BELGRADE (Serbia), February 6 (SeeNews) – The European Commission said on Tuesday it adopted today a strategy for supporting the EU integration of the Western Balkans, focusing on the need for fundamental reforms and good neighbourly relations.
The strategy, named "A credible enlargement perspective for and enhanced EU engagement with the Western Balkans", includes six flagship initiatives that the EU will take over the next years to support the transformation efforts of the Western Balkans in areas of mutual interest, the Commission said in a statement.
The initiatives range from strengthening the rule of law, reinforced cooperation on security and migration through joint investigating teams and the European Border and coast guard, expanding the EU Energy Union to the Western Balkans or lowering roaming charges and rolling out broadband in the region. The strategy also underlines the need for the EU to be prepared to welcome new members once they have met the criteria, the EU Commission said.
"With a strong political will, real and sustained reforms, and definitive solutions to disputes with neighbours, the Western Balkans can move forward on their respective European paths. Whether this is achieved will depend on their objective merits. The European Commission will be rigorous but it will also be fair. I will travel to each of the countries of the Western Balkans at the end of this month with a clear message: keep reforming and we will keep supporting your European future," the president of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, stated.
The strategy document explains the steps that need to be taken by Montenegro and Serbia to complete the accession process with a 2025 perspective, the only two countries with which accession talks are already underway. This perspective will ultimately depend on the strong political will, the delivery of real and sustained reforms, and definitive solutions to disputes with neighbours, the Commission said.
The EU opened accession negotiations with Serbia in January 2014. The country has so far started talks on 10 out of the 35 chapters of EU law and has provisionally closed negotiations on two, namely Chapter 25 - Science & Research and Chapter 26 - Education & Culture.
Montenegro has started talks on 30 out of the 35 chapters of EU body of law and has provisionally closed negotiations on three, namely Chapter 30 - External Relations, Chapter 25 - Science & Research and Chapter 26 - Education & Culture. Chapter 34 -Institutions and Chapter 35 - Other Issues were provisionally closed, as Montenegro has nothing to adopt in the sectors.
"This strategy shows the path that we have ahead of us: for all our six partners to overcome once and for all the past, for all of us together to make the process of the Western Balkans towards the European Union irreversible and keep reuniting the Continent. This Strategy gives all of us a shared, clear, unequivocal, credible and concrete perspective for each and every one of our six partners' EU integration. The next months will be not only intense but also crucial to make sure that this historic and unique opportunity is seized," the EU foreign policy chief and vice-president of the Commission, Federica Mogherini, said in the statement.
A more effective system is also needed to tackle systemic threats to or breaches of the rule of law in any EU member state with a Commission initiative to be expected in October 2018. Finally, special arrangements must be put in place to ensure that future member states are not in a position to block the accession of other Western Balkans candidates, the Commission said.