Pedro Sánchez advocates Balkan integration as an investment in security, peace and prosperity for Europe

Brussels (Belgium)

European leaders during the EU-Western Balkans Summit held in Brussels (Pool EU Council)

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has taken part in the EU-Western Balkans Summit prior to the European Council, where their incorporation into the European Union has been discussed.

Enlargement can be a long process, he said, and it is therefore important that the Member States accompany the candidates with clear incentives so that their citizens feel part of the European project. In this respect, the Growth and Reform Mechanism plays a crucial role, as it implements the Western Balkans Growth Plan - allocated 6 billion euros for 2024-2027 - which incentivises the accession candidates' preparations for accession through gradual integration, bringing some benefits ahead of their full EU integration.

The president of the Government of Spain advocated the need to speed up this process, since enlargement is an investment in security, peace and prosperity for Europe. He also pointed out that nothing is possible without a firm and loyal commitment to the values and principles of the EU, including democracy, the rule of law, working with institutional loyalty for the EU and adherence to a number of international treaties. Alignment of the candidate countries with the Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) is also necessary.

This goes hand in hand with a series of internal reforms that the candidate countries have to develop and implement in order to join the Union. However, such reforms are not only necessary for them, but also within the EU itself, as was agreed in the Granada Declaration - under the Spanish presidency of the EU Council - and pointed out in last June's EUCO roadmap.

Therefore, Pedro Sánchez stressed, the responsibility for the process does not lie solely with the candidate countries, but also requires a commitment from the Member States to carry out the necessary internal reforms so that an enlarged EU remains effective.

Shared geostrategic challenges

At the end of the summit, the leaders held an official dinner focused on the main shared global challenges and challenges. The president argued that if the EU aspires to be a global player, it is imperative to adapt to a world of more complex realities with geo-strategic challenges that affect everyone. Issues such as the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, the rise of disinformation and the fight against the climate emergency.

Pedro Sánchez has once again highlighted the value of European unity in the face of Russian aggression in Ukraine, pointing out that security is a European public good that cannot be renounced by all, both member states and candidates.

A similar line has been expressed with regard to the climate emergency, with Europe being the fastest warming continent in the world, and with the recent tragedy of the DANA in Valencia as the latest example to remind us of how dramatic and urgent the situation is, highlighting even more the need to reinforce our preparedness in the face of the threats of climate change.

In this regard, the president also pointed out that it is often difficult to disentangle climate disasters from hybrid attacks - such as disinformation - and security problems. There will therefore be no effective security and economic resilience in Europe without adequate joint action against these threats.

Non official translation