Italy is against the introduction of new criteria for EU candidate states

[Suzanne]

Italy is against the sending of negative signals to the EU candidate states and the introduction of new membership criteria, Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D’Alema is reported to have said in a speech before the Foreign Policy Committees at the Senate and Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament. He has stressed that the European prospects of the countries in the Western Balkans should be retained. According to him the bloc should keep its doors open after Bulgaria and Romania’s accession and later, after Croatia’s joining.