German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Thursday announced the beginning of the process of strengthening the internal structures of the European Union in preparation for the enlargement process, proposing the gradual integration of the EU membership candidate countries.

I think we might start thinking about the gradual integration of the candidate countries, for which the closure of new chapters would allow access to the work of the European Union, including by participating in meetings of the Council of the EU, Baerbock said in her opening remarks at a ministerial conference, entitled “A bigger, stronger Union”, in Berlin.

The German minister said her government was considering a number of measures to make the EU more effective at the time of enlargement.

Among the measures is the limitation of decision-making areas in which a veto would be possible. Baerbock mentioned the possibility of introducing some kind of voting in the Council by using yellow and red cards: yellow in case of dissatisfaction with some parts of the decision, red in case of complete disagreement.

Baerbock also put forward the idea of reducing the European Parliament and the European Commission, whereby certain departments within the Commission would be divided among several member states.

The European Union can be a stronger actor only if we accept what we have been delaying for a long time, which is to reform the way the EU works, Baerbock said.

She said that the reform plans would continue to be developed during the Belgian EU presidency in the first half of 2024, expressing the hope that this would be completed during the next election period.

Baerbock said that the enlargement process was necessary to make the EU an even stronger actor and to increase security.

Baerbock said that EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, as well as to Ukraine and Moldova, was necessary because of the geostrategic situation and the policy of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The ministerial conference, which is discussing strengthening the EU structures as part of preparations for the continuation of the enlargement process, was organised by Germany in cooperation with Spain, which currently holds the EU presidency.

Among those attending are the Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Gordan Grlic-Radman, and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.