Commission snubs Charles Michel’s 2030 EU enlargement target

BRUSSELS — The European Commission on Tuesday shot down Charles Michel’s 2030 target for EU enlargement.

The top two institutions in Brussels clashed again as the EU executive pushed back against the European Council president’s remarks Monday that the bloc should be ready to accept new members in 2030.

“We are not focused on a date, but focused on working very closely with candidate countries to get ready for joining the European Union,” the Commission’s deputy spokesperson Dana Spinant said at a daily press briefing Tuesday.

She added that Michel had not consulted Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about the content of his enlargement speech Monday at a conference in Bled, Slovenia.

The latest public disagreement between von der Leyen and Michel — dubbed “Europe’s odd couple” for their difficult relationship — comes as the topic of EU enlargement is gaining momentum in Brussels.

Also Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron suggested a “multi-speed” EU regarding accession of candidate countries. Some Balkan nations have been waiting years to join the EU; under the legal framework, they must fulfill a number of requirements before this becomes possible.

EU leaders will dedicate themselves to this topic at an upcoming summit in October as the war in Ukraine has reenergized the debate on the bloc’s expansion. Eight countries are waiting in the wings — including Ukraine and Moldova, which were granted candidate status last year — with pressure building to open accession talks for Ukraine by the end of this year.

Spinant insisted that enlargement is a “merit-based process,” and that candidate countries should only be allowed to join once they fulfill the EU’s entry criteria.