Strasbourg, 14 December 2022
The leaders of the EU Member States will gather on 15 December for a European Council summit in Brussels. Members of the European Parliament discussed the Summit’s agenda items ahead of the meeting during their plenary session.
Željana Zovko, Vice Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs stressed that tomorrow’s Council meeting promises to be a historic one.
“If the leaders of the Member States follow the recommendations of the Commission and their own ministers of European affairs, Bosnia and Herzegovina will be granted candidate status. This is a major step in the country’s accession procedure to the EU and an important signal for the entire Western Balkan region.” Zovko underlined and added that it is today 27 years ago that the Dayton Paris Peace Agreement was signed in Paris, which adds to the symbolism of the upcoming Council decision.
The MEP also applauded the current draft conclusion that calls for the electoral reform and for the implementation of the Constitutional court decisions as this is a prerequisite for the proper functioning of the state.
Zovko further referred to the upcoming Council’s discussion on the EU’s security and defence policy and the implementation of the Strategic Compass. “The current security challenges and the ongoing conflicts in our wider neighbourhood are a reminder that we need a more pro-active and preventive diplomacy.” Zovko stated. She said the EU can learn from its actions in the South Caucasus and avoid the mistakes made in conflict areas such as the Sahel and Afghanistan. Zovko concluded her intervention with a call for EU Member States to step away from their individual interests and to start building a joint capacity in external and security policies.