Davor Ivo Stier, on behalf of the PPE Group. – Madam President, dear colleagues, as we have responded to the Russian aggression by making bold strategic decisions, including the opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, the same level of strategic thinking should guide us in our approach to the Western Balkans.

All the six countries from this region have been promised a European perspective at the Thessaloniki summit already two decades ago. It was true then, but it is even more today. The enlargement of the EU to the Western Balkans has a prime geopolitical importance. The accession negotiations will certainly remain merit based, but we should not neglect the wider strategic implications of the integration of this region into the European Union.

Being fully aware of the new geopolitical circumstances and the challenges posed to us by strategic competitors and adversaries, it is also crucial that the candidate countries seize the opportunity of a reinvigorated enlargement process that speed up reforms, recognise and reconcile with each other, respect the rule of law, and particularly important, that they align with the EU's foreign and security policy in this defining moment.

At a time when Ukraine is showing its geopolitical alignment and commitment to Europe every day on the battlefield, a clear alignment is also expected from all the countries in the Western Balkans. We commend those countries in the region that have already sided with us in confronting the autocracies that challenge our democratic values. Their geopolitical alignment was backed by domestic reforms, regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations, thus paving the way for significant progress in the accession negotiations during this year.

In the cases where the ruling political structures did not achieve such a progress, their citizens, however, remain committed to the EU values and we will not turn our back to these future EU citizens. We will, through the Growth Plan, intend to bring to them some of the benefits of the EU's freedoms even before membership. But we also need to move faster in some areas, like the integration of the Western Balkans to the European roaming-free area. This is important that we make even better progress there.

The Commission can count on our support to accomplish the strategic task of integrating the Western Balkans into the European Union.