One of the outcome of the informal meeting of the Council’s working group for enlargement issues (COELA), held under the Hungarian EU presidency, has been that the EU needs to act in time and should not wait until problems escalate with regard to the events in North Africa.

The Council’s working group for enlargement issues (COELA), held in Budapest on 5 May, agreed that EU has to provide a reliable, conditionality-based European perspective to countries undergoing the accession process, and the preparation of such countries has to strengthen the EU’s stability, competitiveness and future prospects.

Enikő Győri, the Hungarian Minister of State for EU Affairs pointed out that the 2004 and 2007 rounds of enlargement are a success story. Europe has become more stable and competitive, and it has gathered more international weight. In addition, Ms Győri spoke of the efforts of Spain and Belgium, the other two members of the Presidency Trio, to maintain the impetus of enlargement policy. The General Affairs Council’s document, which was adopted in 2010, during the Belgian Presidency’s term, advocated the enlargement process, and the Hungarian Presidency is taking actions based on this mandate. The Minister of State stressed that in the spirit of the renewed consensus on enlargement, the Presidency invites candidate countries to a series of informal ministerial meetings, where they can express their views.

With regard the candidate countries, the Hungarian Presidency has made a clear commitment to conclude the accession negotiations with Croatia by the end of June. On Turkey adhesion, speaking before the members of the enlargement working group, Ms Győri emphasised that the European Union needs a “European” Turkey because it is an important regional actor and a strategic partner for the EU, and she underlined the significance of the relationship in the field of energy policy. Moreover, the accession process of Iceland has the potential to result in a success story. Finally, the State Minister reassured Member State representatives that the Presidency is also tightly cooperating with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Montenegro.