Europe

EU Commission head urges bloc to deliver on Albania, North Macedonia accession

Blocked accession talks undermine EU’s position in Western Balkans, warns Ursula von der Leyen

07.10.2021 - Update : 07.10.2021
EU Commission head urges bloc to deliver on Albania, North Macedonia accession Slovenia's Prime Minister Janez Jansa (R) welcomes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (L) for the EU-Western Balkans summit at Brdo Congress Centre, in Brdo pri Kranju, in Kranj, Slovenia, on October 6, 2021. ( Government of Slovenia - Anadolu Agency )

BRUSSELS

The delay in EU accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia undermines the bloc’s position in the Western Balkans, the president of the European Commission said on Wednesday. 

Speaking to reporters after the EU-Western Balkans summit hosted by the Slovenian presidency of the Council in Brdo, Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the European Commission would “do its utmost to advance the enlargement process and the region’s EU integration.”

She acknowledged that the six Western Balkans countries – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, “are undertaking important reforms” in order to join the bloc, while they still had to advance on key areas of justice; the fight against corruption, organized crime, media freedom, and economic reforms.”

“In the meantime, the European Union also has to deliver. In particular, the lack of a decision for opening the negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania is revising our standing and our leverage in the region,” she pointed out.

She explained that EU leaders had discussed how to move forward with the process during the summit, and the European Commission had been working on a roadmap with practical steps to solve the problems, especially the financial topics.

She also stressed that the bloc was the Western Balkans' most reliable partner during the COVID-19 pandemic since it provided €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) economic support and donated 2.9 million vaccines.

EU leaders also adopted the European Commission’s proposal on €30 billion economic and investment plan for the region that includes €9 billion in non-refundable grants.

The start of accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania was blocked by France and the Netherlands in 2019, which the European Commission’s then head Jean-Claude Juncker called “a grave historic error”.

In February 2020, the EU executive body adopted a new procedure for accession negations, incorporating several French ideas, like the possibility to reverse or suspend the process can be in case of no progress or backslide in crucial policy areas.

Despite the fact, that the EU leaders agreed to open negotiations with the two countries in June 2020, the talks could not start as Bulgaria raised a veto against North Macedonia over a historical and cultural dispute between the two countries.

Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.