Netherlands doesn’t back idea of accelerating negotiations on Ukraine's accession to EU – Schoof
Danish Prime Minister Dick Schoof stated after the EU leaders' meeting in Copenhagen that Denmark does not support the idea of accelerating negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU, NL Times reported.
“Prime Minister Dick Schoof told parliament on Tuesday that the Netherlands is opposed to the proposal by EU chief António Costa to speed up negotiations with Ukraine on joining the European Union. ‘This is not the solution,’ the prime minister stated,” the ezine said.
As it is known, Ukraine has to meet a number of conditions before joining the EU, but Hungary is blocking the start of negotiations on these points. To start these talks, unanimity is required, and Costa now wants to move away from that. He believes a qualified majority should be sufficient, which would bypass Budapest’s veto.
“During a debate ahead of Wednesday’s informal EU summit, Schoof said he opposed the proposal. He stressed that the Dutch cabinet remains committed to the Copenhagen criteria and the unanimity requirement they entail, adding that any rule change itself would also demand unanimous support,” NT Times reported. However, as the publication says, Schof claimed that the real solution is to increase pressure on Hungary.
“In addition to the Netherlands, France and Greece are also cautious about the proposal to break unanimity. President Emmanuel Macron has expressed support for Orbán’s position, making it harder to achieve a qualified majority for Costa’s proposal,” NL Times said.
