New members could be admitted to the EU by 2030

The EU must be ready to welcome new member states by 2030. “This means that the next EU long-term budget must include these goals. This is an ambitious but necessary step that will give impetus to reforms, arouse interest from investors, and encourage us all to work together,” said European Council President Charles Michel at the opening of the XVIII International Strategic Forum in Slovenia. The official’s speech was published on the official website of the European Council. According to the Financial Times (FT), the first EU enlargement meeting is scheduled to be held in Granada, Spain, on 6 October.

According to Michel, newly acceding EU states may have their veto power over new members restricted so that “past conflicts are not carried over into the EU” and used to block neighbors from joining. At the upcoming EU summit, the leaders of the countries will also discuss the issue of membership of Ukraine and Moldova. “The window of opportunity is open. We will start an accession dialogue with Ukraine and Moldova. I also expect that the representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Georgians will also sit down at the negotiating table,” the official said.