European Council President Charles Michel said in Zagreb on Thursday that Brussels needs to send a clear message to Western Balkan countries because that is an opportunity to demonstrate the European Union's external influence.

The recently elected new president of the European Council, who arrived in Zagreb on Thursday morning, has often stressed that one of the priorities during his term is the strengthening of the European Union’s influence in the world.

In that regard, earlier in the day Michel spoke on the phone with Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, urging him to adhere to the 2015 nuclear agreement. Michel will visit Egypt and Turkey this week due to the situation in the Middle East.

Addressing a press conference in Zagreb together with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Michel, a former prime minister of Belgium and the youngest PM in the history of that country, said that the EU must not only watch what others will decide for it but must become a player on the international scene, because it is an economic power with more than 500 million residents and needs to promote its own values and interests.

In that context, he underscored that the EU has to send a clear message to Western Balkan countries as that is an opportunity to demonstrate Europe’s external influence.

He underlined that sending such a message would prevent difficulties in the future and that the EU wanted to remain close to Western Balkan countries wishing to be members of the European Union.

At a meeting of the European Council in October, some EU member states, led by France, refused to open accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, which is why many fear that the vacuum created with that decision could make room for other countries wishing to exert influence on the Western Balkans.

Michel said in Zagreb that that is the reason why it is necessary to send a strong signal to EU aspirants because that is also important for the stability and security of the European neighbourhood.

At the press conference, held at Zagreb’s National and University Library, Plenkovic and Michel said that they would work together so that the Zagreb summit, to be held in May on the topic of enlargement, removed any reservation on the part of the countries that were opposed to opening the accession negotiations.

Michel underlined that until then it is possible to achieve progress in upgrading the EU accession process.

France was reserved in October because it considers that the Union must not be enlarged until the decision-making process in the EU regarding accession is improved.

On Wednesday, Plenkovic said that the new Commissioner for Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, is working on a document that could introduce an amended methodology for accession negotiations that will unblock the accession process.

On Thursday, Plenkovic underscored that Croatia, being familiar with the neighbourhood, can play a significant role in the accession of Western Balkan countries.

Michel’s experience in Belgium as an exceptionally politically divided country, where all decisions are adopted by compromise after long negotiations, can certainly assist in efforts to reach a consensus in the European Council to that end.

MFF and Brexit

One of the important topics in the European Council in the coming period will be the adoption of a new Multiannual Financial Framework or the EU’s budget. Michel needs to reconcile stances of those member states that are net contributors to the European budget and are asking for a more conservative budget, and new member states that are insisting on retaining the current level of cohesion and agriculture policies.

The decision on Europe’s priorities won’t be a technical but a political one, Michel said, adding that the MFF has to find a balance between old financial items and new European priorities like climate change, digitisation policy and migrations.

With Great Britain’s departure, Europe will lose around €60 billion from its cash register, Michel reminded, not hiding the fact that difficult negotiations are yet to follow.

Plenkovic underscored that Croatia will ask that the new budget takes account of Croatia’s specific situation.

Croatia is the youngest EU member and has had the opportunity to benefit from just one European financial perspective, said Plenkovic and added that in the 1990s it did not have access to pre-accession funds, contractual relations or macrofinancial assistance like other central and eastern European countries that received aid to develop their economies. Also, Croatia was the victim of a war of aggression, Plenkovic said.

The two officials discussed Brexit and both highlighted their belief that European countries would be united in negotiations on future relations between Brussels and London, the same way they were during negotiations on the exit agreement.

Plenkovic said that Croatia is prepared for the completion of the legal procedure related to Great Britain’s exit on 31 January and that work on the negotiation framework on future relations will commence next week already.

A transition period has been provided for in the Agreement on Disassociation until the end of 2020 by which time Brussels and London need to reach an agreement on future relations.

Plenkovic underlined that that period could be extended, however, he recalled that the British government needs to request such an extension.

Reuters on Wednesday reported that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has no intention of seeking an extension of the transition period beyond December 2020.