European Union (Shutterstock)
The foreign ministers of the European Union will have a non-decision-making exchange of opinions in Brussels, on Nov. 19, where some will surely give their first assessments of a recent proposal by France to introduce a new method to accelerate and boost the effectiveness of membership negotiations with West Balkan countries.
BETA learned this from EU diplomatic sources on Nov. 18, who said discussing the French proposals would take some time, possibly until spring, as many EU members in addition to that country believe that it may be more important to tackle solidification of the Union, especially in light of the inevitable Brexit.
The sources in Brussels explained that no ministerial decision could be expected on Nov. 19, as the French "non-paper," an unofficial two-and-a-half-page document, has not been studied by the ambassadors on the Committee of resident EU member representatives, which is usual procedure.
Diplomats, certain media outlets and analysts in the EU believe that, whatever the springtime decision about Skopje and Tirana, the procedure of membership negotiations and enlargement policy will undergo considerable changes, i.e. that "enlargement won't be the same."
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