The EU Will Look for Ways to Make It Quicker for the Western Balkan Countries to Join the Bloc
Costa said the EU will seek faster membership talks for six Western Balkan candidates as leaders weigh reforms and rising Russian and Chinese influence.
- On Friday, European Council President Antonio Costa will gather leaders in Tivat, Montenegro, to discuss accelerating membership for six Western Balkan candidate nations, pledging to approach the expansion process with "new enthusiasm."
- To join the European Union, candidate countries must align laws across 35 policy "chapters," a process the bloc is accelerating to counter the growing influence of Russia and China in the region.
- Serbia faces a potential loss of around 1.5 billion euros in funding due to European Union concerns regarding democratic backsliding, while President Aleksandar Vucic also navigates domestic unrest following a 2024 train station accident that killed 16 people.
- Belgrade must normalize relations with Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, to progress on its membership path; the EU also requires Serbia to align its foreign policy, including imposing sanctions on Russia.
- Costa maintained that while enlargement could be real in the coming years, "the pace of progress depends on Serbia's own resolve" and the country's commitment to reform.
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In the heart of the Bocche di Cattaro, a UNESCO heritage that according to legend preserves the gonfalone of the Republic of Venice, the small Tivat hosted yesterday the EU summits, the leaders...
El Periódico
The European Union is "on the countdown for the next enlargement" for the first time since 2013, said European Council President António Costa after a summit with Western Balkan leaders at which the bloc renewed its commitment to speed up the accession process. Continue reading...
Before the summer, the Benelux countries will present a plan to bring candidate member states into the European Union in a faster and more proper manner. This was stated by Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten following a summit between the EU and Western Balkan countries in Tivat, Montenegro.
This is being discussed at a meeting in Montenegro, which is the closest of the six countries that have started their practices.
Before the summer, the Benelux countries will present a plan to bring candidate countries into the EU in a faster and more proper manner. This was stated by Prime Minister Rob Jetten following a summit between the EU and Western Balkan countries in Tivat, Montenegro.
Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Kosovo would like to join the European Union. Talks regarding this were held in Montenegro today.
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