On 23 January, Renew Europe welcomed the joint adoption of the report on deepening EU integration in view of future enlargement by the European Parliament Committees on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and Constitutional Affairs (AFCO). 

Renew Europe wants to implement a specific and effective monitoring mechanism to protect the EU’s fundamental values and financial interests during accession procedures.  

Moreover, the Group calls for reinforcing the European Parliament’s decision-making and scrutiny rights and to carry out a fundamental reform of EU policies to prepare the EU for enlargement. 

“In adopting this report, we firmly believe that enlargement will bring further impetus to a global Europe and more economic and cultural opportunities for all Europeans,” said AFET rapporteur Petras Auštrevičius MEP (Liberalų sąjūdis, LT). 

Today the EP #Foreign Affairs SND Constitutional Affairs committees with strong majority in favour approved the Report on #Deepening #EU integration in view of future #enlargement . As one of Rapporteurs I strongly commend a clear vision of EU reforms and enlargement pic.twitter.com/WVvIGnNCYu

— Petras Austrevicius (@petras_petras) January 23, 2024

“The report rightly emphasises that, throughout the EU accession process, candidate countries must be judged on their merits, achievements and reforms, with an emphasis on democratic criteria and alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.”  

AFCO shadow rapporteur Sandro Gozi MEP (L’Europe Ensemble, FR) added: “This report embodies our effort to pursue a key strategy for Europe: reforming the Union to unify the continent.  

“While enlargement is a fundamental political engagement to our neighbours and a long-term investment in our security, our Union is barely adapted for 27 members and is not ready to absorb new countries. Treaty change and the deep overhaul of our common policies represent an inevitable step if we want the Union to rise to this historical occasion.”