EU prepares ‘substantive’ proposals on enlargement by October: EU commissioner

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said on Thursday that the EU executive body will present “substantive” proposals on enlargement in October.

European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Varhelyi spoke with reporters on his way to an informal meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers in Toledo, Spain.

He confirmed that the EU executive body “is ready to make any proposal” to advance the integration process of the Western Balkan countries.

Varhelyi also welcomed European Council President Charles Michel's message about EU members' willingness to "finally engage and make a big leap to make enlargement happen."

His remarks came after Michel’s suggested on Monday that Western Balkan candidate countries and the EU should be ready for enlargement by 2030.

He explained that the EU Commission will “put substantive proposals” in October ahead of the summit of EU leaders on Oct. 26-27.

The package will include the so-called “growth plan” that “will accelerate not only the institutional but also the real integration of the people and the economies into the European Union,” he asserted.

As EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen already revealed in May, the EU seeks to increase investment in the Western Balkans to ease the economic impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The plan aims to increase pre-accession EU funds and provide access to the bloc’s Digital Single Market in areas like e-commerce and cybersecurity.​​​​​​​