The EU is fully committed to the EU integration of the Western Balkans. This is a shared strategic objective that unites the whole region and the EU. Accession talks are underway with Albania, Montenegro and Serbia. In March 2020, the Council also agreed to open accession negotiations with North Macedonia and the so-called screening process is underway. In December 2023, the European Council decided it will also open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, now a candidate country, once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is achieved. Kosovo is a potential candidate for EU membership.

All Western Balkans partners have Stabilisation and Association Agreements with the EU, opening up trade and aligning the region with EU standards. The Stabilisation and Association Agreements provide the overall framework for the relations of the EU with the Western Balkans. We cooperate closely to address shared security challenges. The EU also provides political and financial support for the countries of the region to foster good neighbourly relations and build shared prosperity through regional integration. In addition to its strong political support for the Western Balkans and the Berlin Process, the EU supports regional co-operation organisations, to boost economic development, improve connectivity, and enhance security and many other benefits across the region. 

The prospect of EU membership is an incentive to bring forward reforms in the Western Balkans. Reforms are key for the European path, but more importantly, they are crucial to improve political and economic governance, rule of law, media freedom and conditions for civil society. This is why, on 8 November 2023, the Commission adopted the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, a mechanism that aims to accelerate the socio-economic convergence of the region with the EU and pave the way to EU membership. Thanks to the Growth Plan, €6 billion have been committed to the reform agendas of the Western Balkan governments.

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Cooperation in the area of Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)/Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) is a priority for the European Union and its Western Balkans partners.

The EU’s Western Balkans Strategy, adopted by the European Commission in 2018, outlines as objectives to expand and deepen CFSP/CSDP dialogues, increase Western Balkans contributions to EU missions and operations, and further develop cooperation on hybrid threats, intelligence, space issues and defence and security sector reform.

Cooperation between the EU and Western Balkans within CFSP/CSDP has significantly evolved in the past years. Whilst the EU remains engaged with CSDP missions and operations in the region, Western Balkan partners are themselves also contributing to CSDP missions and operations around the world.

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Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), including disinformation, are forms of hybrid threats manifesting across the world. The threat is expanding, and a growing number of actors are using an increasing number of tactics. This is a global challenge also affecting the Western Balkans. 

Dealing with this challenge requires a whole-of-government and a whole-of-society approach, which the EU is supporting across the region.

Strengthening partnerships with international and local organizations – on both government and non-government sides – helps build resilience of local populations to disinformation, and increases the capacity of the Western Balkans partners to handle these threats. This work remains crucial for strengthening democracy, for example in relation to protecting the integrity of elections, access to information, and media freedom.

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The EU-facilitated Dialogue aims  to achieve a comprehensive legally-binding normalisation agreement between Kosovo and Serbia addressing outstanding issues in order for both Parties to progress on their respective European path, create new opportunities and improve the lives of their citizens. An agreement between the Parties is beneficial also to the security, stability and prosperity of the entire region.

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