At last week's meeting of the Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs (CIVEX), the EA Group played an active role in two key debates that will shape the future direction of the European Union (EU): the management of migration under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034) and the EU's enlargement policy. EA member Magdalena Jachim, Mayor of Sopot, brought a clear and forward‑looking perspective to both discussions, reflecting the Group's commitment to practical solutions rooted in local and regional experience.
During the debate on the future Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund under the next MFF, she underlined that simplification of EU funding rules must never become a pretext for centralisation. She reiterated the EA Group's long‑standing position that local and regional authorities must be meaningfully involved in the design and implementation of migration policies, rejecting proposals for National and Regional Partnership Plans that sideline local actors. She also highlighted the importance of legal migration pathways, stressing that migration can be a positive force when supported by the right framework. Drawing on the Polish experience, she noted that the vast majority of Ukrainian refugees in Poland have found employment and are now contributing to society. “We need to reframe migration as an opportunity, rather than a problem," she said, emphasising that integration succeeds when local communities are empowered.
In the debate on enlargement, Jachim called for the EU to maintain momentum and offer a credible membership perspective to candidate countries. She recalled how transformative accession had been for Poland and stressed that many citizens in neighbouring countries aspire to the same future. “We must fulfil their aspirations, especially in the current highly uncertain geopolitical climate," she argued. Her intervention echoed the EA Group's belief that enlargement is not only a strategic investment in stability but also a reaffirmation of the EU's founding values.