The strengthening of the partnership between the European Union (EU) and the countries of the Western Balkans, including through the gradual integration of these countries into various EU policies, will be the focus of the upcoming EU-Western Balkans summit, which will take place in Brussels on December 18.
In the run-up to this meeting, ten days ago, the new president of the European Council, Antonio Costa, held an informal joint meeting with the leaders of the region’s countries, where, among other topics, preparations and expectations for this joint summit were discussed.
The regular development of EU-Western Balkans joint summits is one of the signs that the EU prioritizes this region, its relations with these countries, and the full integration process of these countries into the EU. This commitment is expected to be reiterated once again during the upcoming meeting. This is also included in the draft of the Declaration prepared for approval at the summit, a document that has also been accessed by Radio Free Europe.
“Enlargement is a geostrategic investment in peace, stability, and prosperity. There is now a new dynamism in the enlargement process. Accelerating the enlargement process, based on fair and strict conditions and the principles of individual merit, is in our common interest,” states the declaration that is expected to be jointly approved at the meeting by the leaders of the EU member states and their counterparts from the six Western Balkans countries.
Amid Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and changing global circumstances, it is expected that the importance of the EU-Western Balkans partnership will be emphasized as never before.
To help accelerate the enlargement process, the summit will send a call for the countries in the region to resolve their disputes with neighbors as soon as possible, both with EU member states and among themselves in the region.
“Regional and bilateral disputes rooted in the past for too long have hindered the focus on the future. The implementation of bilateral agreements with good faith and tangible results, including the Prespa Agreement with Greece and the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness, and Cooperation with Bulgaria, remains crucial,” states the document.
These two agreements continue to be the reason why North Macedonia is blocked in its European integration process, unable to open negotiation chapters despite meeting all the required technical conditions. Until recently, Greece blocked decisions in the Council, while now, Bulgaria is doing so.
Apart from North Macedonia, which still has open issues with Greece, Serbia and Montenegro also have unresolved issues with Croatia, an EU member state. Due to the deterioration of relations between Croatia and Montenegro, since pro-Serb and pro-Russian forces have entered the government in Montenegro, Croatia has presented obstacles even in closing chapters in Montenegro’s EU accession negotiations.
Both Serbia and Kosovo have stalled in the process—among other reasons—due to the lack of progress in normalizing their relations. This, according to the EU, not only harms the European integration process but also negatively impacts the stability of the entire region. Therefore, the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is expected to be part of the summit’s Declaration.
“The agreements reached within the EU-facilitated dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, including the Agreement on the Path to Normalization, must be implemented without further delays. The EU calls on all partners to ensure the rights and equal treatment of persons belonging to minorities,” states the draft text of the Declaration.
Serbia has not opened any negotiation chapters in the EU accession process for the past three years. Recent efforts by the Hungarian presidency, supported by the European Commission and most member states, to get Serbia to open some chapters have not been successful, as several member states did not agree that Serbia should proceed.
In addition to the lack of progress in the rule of law and media freedom, the lack of progress in the normalization process of Serbia’s relations with Kosovo has also been cited as a reason.
On the other hand, Kosovo has not made any movement either. It applied for EU membership two years ago, but that request remains shelved and has never been examined by the EU Council. In Kosovo’s case, one of the main reasons is the non-recognition by five EU member states, as well as the lack of progress in the dialogue.
The European Union welcomes the participation of the Western Balkans countries in the European Political Community forum, which includes many European states, not just those in the EU. It is expected that the fact that the next European Political Community summit will be held in Tirana next year will be welcomed.
This time, the summit is expected to also address concrete processes that are already helping the region move closer to the EU integration process through gradual integration in many areas.
One of these is the six-billion-euro Economic Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. The EU will express its readiness to consider further economic and trade integration of the region’s countries.
The European Union also mentions integration into the EU’s transport bloc, which is already yielding results. It also mentions the establishment of “green lanes” at border crossing points to speed up the circulation of goods. The EU also supports the participation of the region’s countries in the “green agenda,” aimed at environmental protection and combating global warming. It also supports the inclusion of the region’s countries in the EU’s digital agenda and the “digital single market.”
Therefore, according to EU diplomats, this summit will be an opportunity to discuss concrete cooperation in many areas, from politics, defense, and security, to energy. All of this will help the countries of the region to be better prepared for EU integration while simultaneously strengthening their economies and increasing regional stability through resolving their disputes.
