Proposed EU criteria for new members show wary Europe has China on its mind

A new system aimed at facilitating the membership of Balkan states will now require candidates to be evaluated on their ability to ‘tackle malign third-country influence’

This comes in the wake of EU warnings over the past year of China’s growing influence in Central and Eastern Europe

3-MIN READ3-MIN

Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron stand in front of Chinese and European Union flags at a signing ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on November 6, 2019. Photo: Reuters

Emilian KavalskiandMaximilian Mayer

Published: 6:00am, 11 Feb 2020Updated: 4:41pm, 14 Feb 2020

The communications of the European Commission rarely receive international media attention, even on days when they do not have to compete with a possible pandemic and the impeachment drama of an American president. It has to be admitted that the eight-page document released on February 5, regarding a new system for European Union accession negotiations, does not stir much excitement.

The gist of the proposal is to offer credible EU accession prospects to the Western Balkans. It also provides a glimpse of the EU’s new stress on geopolitics.

The immediate need for such a reassertion was created last October, when French President Emmanuel Macron vetoed the initiation of EU membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania. Macron insisted that the EU enlargement process needs a profound rethinking and reform, as the current format does not work. The new proposal aims to allay French concerns by setting more stringent membership criteria while keeping the appetite of the Western Balkan countries for EU membership.