The EU must prepare to enlarge the bloc with 10 new countries and negotiate a timeframe for their accession to speed up preparations, EU High Representative Josep Borrell said after an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Toledo.
According to Borrell, Ukraine and the Western Balkans should be added to the list of new EU members. He claimed that the conflict in Ukraine had accelerated the process of EU enlargement.
The official called for political goals to be set in order to give new impetus to this process and urged the EU to prepare for the admission of 10 new member states.
“In these circumstances, setting a certain horizon, a certain timeframe, will allow EU member states and candidate countries to focus their efforts,” Borrell said.
This is the first time that such a high-level Brussels official has directly proposed to set a specific timeframe for the accession of new EU members.
He also urged member states to speed up their ammunition deliveries to Ukraine, as the EU is currently significantly behind the 1 million promised 155mm howitzer shells promised in March.
“Now it’s (up) to the member states to pass concrete orders inside these framework agreements with the industry,” Borrell told reporters after a meeting of EU defense ministers.
