27 European leaders are in the Spanish city of Granada today to discuss the possibility of adding as many as 9 new EU member states over the next decade, including Ukraine.
A number of countries are being considered, including Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia. Additionally, Georgia and Albania are also being considered, provided they meet certain requirements laid out by the bloc.
Notably, this would potentially have wide-reaching impacts for Ireland, as a significant amount of illegal immigration into Ireland already comes from Georgia and Albania, as confirmed by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in 2019.
The Taoiseach has warned that Ireland “cannot tolerate” illegal immigration and insisted the State is increasing security at points of entry.https://t.co/fEANTUxq6x
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) November 3, 2019
“The future of our aspiring members and their citizens lies within the European Union,” the European leaders are reportedly due to say according to a draft joint statement, according to Reuters.
“Enlargement is a geo-strategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity…both the EU and future member states need to be ready.”
The move of adding the nine new countries would reportedly cost €256bn, paid by the existing EU member states, the bloc’s own internal figures have found.
“All member states will have to pay more to and receive less from the EU budget; many member states who are currently net receivers will become net contributors,” a paper by the secretariat of the EU council said, according to the Financial Times.
In February of last year, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen said that she wants Ukraine to join the European Union, adding: “They belong to us.”
“We have a process with Ukraine that is, for example, integrating the Ukrainian market into the Single Market. We have very close cooperation on the energy grid, for example,” Von Der Leyen told EU-funded Euronews.
“So on many topics where we will work very closely together, and indeed, over time, they belong to us. They are one of us and we want them in.”