EU Enlargement: Rule of law reforms key for aspiring members
The future enlargement of the European Union will be based on merit and without shortcuts, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said yesterday at a press conference after the informal summit in Granada, Spain.
"Not only candidate countries need to be prepared, but also the whole European Union," von der Leyen said.
The joint declaration at the end of the summit stresses that aspiring members must step up their reform efforts, particularly in the area of the rule of law. The Union must also undertake the necessary internal preparatory work and reforms.
Missing from the joint declaration is the controversial issue of the migration pact, which Poland and Hungary oppose.
Meanwhile, Spanish authorities announced that several websites of public institutions were targeted yesterday by cyber attacks during the summit, without specifying their origin. Several ministries, the town hall of Granada and other local institutions were unavailable.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
