croatia. It is in that context that the European political community can work best”. 

Metsola told the meeting participants that Europe was “once again at a decision point. We are at a moment in time when the choices we make now will define us. We did not invite this moment, we did not provoke this moment, but we must face it”. 

Prague is also hosting the first session of the inaugural summit of the European Political Community, with Metsola also predicating in it.