The European Union must be ready to accept new members by 2030, European Council President Charles Michel said at the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia on Monday.

“I believe we must be ready — on both sides — by 2030 to enlarge,” Michel said, adding that “this is ambitious, but necessary.”

“To be credible, I believe we must talk about timing and homework,” he pointed out.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic welcomed Michel’s “courage” to set the time frame, which is unusual for the European Union.

Plenkovic said it was important that crucial decisions on enlargement be made by the European Council in December because the next year is an election year in the EU and the United States as well as in Russia.

“Until new institutions are formed, nothing strategic will happen with regard to enlargement, which basically means until the beginning of 2025. That’s why it seems much more important to me to hear a report from the European Commission in October and then for the Council to decide,” the Croatian PM said.