Belgian PM: EU Must Act Responsibly toward EU Candidate Countries

European Parliament (Photo: European Union 2019/EP/Gabor Kovacs)

Speaking at the European Parliament (EP) on Jan. 16, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said that the EU had to act responsibly toward candidate countries, adding that his country wished to define a roadmap and the fields of action for the enlargement process.

“While we are expecting new members to join us, let us not be inactive. While candidate countries are getting ready for EU accession, we cannot be sitting idle. We have to provide support to candidate countries in joining the EU family,” De Croo said presenting the program of activities during the Belgian presidency of the EU. He also said that the EU had to play its role in the process in order to improve the maneuvering space for when it would from a 27-member become a 30-member family.

“We can have influence on EU funds, on key political issues which need to be resolved on the EU accession path, on a better integration of the rule of law in order to ensure that the Copenhagen criteria stand as a permanent obligation, rather than only during EU accession process. Democracy can no longer be a secondary, but the must the primary priority,” he stressed.

“Also, we want to make sure that candidate countries are included in our dialogue on the rule of law as soon as possible. We also have to intensify fight against fake news and misinformation as well as the fight against external influences on elections,” De Croo said.