Enlargement: Schallenberg and Edtstadler Send Letter and Non-Paper to Borrell

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and EU and Constitution Minister Karoline Edtstadler want to promote swifter EU integration of the Western Balkan countries.

To that end, in a letter and non-paper to Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission, and EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi, they present concrete proposals.

According to the Austrian public broadcaster, ORF, the non-paper refers to the proposals presented in May 2022. From the standpoint of the two Austrian Ministers, the goal is to accelerate the stagnated enlargement process. In their letter, they call on the EU to have a clear plan for swifter integration until 2024 and beyond.

According to the draft-document, the action plan should provide concrete steps to carry out the gradual integration process for the Western Balkan countries until 2024 and beyond. In addition, those countries should be regularly invited to informally participate in Council of EU meetings.

ORF also says enlargement is high on the agenda of the informal summits of EU heads of state and government next week, Tanjug reports.