MINDEN EU-CSATLAKOZÁSRA VÁRÓ ORSZÁG LÉPHESSEN EGYET ELŐRE A CSATLAKOZÁSI FOLYAMATBAN!
Belgrádba kaptam meghívást a NALAS közgyűlésére, ahol beszédet mondhattam, mint az EU-bővítés jelenlegi állásáról szóló anyag jelentéstevője Brüsszelben, a Régiók Bizottságában. A NALAS egy önkormányzatokat tömörítő szervezet, 14 nemzeti önkormányzati egyesülés a tagja Dél-Kelet Európából, és mintegy 9000 önkormányzatot képvisel. Tagjai a csatlakozásra váró országok önkormányzati egyesülései a Nyugat-Balkánról, Törökország, Moldova, valamint a területen érintett EU-országok: Szlovénia, Horvátország, Bulgária, Románia egyesülései.
A beszédemet nagy érdeklődés övezte, és a későbbi hozzászólók közül többen is köszönettel visszahivatkoztak rá. Az EU-csatlakozás folyamata ugyanis kulcskérdésnek számít, és a változó világban keresi a saját mozgásterét az önkormányzati szint is.
A beszédem szövege (angolul) itt alább található. A lényege az, hogy a jelenlegi, szinte követhetetlenül változó környezetben az EU-csatlakozást stratégiailag kellene kezelni, és szerencsére a mostani EU-biztos, aki éppen egy magyar, Várhelyi Olivér, ezt az utat követi.
A Nyugat-Balkán országainál mindenütt van előrelépési lehetőség a folyamatban, és külön hangsúlyozza az átgondolás szükségességét, hogy három új állam jelentkezett felvételre (Ukrajna, Georgia, Moldova). Az egyes EU-államok hozzáállása a bővítési folyamathoz esetenként ellentmondásos. Legfőbb üzenetem akár jelmondatnak is tekinthető a Nyugat-Balkán országai számára:
"Minden csatlakozásra váró ország léphessen egyet előre az EU-csatlakozási folyamatban!"
A beszédem szövege:
" Dear Ms. State Secretary, Presidents, Vice Presidents, Mayors, dear Participants of the NALAS General Assembly, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my great privilege to address to all of you a short message.
In my capacity of Enlargement rapporteur at the Committee of Regions in Brussels, it was a pleasure to have some weeks ago an exchange of views with representatives of NALAS, which helped me a lot to learn in details your approach in connection of the EU accession.
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
We live in a rapidly changing world. We do not see where we are heading, but certainly the world will change significantly in the years to come. This also effects the EU and has a strong effect on the enlargement policy.
Recently, three new countries applied for EU Membership, namely Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. This will have a substantial effect on the EU’s stance towards the accession of new Members of the Western Balkans, too. The over-technical process that led to the practical stall of the enlargement process in the last decade, can no longer be sustained. A strategic approach is needed.
As a rapporteur and as Hungarian, I advocate for the reinvigoration of the enlargement process. Enlargement policy has been the Number One foreign policy tool of the EU to foster its geostrategic interests. The EU forgot about this during the discussions of the last decade or so, when even adopting technical reports were portrayed by some Member States as a major leap forward.
The enlargement policy is a geostrategic tool of the EU. We have set the geostrategic goals in Thessaloniki and at other summits. It is high time to come back to this thought, and act like geostrategic players in the EU. Commissioner Várhelyi’s intentions are according to this idea. Good to see that Olivér Várhelyi has a deep strategic approach.
However, in the enlargement policy, all major decisions are made with consensus, therefore, the outcome of the debate cannot be predetermined. Regrettably, we experienced in the last years some rejections. As rapporteur, I am convinced that the EU, if it wants to remain a geopolitical player, must be able to attract more countries and should be able to expand. The procedures should be used in order to facilitate this objective and not to paralyze the decision-making process.
There are decisions in the EU, which are long overdue:
• the accession negotiations with Albania and North-Macedonia should start without delay,
• Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina should shortly become candidates,
• visa liberalisation should be swiftly approved for the citizens of Kosovo,
• the chapter where all opening benchmarks were met, should be promptly opened with Serbia;
• and, Montenegro must come closer to the end of the negotiation process,
• also, a clear standpoint should be formed in case of Turkey.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In this process local authorities can be and must be reliable partners of state actors. Local authorities are responsible for the implementation of 80 per cent of the EU legislation. They should be involved in the national decision-making and their voices must be heard when policy decisions are made in Brussels.
For me, a very good example is NALAS. During our discussions I was reassured that local governments have great ideas to contribute. Cooperation among LRAs, such as NALAS, can be regarded as a best practice when it comes to networks of elected bodies assisting the decision-making.
Local authorities must be directly involved in policies that have a direct effect on citizens. Let it be regional cross-border cooperation, health policy, regional policy or agricultural policy, local authorities cannot be overlooked. They have first-hand knowledge, and they are in the vanguard of the implementation of policies. Therefore, it is a win-win situation for all actors if they are involved in the preparation for EU accession in the candidate countries.
Finally, I can assure you that I am doing my best in order to promote positive changes.
My message is: Each country should take one step forward on its way to the EU!
Thank you."