A coalition of 46 civil society organizations from the Western Balkans, Ukraine, and the Republic of Moldova has issued a joint appeal to the European Parliament and EU Member States, calling for enlargement to be made a core strategic and budgetary priority in the upcoming EU long-term budget for 2028–2034. The appeal urges the establishment of a dedicated “Enlargement” budget envelope within the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), providing a clear financial roadmap that matches the EU’s political commitments with the resources required to support candidate and potential candidate countries on their path to membership. The signatories emphasize that a credible enlargement policy depends on predictable and adequate funding, including a strengthened IPA IV instrument of at least €30 billion in grants and the introduction of a “pre-accession transition” facility to bridge the period between concluding negotiations and achieving full membership. Read more here.
Source: Europe Plus
