Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

109. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the ongoing progress on EU enlargement; the extent to which the various applicant countries are progressing in their applications; if any specific issues or obstacles have arisen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45524/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Ireland is a long-standing supporter of the enlargement process, which is generally seen as one of the most successful foreign policy initiatives of the European Union. For Ireland, it is important to work intensively to advance the accession process with the current candidates and potential candidates.

The European Council has granted Candidate Status to six countries including Turkey, Iceland, Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia and Albania. In addition, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo are potential candidate countries.

Enlargement is a conditional process: prospective member states must achieve progress on reforms in order to move forward on their EU paths and each of these countries is at a different stage on its path towards membership of the European Union.

They face unique challenges which they must attempt to overcome in order to align with the acquis communautaire, the body of common rights and obligations that is binding on all EU Member States.

The European Commission published its annual Progress Reports on 8 October. These outline in detail the extent to which the candidate and potential candidate countries have advanced to fulfil the necessary conditions. These reports are being examined in detail by all Member States, including Ireland, at official level, prior to consideration next month at the General Affairs Council.

Turkey was granted Candidate status by the European Council in December 1999 and the European Council agreed to begin accession negotiations in December 2004. Fourteen out of thirty-five Chapters have been opened and are now under negotiation.

Montenegro began accession negotiations in June 2012 and twelve negotiating Chapters are now open, of which two have been provisionally closed.

The European Union began accession negotiations with Serbia on 21 January 2014, and since then, the screening process has been on-going. This process is designed to determine the extent of Serbian alignment with the acquis communautaire. A major focus of negotiations ahead will be on the normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo.

Association negotiations with Iceland remain suspended following a decision of the Icelandic Government in early 2013.

Macedonia was granted Candidate Status in 2005 but it has yet to open accession negotiations, pending a resolution of the name dispute with Greece.

Albania was granted Candidate Status in June 2014. Ireland supported this step as a signal of positive encouragement to the Albanian Government, and the region as a whole, to maintain reform momentum.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has not yet formally applied for EU membership and thus remains a potential candidate country. In recent years, Bosnia has been seeking to develop an EU coordination mechanism and to revise its complex power-sharing structures to facilitate the participation of minorities in political life.

Kosovo has continued negotiations with the European Commission on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), the first step on the EU accession path. The SAA was initialled in July and future steps will be further discussed early next year.

Ireland looks forward to working with each country in support of their respective paths to EU membership.