Accelerated reforms drive progress to wider EU membership

The EU’s annual Enlargement Package, adopted Wednesday by the European Commission, details the progress made by the candidates for EU membership amidst the current “tense geopolitical context”.

Josep Borrell - Photo © European Union 2024

The package provides a detailed assessment of the state of play and the progress made by Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Türkiye, on their respective paths towards EU accession.

The “unprecedented challenges” of the last five years, said the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, demonstrate the importance of “a new momentum for EU enlargement”.

“Now more than ever, EU membership is a strategic choice. Alignment with EU values, starting with the rule of law, and the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy is the most significant indication of strategic orientation in the new geopolitical context,” he said.

The fundamentals cluster was opened with Albania on 15 October 2024, says the report. Accession negotiations were opened with Ukraine and Moldova at the first intergovernmental conferences in June 2024. Having met the interim benchmarks for the rule of law chapters, Montenegro is on the way to provisionally closing further negotiating chapters. In March 2024, the European Council decided to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The screening process was completed with both Albania and North Macedonia at the end of 2023.

In June 2024 the intergovernmental conference confirmed that Montenegro overall met the interim benchmarks for the rule of law chapters 23 and 24, providing the opportunity to proceed with provisionally closing further chapters if conditions are met. In the rule of law area and judiciary further progress is needed.

With Serbia having fulfilled the benchmarks to open cluster 3 (Competitiveness and inclusive growth), the country is expected to speed up work on implementing EU-accession related reforms, with a particular focus on rule of law benchmarks as well as making credible efforts to shut down disinformation and foreign information manipulation.

On Albania, the Commission says authorities must intensify the pace of EU oriented reforms, notably on the rule of law, fighting corruption and organised crime, and promoting media freedom, property rights, and minorities.

North Macedonia needs to continue to deliver on the fight against corruption and organised crime, and strengthen trust in the justice system.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has prtogressed well on migration management, full alignment with the EU’s common and foreign security policy, and passing legislation on integrity of the judiciary, anti-money laundering and conflict of interest. With the EU having decided to open accession negotiations, the Commission is preparing the negotiating framework.

The Commission is currently awaiting a Council request for its Opinion on Kosovo’s membership application. Progress was recorded in the fight against organised crime, and the business environment improved. Visa liberalisation for Kosovo entered into force on 1 January 2024.

The opening of accession talks with Ukraine has been an important recognition of Ukraine’s determination to pursue reforms on the path of EU accession. Following the first intergovernmental conference in June 2024, the analytical examination of the acquis (the screening) is progressing smoothly. Subject to Ukraine meeting all the conditions, the Commission is looking forward to the opening of negotiations as soon as possible in 2025.

The opening of accession negotiations has been an important recognition of Moldova’s determination to pursue reforms on the path to EU accession despite facing continuous Russian interference and the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Subject to Moldova meeting all conditions, the Commission is looking forward to the opening of negotiations as soon as possible in 2025.

The EU accession process for Georgia, granted candidate status in 2023, has been halted due to the course of action taken by the Georgian government since Spring 2024. Following the 26 October 2024 vote by Georgia’s citizens in parliamentary elections, preliminary findings of the joint International Election Observation Mission led by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) identified several shortcomings that occurred in a tense and highly polarised environment.

The reported weaknesses include i.a. the recent legislative amendments to the election process, frequent compromises on vote secrecy, procedural inconsistencies, intimidation and pressure on voters that negatively impacted public trust in the process. These preliminary findings confirm the need for a comprehensive electoral reform that was already highlighted in past key recommendations.

Accession negotiations with candidate country Türkiye remain at a standstill since 2018, as serious concerns remain on fundamental rights and rule of law, including the independence of the judiciary.