The ECR Group strongly welcomes the European Commission's recommendation to open EU accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova and to grant candidate status to Georgia.

ECR Foreign Affairs Coordinator Anna Fotyga MEP said: “Enlargement policy remains a key instrument for Europe’s stability and prosperity. It is a strategic geopolitical decision and we cannot afford to repeat mistakes that leave our partners in grey areas”.

Fotyga continued:

“We appreciate the progress made by Ukraine and Moldova despite unusual circumstances and conditions. Finally, we cannot close the EU’s doors to Georgia and its people. Georgians fully deserve to be part of the European Union and to be treated in the same way as Ukrainians and Moldovans. Their rightful place is in the EU, despite some worrying recent moves by their government.”