Minister for Europe, Chris Bryant, welcomed the EU Commission's recommendation for further EU enlargement negotiations on Wednesday 14 October.

Chris Bryant said:

"The UK is a strong supporter of further European Union enlargement because it is good for the UK. Enlargement has been one of the EU’s biggest success stories: it provides an incentive for economic development and democratic reform, and builds freedom, stability and prosperity across our continent. It spreads democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law, and our fair rules for workers and businesses.

Enlargement makes the EU a more powerful global player, enabling us to better meet today’s challenges of climate change, the economic crisis, and organised crime. And a bigger single market brings real benefits in terms of jobs and trading opportunities across the EU – including in the UK.

The UK looks forward to welcoming new countries into the EU once they meet the criteria for membership.

The UK welcomes the Commission's recommendation to open accession negotiations with Macedonia and congratulates Macedonia on the progress achieved in its reforms.

We welcome the Turkish government’s commitment to domestic reform and underline the importance of Turkey meeting the obligations outlined in the report, so that Turkey’s accession negotiations can move forward more quickly."

You can learn more on Britain in the EU by visiting the FCO website.

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