About: Štefan Füle

Putin and Poroshenko to hold talks in Minsk

The European Commission confirmed on Wednesday that top EU officials will hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Petro Poroshenko next week in Minsk.

EU urges Turkey to restore judiciary independence

EU Enlargement Commissioner Štefan Füle has called on Turkey to restore the independence of its judiciary, if Ankara wants to make progress towards EU accession.

Parliament calls on world leaders to step up pressure on Russia

MEPs have called on western diplomats to step up sanctions against Russian energy companies, as the US, the EU, Russia and Ukraine are meeting in Geneva to find a diplomatic solution to the Ukrainian crisis,

EU calls for ‘free and fair’ elections in Ukraine

EU Enlargement Commissioner Štefan Füle called on Ukrainian leaders and opposition on Thursday to form an 'inclusive' government and urged Kiev to ensure 'free and fair elections' in the crisis-hit country. In a 3 day visit to Kiev, in which he held talks with government and opposition, Füle insisted on the need for both sides to agree on constitutional reform, potentially limiting government powers.

An ‘inclusive political process decisive’ for Ukraine’s stability, EU says

Asked by EURACTIV if the Commission was advising the Ukrainian opposition to opt for power sharing, spokesperson Pia Ahrenkilde-Hansen avoided a direct answer and insisted that Füle held meetings both with the opposition and the authorities. An “inclusive political process” is “decisive” for stability in Ukraine, she said. 'The first step is regaining the trust of the people by stopping the spiral of violence and intimidation.' Ahrenkilde-Hansen added.

EU suspends talks with Ukraine over Association Agreement

'Work on hold'. With these words, EU enlargement commissioner Stefan Füle announced on Sunday via twitter that Brussels is suspending further talks with Ukraine on a landmark trade and political pact. The Commission added that Kiev needs to show a "clear commitment to sign" the deal in order to continue the discussions.

Füle asks Ukraine to clarify intentions, warns of looming financial crisis

Thousands of anti-government protesters gathered in central Kiev, rebuilding barricades torn down by police yesterday (12 December) as the European Union held out a promise of increased aid for Ukraine if it signed an Association Agreement (AA). Ukraine's first deputy prime minister Serhiy Arbuzov flew to Brussels with a high-level delegation seeking billions of euros of aid from the EU in return for signing the agreement, which Kiev suddenly backed away from last month.

EU to reopen accession talks with Turkey on November 5

EU ministers agreed on Tuesday to resume accession talks with Turkey on November 5th after a three year break. Originally scheduled in June, negotiations were put on hold after the EU accused Turkish police of using excessive force against anti-government protests earlier this year.

Füle and Erdo?an diverge over democracy

As the most largest anti-government protests in Turkey’s recent past look set to enter a third week, Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and EU Enlargement Commissioner Štefan Füle sparred over the issue at a conference held in Istanbul on Friday (7 June).

Macedonia erases ‘irredentist’ claims as Commission tables report

In the wake of a Commission report on Macedonia that underlines the country's "good" relations with its neighbours, the Foreign Ministry removed information from its website that was seen as irredentist by Bulgaria and Greece.