Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu met with Johannes Hahn, the European Commissioner for Enlargement and the incoming Commissioner for Energy, discussing the future of the European Union enlargement policy and the next multiannual financial framework (MFF).
Urmas Reinsalu expressed regret that the European Commission’s proposal to start accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania was not approved by the European Council. “Enlargement is one of the key policies of the European Union, and in light of this lack of decision, we hope the new Commission will continue to strongly support the EU enlargement policy,” the Foreign Minister said.
The new MFF was also discussed. According to Reinsalu, the proposal by the current presidency was too modest in its ambitions. He stressed that in order to preserve Estonia’s competitiveness in the context of climate neutrality, instruments must be found in the European Union budget to support Estonia’s transition. Furthermore, keeping in mind Estonia’s specificity, a transitional exemption should be introduced for both oil shale and coal.
Additional information:
Armo Vask
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Communication Department
[email protected]
+372 637 7618
+372 5666 8581
