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Commissioner, this debate is now closed, and I have two brief announcements.

SND and Renew have informed the presidency with regard to a decision on changes in the appointments for committees.

It will be noted in the minutes of today's session and it will come into force at the date of this announcement.

As per Article 251 of the Rules of Procedure,

I would like to inform you that there has been no request to vote on the rectification announced on Monday,

9th of March in the plenary session.

So this rectification is approved and it was published on the internet page of the plenary session and now we open the next debate. Mr. Ostravicius's report, the European Union's enlargement strategy. Mr. Austravicius, you have the floor.

Colleagues, History has proved that European unification, which is so necessary today,

has been firmly based on EU enlargement.

Each stage of EU enlargement has positively contributed to Europe's growth in political and economic power,

promoting the prosperity and security of all EU Member States and the EU in general, not to speak about their citizens.

The end of the Cold War and the emergence of the Copenhagen criteria.

Laid the foundations for the enlargement policy for recent decades.

However,

the situation changed when a direct threat to democracy and European sovereignty reemerged on the continent. Russia's direct military aggression against Ukraine.

And its hybrid warfare against Europe require us to rethink our unification strategies.

Our geostrategic interests require more coordinated,

firm and clear responses that leave no room for insecurity or uncertainty.

On the other hand,

the EU must maintain a high level of normative policy and rely on legal harmonization and policy convergence by new members.

This is both the EU's strength and its challenge.

Without a clear enlargement strategy, the integration process based on legal norms becomes a politically unbearable dialogue.

Clearly,

the EU must develop an integration model that aligns with its own interests and the expectations of the candidate countries. Any delay is unjustifiable.

When rethinking the enlargement model, maintain a clear start date for negotiations.

The Regatta principle for healthy competition between candidates and the EU geostrategic interest is paramount.

Everything else, at least for me, is just technicalities.

I would like to revisit the advantages of EU enlargement,

which are often overlooked in political debates full of uncertainty.

Just to illustrate the results of the historical EU big bank enlargement, I would like to mention that trade between my country, Lithuania,

and Germany grew by 3.6 times over the last 20 years,

while trade between the Czech Republic and the Netherlands grew fourfold during the same period of time.

In both cases, the positive trend balance is on the side of the so called old EU Member States.

I am convinced that the upcoming enlargement will produce similar and even better results.

EU enlargement is directly intertwined with internal EU reforms, ensuring the EU's institutional functionality and decision making efficiency,

especially the expanded use of qualified majority voting. Undoubtedly.

It is also linked to the internal political and economic reforms of the candidate countries. One cannot be expected without another.

We must do our homework on internal EU reforms and be ready when candidates are prepared for accession,

colleagues.

Now is the time to apply and demonstrate European values.

We must apply them to broader politics,

support European solidarity and foster a free society and common partnership.

In the face of global challenges,

let us not forget that standing together and growing stronger is an opportunity history has given us one we must seize.

Before turning the floor to my colleagues,

I would like to sincerely thank the shadow rapporteurs and my fellow colleagues for great cooperation in preparing this report. Thank you for your attention. Thank you very much. The next speaker is Commissioner Kos. Mr.

President Members of the European Parliament,

especially those who are really big supporters of the enlargement process.

Mr President, Enlargement today is much more than just enlargement.

Enlargement today is securing peace, security, freedom and prosperity in Europe.

Allow me first to commend rapporteur Petrus Austravicius, thank you for the report and its clear and principled stance in favor of a merit based process grounded in strict,

fair conditionality and the strengthening of the rule of law.

Discussions have started on possible ways to evolve our enlargement model in line with the new realities we face.

Having a debate about what EU accession means is a very positive.

Your report and today's exchange are a very timely input to the current debate on how to move forward with EU enlargement.

In that regard, I fully support your insistence that there can be no compromise on the rule of law,

democracy, fundamental rights, nor on alignment with our common foreign and security policy.

The emphasis the European Parliament places on the fundamentals first approach inevitably reinforces the credibility of the entire process. No Trojan horses.

Countries which would undermine us from within cannot become an EU Member State. We must make absolutely sure of this.

Countries who join the EU must be strong and resilient democracies able to resist the toxic influence of Russia and others.

Of course, there can be no shortcuts on reforms.

Our European citizens expect this of us, of me, of my team.

Having been considered a frontrunner in the accession process in the past doesn't guarantee special status.

This goes for the top performers of 2025 Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, and the Republic of Moldova.

Progress needs to be earned again and again through reforms.

This builds credibility, but of course we all know that it is not easy.

But this credibility, as Petras you have been stressed, cuts both ways.

I share your assessment that when candidate countries deliver tangible reform progress,

the EU must deliver on its commitments as well.

Your report rightly highlights the need to overcome bilateral blockages in the Council and ensure that a merit based approach prevails.

I particularly welcome Parliament's recognition of the importance of gradual integration for candidates making substantial progress.

Our reform and growth facilities for the Western Balkans,

Ukraine and Moldova embody this ambition to accelerate the integration of our enlargement countries. These instruments are performance based.

Disbursements are linked to concrete reform steps, many of them being directly aligned with the EU acquis.

Your report is equally clear that enlargement must strengthen the Union internally.

I welcome your call for parallel preparations within the EU.

Preparing our internal policies and a serious reflection on how to ensure the effective functioning of a larger Union.

Accession is a transformative process for the whole of society. I share your emphasis.

On civil society organizations, independent journalists, youth movements and national parliaments, which we should support, they hold the governments in our candidate countries to account,

and this is why our enlargement partners are associated with our democracy Shield and the civil society strategy as equal partners to Member States.

We need to throw a democracy safety net over our continent.

You see, once again, enlargement is much more than just enlargement.

In Georgia, you can see what happens when Russia prevails. An autocratic system is repressing democratic expression.

They have just adopted a new law attacking the country's democratic and civic space, pushing Georgia further away from the European future that the majority of its people want,

and they are lying to its people that they are bringing their country into the EU and that the EU is the one who should adapt to them.

To our Georgian friends, the majority of Georgian people who value democracy and freedom,

we are not giving up on you.

Finally, I would like also to commend Parliament for placing public awareness at the heart of its recommendations.

We must be able to communicate much clearer to our citizens why enlargement matters to our security and prosperity,

and how the important reforms made by the most advanced candidate countries contribute directly to a more independent and secure Europe.

By helping our candidate countries, we are working in our Member States' interests.

The support of public opinion is crucial for the ratification of future accession treaties.

It is crucial for our credibility, and this is a joint responsibility. Mr.

Members of the European Parliament, from 6 countries to 27,

our Union has continuously enlarged and evolved.

With every round of enlargement, we have grown stronger and found solutions to the challenges we are facing.

We proved wrong those who had doubts about our success. We need to go on.

Today, your report provides strategic direction and institutional guidance to ensure that the next chapter of enlargement is credible,

principled and transformative.

We will continue to support our enlargement partners, and I'm confident that this House will continue to do so.

Your support is key to the candidate countries, your support is key to the Member States,

and your support is key to our success.

As Petros was saying, no room for insecurity and uncertainty. We should really speak very loud.

And bold when it's about the future of our independent European continent. Thank you very much.

Now, we just start with the turn of the political groups and the first one, it will be Mr.

Kovachev for 2 minutes in representing the APP Group.