Will Western Balkans respond positively to EU initiatives?

Participation of Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the EC, at the Plenary session of the EP
Date: 06/02/2018 Location: Strasbourg – EP
© European Union , 2018. Photo: Etienne Ansotte

The European Commission announced yesterday its strategy regarding the perspective of EU enlargement with the Western Balkans within the next decade.  Six initiatives will be the guidelines of the EU which must be fulfilled in order to be able for these countries to complete the necessary steps for their accession process. The EU seems to be willing to increase its member states the moment Britain is on the exit doorstep. This effort has started at President Juncker’s 2017 State of the Union address and it is now being materialized through concrete actions and plans pointing out that Montenegro and Serbia could complete their accession process by 2025 while the rest of the Western Balkans could also have the chance to join the EU path. Background Only two counties of the Western Balkans are in the way of accession talks to become members of the EU. Serbia has applied to become an EU member state in December 2009 and EU Candidate country status was granted in March 2012. Currently 12 out of the 35 negotiation chapters are open but two of them (science & research and education & culture) are preliminary closed. Montenegro applied for EU membership at the end of 2008 and after two years the candidate country status was granted.  At the moment, five years of accession negotiations have passed with 30 out of 35 chapters to have been opened and three of which to be provisionally closed (science & research, education & culture and external relations). The rest of the Western Balkan counties have the chance of moving towards an EU perspective according to the EC but significant progress is required in order to start the negotiations talks. EC supports Westerns Balkans accession procedure The EC has changed its stance since 2014 when Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker had slowed down any enlargement perspective of the bloc at the beginning of its five-year term. Jean-Claude Juncker foresees a possible EU enlargement with the Western Balkans but on the condition that all necessary reforms are being implemented. More specifically, the president of the EC stated yesterday that: “Investing in the stability and prosperity of the Western Balkans means investing in the security and future of our Union. Although there will be no further enlargements under this mandate, today the European Commission is charting the European path ahead for the Western Balkans. With 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.” EU-Western Balkans transition strategy The EU support is crucial for the accession process of the Western Balkans and especially of Montenegro and Serbia which are closer to the European path. Thus, the EC’s six flagship initiatives are created to support this procedure and help these countries into becoming EU member states. In detail, these actions are targeting to strengthen the rule of law, reinforce engagement on security and migration, enhance social and economic development, increase energy and transport connectivity, improve digital services and support reconciliation and good neighbourly relations between 2018 and 2020. Except for the above initiatives, the EC has also proposed an increase in the financial aid under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) until 2020. Particularly, the funding which is going to be distributed to the Western Balkans will be 1.07 billion euros in 2018 adding to the 9 billion euros provided in the period of 2007-2017. Will EU become larger? The EU, simultaneously with the Brexit process which affects the Old Continent to a great extent, focuses on increasing its member states by providing adequate support to the Western Balkans to implement comprehensive reforms in various fields in order to keep up with the EU values. High Representative and Vice-President Federica Mogherini mentioned that this plan is meant to solve the problems of the past and lead to a European path for the Western Balkans. Specifically, Federica Mogherini said: “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.” All in all, even if the EU will provide substantial support, it is mainly up to these countries to show that they really want to become part of the European Union by imposing all the necessary constitutional reforms.

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Interesting reads

© WFP/Maxime Le Lijour People living in Gaza have received humanitarian aid from the UN throughout the conflict with Israel.

UN relief chief condemns ‘$1 billion-a-day’ cost of war in Middle East

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN’s emergency relief chief on Wednesday condemned the “$1 billion-a-day” cost of the war in the Middle East, at a time when humanitarian needs are soaring and aid funding is falling dangerously short. “We’re seeing the consequences spread faster than we can respond”, warned the UN emergency […]
© UNICEF/Azizullah Karimi Afghan returnees from Iran gather at the Islam-Border, near Herat in western Afghanistan (file).

‘Toxic rain’ warning from oil depot strikes amid ongoing Middle East war

This article is published in association with United Nations. Toxic “black rain” linked to strikes on oil depots, mass displacement and continuing disruption to aid supply chains are upending lives across the Middle East and beyond after 10 days of war in the region, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.  Speaking to reporters in Geneva, UN Human […]
© UNHCR People gather at the Masnaa border point in Lebanon as they wait to cross into Syria.

Nearly 700,000 displaced in Lebanon as Middle East crisis escalates

This article is published in association with United Nations. On day 10 of the war engulfing the Middle East, UN agencies on Monday reported massive displacement across the region, along with surging food and fuel prices that risk increasing hunger and suffering for the most vulnerable. In Lebanon alone, nearly 700,000 people including around 200,000 children […]
UN Photo/Pasqual Gorriz Smoke rises in Beirut, Lebanon, following the outbreak of hostilities across the Middle East.

Lebanon ‘dragged back into turmoil’, UN envoy warns

This article is published in association with United Nations. Lebanon has been “dragged back into a state of turmoil and violence”, the UN’s top envoy in the country warned on Saturday, after the latest round of regional strikes triggered a fast‑escalating crisis along the Blue Line. What had been fragile but real momentum, she said, has […]
UNHCR Smoke rises after an airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon.

MIDDLE EAST LIVE: Strikes continue across Middle East as humanitarian concerns grow

This article is published in association with United Nations. Highlights Production team: Vibhu Mishra with Daniel Johnson in GenevaToday 12:15 μ.μ. UN rights office warns displacement orders in Lebanon affecting hundreds of thousands The UN human rights office has warned that large-scale displacement orders and ongoing airstrikes in Lebanon are worsening the suffering of civilians already affected […]
© UNICEF/Ramzi Haidar Destroyed buildings and debris in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, following airstrikes.

