“We are facing the green and digital transformation of our economies… and it is very important that in this process we are not leaving countries and regions behind,” Dombrovskis said, marking 20 years of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia Speaking before the celebration, he said. , Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia are joining the European Union.
He said rich European countries risk breaking the level playing field of the single market by attempting to compete with American and Chinese subsidies.
“Not all countries have the same opportunities. The countries of the South and the East will not be able to subsidize their companies on a large scale like Germany or France, Dombrowski said.
He said the EU should focus on Union-wide funding instruments to protect a level playing field. “From my perspective, the more flexibility there is on state aid, the more flexibility is needed for redistribution through the EU budget,” Dombrowski said.
Speaking about the geopolitical impact of EU enlargement, the Latvian Commissioner said that it has “made the EU a stronger, bigger global player.” “And it placed the new member states firmly within the Western democratic world.”
Dombrowski said that in the case of the Baltic countries the 2004 enlargement was possible because it occurred during a short period when Russia was less authoritarian.