Welcome to the European Parliamentary Research Service Podcasts.

The EU's enlargement process is back in the spotlight.

But how does it work? And what are the challenges ahead, both for candidate countries and for the EU itself?

Stay with us and we'll walk you through the ins and outs of this strategic process.

This is a historic moment.

The decision is made.

We open negotiations with Ukraine and with Moldova.

We, Grain and State used to Georgia, and this decision made by the member states

is extremely important for the credibility of the European Union.

This was the president of the European Council, Charles,

announcing this much-awaited decision after the meeting of EU leaders in December 2023.

The decision to start accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova,

as well as to grant candidate status to Georgia, was recommended by the European Commission in November, with strong

backing from the European Parliament.

During the summit, EU leaders also showed their will to open accession negotiations

with Bosnia and Herzegovina, but postponed the decision till March this year.

It was a crucial summit for the EU's future enlargement.

But let's recap a bit.

EU membership is open to any European country that respects the EU's democratic values and meets

the political, economic and other

accession criteria to join the club. And the prospect of membership is a powerful

stimulus for democratic and economic reforms in the candidate countries.

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