European Parliament President Roberta Metsola called on EU leaders to act decisively on enlargement, the long‑term budget and competitiveness during a speech at the European Council. She welcomed the opening of the first accession negotiation cluster with Ukraine and Moldova, describing enlargement as a “win‑win” and emphasizing that progress must be delivered promptly. Metsola urged that gradual integration measures and closer access to the Single Market can help candidates move closer to the Union, but stressed that this is not a substitute for full EU membership. Regarding the next long‑term EU budget, she said Parliament would be constructive yet defend its position, calling for early involvement in negotiations and the advancement of new own resources. Metsola also highlighted agreements on artificial intelligence, midcaps and defence, and noted projects such as the Market Integration and Supervision package and EU Inc. to remove Single Market barriers.
© European Union, 2023 – Source: European Parliament.
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