MIDDLE EAST LIVE: Further escalation drives uncertainty and suffering

This article is published in association with United Nations. On day six of the war in the Middle East, there’s been no let-up in bombs, drones and rockets targeting Iran, Israel, Lebanon and many Gulf States, while NATO forces reportedly intercepted a missile fired at Türkiye by Iran, a claim denied by Tehran. We’ll bring you […]
UN Photo/Pasqual Gorriz Smoke rises in Beirut, Lebanon, following the outbreak of hostilities across the Middle East.

MIDDLE EAST LIVE: Conflict continues across region amid US, Israeli and Iranian strikes

This article is published in association with United Nations. Violence in the Middle East is continuing into a fifth day, with US and Israeli strikes against Iran and Iranian missile and drone attacks reported across several countries in the region. The escalating confrontation is disrupting airspace, transport and daily life while raising fears of a wider […]
© IAEA/Paolo Contri The Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran.

Iran crisis: Schoolgirls killed, thousands displaced and aid compromised

This article is published in association with United Nations. On the fourth day of Israeli and United States airstrikes against Iran and amid growing violence and instability in the Middle East, the UN urgently called for protection of civilians and warned of growing displacement and humanitarian needs. UN human rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani also recalled […]
© Unsplash/Kamran Gholami Tehran, the capital of Iran. (file photo)

MIDDLE EAST LIVE: Strikes continue from US, Israel and Iran as UN urges restraint

This article is published in association with United Nations. Violent escalation in the Middle East has entered a third day as coordinated US and Israeli strikes against Iran aimed at regime change continue to cause loss of life and damage across the region, prompting Iranian missile and drone counter-strikes hitting targets in multiple countries. Explosions, airspace […]
Iran attacks

Deadly bombing of Iran primary school ‘a grave violation of humanitarian law’: UNESCO

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN education agency, UNESCO, says that the bombing of a primary school during the US and Israeli military attacks on Iran on Saturday constitutes a grave violation of humanitarian law. The missiles reportedly destroyed a girl’s primary school in Minab, southern Iran, killing around 150 and […]
© UNRCO Iran Tehran, the capital of Iran.

Attacks on Iran and retaliatory strikes ‘undermine international peace and security’

This article is published in association with United Nations. UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the heads of UN agencies have condemned Saturday’s joint Israeli and US attacks on Iran and the Iranian retaliatory strikes on Israel and the Gulf Regions. The attack on Iran reportedly targeted military sites as well as the leadership of the Iranian […]
© WFP/Maxime Le Lijour A woman holds a child as a storm approaches Khan Younis in Gaza.

Palestine: UN rights chief highlights suffering, atrocity crimes ‘that remain unpunished

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN rights chief Volker Türk on Thursday highlighted the “human-made disaster” across the Occupied Palestinian Territory stemming from Israel’s disregard for human rights norms and serious violations also committed by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups. Citing a new report from his office (OHCHR) covering the […]
Ángela Soria Pitarch was born on March 28, 2003. She is currently a fifth-year medical student at the University of Valencia.

Not the Future, the Present: Young Voices Shaping Global Health in 2026

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Ángela Soria Pitarch was born on March 28, 2003. She is currently a fifth-year medical student at the University of Valencia. She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to […]
© UNOCHA Many rural areas of Ukraine have been blasted by shelling and drone strikes. The country is also one of the most mined in the world, top UN aid officials warn.

Ukraine wakes to more violence as Russia’s invasion enters fifth year

This article is published in association with United Nations. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops on 24 February 2022 shattered the peaceful aspirations of an entire continent, but war must never be the new normal, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday. “Four years ago, people in Europe woke up in another […]
Fokah Wembe Darrell Dupray is a 4th-year medical student at Université des Montagnes, Bangangté Cameroon and a student leader within the Cameroon Medical Students’ Association (CAMSA).

From Local Barriers to Global Lessons: Practical Paths Toward Inclusive Healthcare

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Zainatun Nawwariyah is a fifth-year medical student at the Faculty of Medicine, University of North Sumatera, who is passionate about advancing medicine through research, advocacy, and service. She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed […]
© UNICEF/Bullen Chol A grandmother takes care of her 17-month-old malnourished grandson in South Sudan.

World News in Brief: UN humanitarian chief visits South Sudan, shelter fire risks in Gaza, West Bank violence

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator arrived in South Sudan on Friday to visit one of the most under-reported humanitarian crises in the world, as clashes between government and opposition forces continue in Jonglei state.  Tom Fletcher will focus on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the world’s youngest country and escalating protection risks for both civilians and aid workers.  […]
Ukraine’s women at breaking point after four years of war as attacks on energy, healthcare continue – UN humanitarians

Ukraine’s women at breaking point after four years of war as attacks on energy, healthcare continue – UN humanitarians

This article is published in association with United Nations. Four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, millions in Ukraine struggle to keep the lights on and heat their homes, with the crisis taking a particular toll on women, humanitarians warned on Friday. Freshly back from a visit to the country UN Women’s Chief of Humanitarian Action Sofia […]
Fears of ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank: UN rights report

Fears of ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank: UN rights report

This article is published in association with United Nations. Increased Israeli attacks and the forced transfer of Palestinians have sparked concern over ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said in a report issued on Thursday.  The report covers the period from 1 November 2024 to 31 October 2025 and is […]
Samaya Rahimova  is a public health student at the Azerbaijan Medical University and an active member of SCOPH at Azermeds

Inclusive Healthcare Fails When We Design for the “Average Patient”

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Samaya Rahimova , a public health student at the Azerbaijan Medical University and an active member of SCOPH at Azermeds. She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer […]

Why don't you drop your comment here?

Go back up

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

The European Sting – Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology – europeansting.com