Documents
On 12 March 2024, the European Commission recommended to open EU accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In light of the results achieved since 2022, the Commission considers that Bosnia and Herzegovina has achieved the necessary level of compliance with the membership criteria. Therefore, the Commission recommends to the Council to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Furthermore, the Commission recommends that the Council adopts the negotiating framework once Bosnia and Herzegovina has taken further steps in line with the Commission’s report. The Commission is ready to report back to the Council about the progress made by Bosnia and Herzegovina in relation to these steps.
The EU-Western Balkans summit took place in Brussels, Belgium, on 13 December 2023. The main topics of discussion were: bringing Western Balkans partners closer to the EU and advancing gradual integration; building an economic foundation for the future and mitigating the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; reinforcing security and building resilience. The Brussels declaration was adopted.
The Council has approved conclusions on enlargement for the six Western Balkans partners, Türkiye and – for the first time – Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia.
On 8 November 2023, the European Commission adopted its 2023 Enlargement Package, providing a detailed assessment of the state of play and the progress made by the Western Balkans, Türkiye, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine on their respective paths towards the European Union, with a particular focus on implementing fundamental reforms, as well as clear guidance on the reform priorities ahead.
On 5 February 2020, the European Commission adopted the 2020 Communication “Enhancing the accession process – A credible EU perspective for the Western Balkans” . The Communication proposed changes to reinvigorate the process based on four principles: more credibility, a stronger political steer, a more dynamic process, and greater predictability.
On 8 November 2023, the European Commission adopted a new Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, with the aim of bringing the Western Balkan partners closer to the EU through offering some of the benefits of EU membership to the region in advance of accession, boosting economic growth and accelerating socio-economic convergence.
To support this process a new €6 billion financial instrument, the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans has been proposed for the period 2024-2027.