Juncker’s Letter of intent: Export stability to the Western Balkans

13.09.2018

Family Photo at the Sofia Summit; Photo: Bulgarian EU Presidency / Flickr

STRASBOURG – After his annual State of the Union speech earlier today, President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker sent a Letter of intent to the President of European Parliament Antonio Tajani and Sebastian Kurz, Chancellor of the current EU-presiding country. The Letter describes the initiatives Commission plans to implement during the next 12 months.

Reforms in the areas of trade, economic and monetary union, digitalisation and energy are listed as the main priorities of this Commission’s final year. Migration policy and democratisation of the Union are also mentioned.

The most important initiative for the Western Balkans, however, is the ninth priority listed in the Letter, which covers the EU as a “stronger global actor”. This priority calls for a more efficient decision-making in the area of Common Foreign and Security Policy.

Even though the priority itself does not include the Western Balkans, elsewhere in the document President Juncker mentions goals “united, stronger and more democratic Union” should pursue.

“…together, we can shape the world, export stability, notably to the Western Balkans, and defend the rules-based international order and our values”, the Letter reads.

In the retrospect of the Commission’s work, published in a separate brochure, accomplishments of the Commission include the new Enlargement Strategy in February, as well as Sofia Summit between EU and WB countries in May, the first of its kind in the last 15 years.

Source: Link