EU doesn't want to talk about enlargement yet as European elections approach - Politico

The EU is reluctant to talk about the accession of new countries amid farmers' protests and the approaching European elections, Politico writes, citing its sources, UNN reports.

Details 

Farmers say they are stuck in a losing battle with cheap imports from outside the bloc, many of which come from Ukraine. They also say they are irritated by higher-than-usual fuel prices as well as Brussels' environmental regulations. So for now, as Politico  writes,  European leaders are making concessions to avoid angering farmers even more. 

Also, European leaders are keeping talk of enlargement to a minimum as the EU elections are only three months away.

According to some EU officials,  it is better to keep secret the work being done to prepare for the possible integration of Ukraine, Moldova and a number of Western Balkan countries. Especially about the consequences for farmers.

"Let's be honest: no one wants to talk about it (enlargement - ed.)  before the European elections," said one EU official. 

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"Talking about cutting subsidies for European farmers is not something you want to include in your election slogans - or use as election ammunition for the far right," the official added, referring to the European Parliament elections in June.

According to the newspaper,  Ukraine will have one of the lowest GDPs after becoming a member of the EU. This will put a huge strain on the bloc's cohesion policy - funding that flows from richer regions to poorer ones. According to an internal EU Council memo prepared last fall, Ukraine's integration into the bloc could mean about 186 billion euros over seven years. 

Future enlargement will mean that all current EU countries "will have to pay more and receive less," the document says unequivocally. The bloc has decided that preparations for the possible integration of Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and six Western Balkan countries should be conducted internally, not in the public eye. 

According to the newspaper, European leaders at this week's summit  will hardly touch on their internal enlargement homework. EU leaders are going to simply "take stock" of what needs to be done. 

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The European Commission  was supposed to publish a document on EU internal reform preceding enlargement in late February. This did not happen, and the draft has been severely watered down, according to three other EU officials.

Several countries have asked the European Commission to pay less attention to the financial implications and future institutional reforms, one EU diplomat added.

As noted, the document will be published on Wednesday, the day after it was supposed to be discussed by the ministers for European affairs.

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