Brussels considering postponing the publication of the EU enlargement package

(Patria) - Johannes Hahn's cabinet is seriously considering the possibility of postponing the publication of the enlargement package, Radio Free Europe has learned from well-informed sources in the European Commission. This uncertainty is a consequence of pressure from some EU member states, which are not ready to discuss enlargement at the June meeting.

The publication of the enlargement package is scheduled for May 29, and the discussion at the level of foreign ministers should take place at a regular meeting in June. However, some member states are not ready to discuss in June, as a decision needs to be made on the European Commission's recommendation to start accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania.

Such issues in some EU member states require respect for internal procedures, including the consent of national parliaments. Given the very short period between May 29 and June 18, when the ministerial meeting will be held, member states are unable to commit to being in a position to express their views on the possible opening of accession negotiations.

RSE has already reported that the decision on opening membership negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania will be postponed. However, there is an obligation undertaken by EU member states at last year's meeting when, in the final conclusions of the ministerial meeting, they emphasized that they would "determine the path towards opening accession negotiations at the June 2019 meeting.".

In light of such conclusions, a discussion at the EU member state level cannot be avoided. A source from the European Commission explained to RSE that this is why there are considerations not to publish the enlargement package (which includes the recommendation for North Macedonia and Albania) now, thereby easing the task for member states that, in the absence of this year's recommendation, have no obligation to discuss or decide on it in June.

Sources from Johannes Hahn's cabinet, where this document was drafted, do not rule out the possibility of postponement, but insist that May 29 remains a "tentative date" for them.

Everything will be clearer on Monday, when the heads of cabinet in the European Commission meet, who will finally decide whether to put this document on hold, or to give the green light for publication on Wednesday.

The fact that the publication of the enlargement package is not certain is shown by the European Commission's calendar, which is distributed every Friday, about the commissioner's activities for the upcoming week, and where there is no announcement that the enlargement package will be published. Also, according to our findings, EU member states, which regularly have insight into this document, have not received the draft document from Hahn's cabinet by Friday, up to a week in advance.

The enlargement package should be published only three days after the European elections are held. It was precisely because of these elections that the decision was made to postpone the publication of the document, which is usually released in April. The results of the European elections will also contribute to the decision on when the enlargement package, which is the most important annual document for all countries aspiring to join the European Union, will be published.