EU enlargement is “a strategic investment in our shared stability, prosperity and security”, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said at a summit between leaders from the EU’s Member States and its six Western Balkan partners.
At the summit, hosted by Montenegro in Tivat, leaders took stock of the region’s progress on its European path and discussed priorities ahead.
Leaders welcomed ongoing reforms and reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to a merit-based enlargement process for the countries (Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo).
“The Western Balkans are an integral part of the European Union’s future”, said EU Council president António Costa: “Their accession remains our priority and a crucial geopolitical investment. The process is and will remain grounded on merit and credible reforms.”
The leaders stressed that good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation remain essential to unlocking the full benefits of closer integration. They also underlined the importance of further strengthening cooperation on foreign, security and defence policy.
The leaders took stock of the benefits that gradual integration is already bringing to citizens and businesses across the region. They welcomed progress in implementing the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, including €673.6 million disbursed since 2024 to support reforms and investments. They also encouraged Western Balkan partners to make the most of the opportunities that the Growth Plan offers by delivering on timely reforms.
In this context, leaders also noted advances in trade facilitation through Green Lanes, progress towards integration into the EU Single Market and SEPA, and ongoing investments in digital connectivity across the region.
The Summit also highlighted new opportunities for cooperation, mobility and connectivity across the region:
- The EU will launch closer cooperation between the Western Balkans and the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity to strengthen resilience against cyber threats.
- A new EU-funded mobility programme with the Regional School of Public Administration will enable up to 100 Western Balkan civil servants to gain professional experience in Member State administrations.
- The Commission intends to extend DiscoverEU to young people from all six Western Balkan partners from 2027, giving them access to the EU’s youth travel programme.
- The Commission has prepared the next steps towards roaming arrangements between the EU and the Western Balkans.
The EU says it will continue to work closely with all six Western Balkan partners to advance reforms, create new economic opportunities and accelerate their gradual integration into the EU Single Market, supported by the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.
EU-Western Balkans Summit website
Growth Plan for the Western Balkans
Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans
EU and North Macedonia factsheet
