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BERLIN — The European Union must embark on daring reforms because it prepares to develop, German Overseas Minister Annalena Baerbock mentioned Wednesday.
In feedback that may trigger alarm in among the EU’s smaller member nations, Baerbock proposed the abolition of the present system which assigns every of the 27 nations a commissioner, because the EU gears as much as permit new members to hitch the membership by the tip of the last decade.
“The European Parliament and the Fee can’t be merely allowed to develop and develop, change into ever larger,” she mentioned at a gathering of overseas ministers and representatives from the EU and academia in Berlin. “We have to take courageous, brave selections. A rustic like Germany, for instance — we’re able to do with out our personal commissioner for a restricted time period.”
Among the many prospects could be to divide giant Fee portfolios amongst a number of member nations, Baerbock mentioned.
As well as, the Inexperienced politician proposed amending the “unanimity” rule which permits a single member nation the flexibility to veto EU initiatives in sure instances, together with in extremely delicate areas like taxation and overseas coverage.
Baerbock’s feedback come as the controversy about enlarging the EU to confess nations like Ukraine and Western Balkan nations heats up forward of a key summit of EU leaders in Brussels subsequent month.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime scenario for us,” she mentioned, noting the renewed urge for food for enlargement amongst member nations since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Echoing current feedback by different EU overseas ministers, Baerbock warned in opposition to an either-or strategy to enlargement — proposing, for instance, that accession nations could possibly be permitted to attend Council conferences earlier than turning into full members.
“We have to get out of the scenario the place folks imagine that accession is an either-or factor,” she instructed the gathering on the federal overseas ministry. “We should always be sure that the folks of those nations, particularly the younger folks, get a chance to take part in the benefits of the European Union at an early stage, even earlier than their nation turns into a full member.”
This might embody permitting college students from nations like North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey to take part within the Erasmus pupil program, or lowering roaming charges and simplifying visa procedures for residents of candidate nations.
Linking EU funds to rule-of-law requirements must also type a part of EU coverage, she added.
Baerbock, addressing delegates in Berlin in entrance of an indication studying “a bigger, stronger union,” additionally known as for improved coordination between the EU’s overseas coverage wing — the Exterior Motion Service (EEAS) — and the European Fee, as she pitched for a extra assertive EU overseas coverage.
However Baerbock acknowledged current divides throughout the EU over the Israel-Hamas conflict. “We play completely different components and took completely different views … it hasn’t at all times been straightforward to discover a frequent language on this. There are not any straightforward solutions. Struggling for a compromise will at all times be a part of the European Union.”
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