The future of EU enlargement

The enlargement policy of the EU registered major success stories in 2013, despite continued economic difficulties causing enlargement fatigue.

Croatia became a Member State of the EU on 1 July 2013. In June, the European Council decided to open accession negotiations with Serbia and to start negotiating the conclusion of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Kosovo, following the historical First Agreement of Principles Governing the Normalisation of Relations between Serbia and Kosovo on the beginning of normalisation of their mutual relations from April 2013.

Keeping up momentum on enlargement

The Commission is about to issue its yearly enlargement package, defining the enlargement strategy and the progress report for each country on the way to accession. Keeping up momentum remains important, in an international context in which the first signs of economic recovery are visible but the road to growth is far from certain. Enlargement will not happen on its own and this can be seen in the example of Iceland, which decided to suspend membership talks indefinitely, expressing the desire to improve com­mu­ni­ca­tion with the EU with­out actu­al­ly join­ing.

Turkey: progress following the Council agreement on the chapter on regional policy

Continued dialogue with Turkey is particularly important so that the EU can support democratic processes there, continue developing already substantial economic cooperation and deepen cooperation on energy security and supply. The opening of the chapter on regional policy - on which there was an agreement in the Council before the summer - would be a step in continuing the dialogue.

Albania: candidate status in sight if key priorities are addressed

In 2012, the Commission proposed that Albania be granted candidate status if the country met a set of specific conditions. This year's progress report could prove crucial in demonstrating the results of reforms in Albania. The Commission recently confirmed that candidate status is within reach but it also encouraged Albania to address the remaining key priorities required for opening accession negotiations, in particular regarding the rule of law and strengthening its track record in the fight against corruption and organized crime.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: setback on the issue of equal treatment of all citizens

A recent meeting between Commissioner Füle and the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina did not result in the expected agreement on how to implement the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights in the Sejdić-Finci case. Mr Sejdić and Mr Finci complained of their ineligibility to stand for election to the House of Peoples and the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the ground of their Roma and Jewish origin. To date, the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina provides that only ethnic Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats can be elected members of the Presidency and House of Peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, ensuring the equal treatment of all citizens and peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina is crucial for the free and fair parliamentary elections which should be held next year. The Commission launched proceedings to suspend 47 million euros from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) funds for Bosnia and Herzegovina as a sanction for the failure to implement the ruling.

If the judgment in the Sejdić-Finci case is not effectively implemented, the international community will not recognise the results of the parliamentary elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The EU has made clear that without this condition being met, Bosnia cannot make a credible application to join the EU. Under the current electoral system, it is possible that the representatives of one constitutional people are not elected by that people, which is contrary to the very essence of a democracy as a regime ensuring the representation of the citizens by means of a direct vote.

FYROM: new momentum in solving the name issue with Greece

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was the first of the Stabilisation and Association countries to receive EU candidate status in 2005, but has yet to start membership talks. In October 2009 the European Commission recommended opening EU accession negotiations with FYROM. Formal talks on the 'name issue' took on new momentum in April with another proposal from the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the talks between Greece and FYROM on the use of the name 'Macedonia'.

The country went through a serious political crisis at the end of 2012, when the opposition and the media were ejected from parliament and the majority voted the budget. The implementation of a political agreement reached on 1 March 2013 improved the situation and put the country back on the track of necessary reforms, but according to the Commission further efforts are needed, especially in the area of the freedom of the press.

A mutually acceptable solution to the name dispute with Greece could go very far in re-launching the FYROM EU membership bid and accelerating the necessary reforms.

Montenegro: the next success story?

Accession negotiations with Montenegro registered steady progress in the last year. The screening process was concluded and two negotiations chapters on Science and Research and Education and Culture were opened and closed.

The country has recently adopted a set of constitutional changes aimed at enhancing the independence of the judiciary. The Commission welcomed the amendments as sending a strong signal that Montenegro is able to deliver on key rule-of-law-related reforms, underlined as a priority in the accession process by the EU. After Croatia, Montenegro has the potential to become the next success story for European integration.

Serbia: launch of accession negotiations in January 2014

Agreement on the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo made possible a decision by the European Council to open negotiations with Serbia in June 2013. The formal launch of negotiations is planned for January 2014 and the normalisation of relations with Kosovo will be a separate chapter in the accession negotiations. Any further steps in Serbia’s accession will depend on its progress in its relations with Kosovo. One of the key events in testing this will be the local elections in Kosovo on 4 November.

High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Commission Vice-President, Catherine Ashton, has recently helped broker an important agreement between the parties about how Serbian politicians will participate in the local elections campaign in the north of Kosovo. The north is controlled by Serbs, and its reintegration into mainly Albanian Kosovo is a cornerstone of the normalisation agreement.

The Stabilisation and Association Agreement between Serbia and the European Union entered into force on 1 September 2013. It marks a new era in the relations between the EU and Serbia and it should facilitate Serbia’s alignment with the EU acquis (the body of common rights and obligations that is binding on all the EU Member States).

Kosovo: negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement

The same agreement on the normalisations of relations with Serbia has made it possible for Kosovo to start negotiating the conclusion of its Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union. Kosovo leaders note with satisfaction the intention of more EU Member States to recognise Kosovo as a State, while the EU is primarily interested in the fact that Kosovo is making progress on reform, further democratisation and adapting to EU standards.

The Commission has expressed a vision in which all the citizens of Kosovo live together in harmony, irrespective of their ethnic origin. Kosovo is required to make concrete and sustainable progress not only on the rule of law, public administration and the protection of minorities, but also on trade and improving its relationship with its neighbours. The conclusion of the SAA agreement is a precondition for the eventual granting of candidate status to Kosovo in the future.

Financing: EU support to enlargement countries fundamental

The EU must continue with programmes of support for necessary reforms throughout the enlargement countries once the new Multiannual Financial Framework (the EU's long-term budget) is adopted and enters into force. EU technical assistance and the programmes that precede the structural funds are of paramount importance in stimulating the necessary investment in the adoption of EU standards, which would otherwise be left for the future given the environment of economic crisis and domestic pressure to invest in purely local projects.