Germany and eight other EU countries are committed to expanding majority decisions in the community on foreign and security policy. “The aim of this group of friends is to increase the effectiveness and speed of EU foreign policy decisions,” declared the German Foreign Ministry together with the other ministries in Berlin today. The “Group of Friends” also includes Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain.
“Against the background of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the growing international challenges facing the EU, the members of the Group of Friends are convinced that decision-making processes in EU foreign policy must be adapted in order to strengthen the EU as a global actor,” it said in the statement.
Also with regard to new members
This also applies to the admission of new members. The states of the Western Balkans have been striving to join the European Union for years. The delay in accession is also attributed to the fact that the EU fears that it will become unable to act. The problem has been known for years, but so far there have been no concrete steps to change it.
An extension of majority decisions could only be realized with unanimous resolutions. The “Group of Friends” now wants to achieve “pragmatic, concrete progress in the decision-making processes”. To this end, a regular inventory is planned in coordination with the other member states and the EU institutions. Membership in the group is open to all EU countries.
