EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, issued a clear warning to Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, noting that they are the only two Western Balkan countries that have not yet begun approving or implementing reforms required under the EU’s Growth Plan.
These two countries remain the only ones in the region that have not benefited from the EU’s multi-billion-euro financial package.
For Kosovo, the reason is straightforward: the absence of fully functional institutions has blocked access to these funds.
“We have completed two years since the start of implementing the Growth Plan — two years out of four. We are at the midway point between the first phase that has just ended and the second phase that has just begun. This is the right moment to take stock. We have much to celebrate, but at the same time we must be honest: two of the six countries in the region have still not started approving or implementing reforms,” Kos said at the summit in Tirana.
She emphasized that the two best performers in the region — Albania and Montenegro — have already approved around 50% of the agreed reforms, showing substantial progress.
The summit was attended by Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
Kos added that the purpose of this gathering is to evaluate the progress so far, identify successful areas, and determine where investments should focus in the second half of the Growth Plan — and where more work is needed.
“Many more doors will open. And your home — Europe — is waiting for you. You are part of Europe; we simply need to formalize it institutionally so that you become full EU member states,” she said.
