Austria’s Minister of European Affairs, Karoline Edtstadler, and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg aim to further advance the integration of Western Balkan states into the European Union.
Recently, they sent concrete proposals through a letter and a “non-paper” to European Union External Relations, Josep Borell, and Enlargement Commissioner, Oliver Varhelyi.
The main purpose of these proposals is to accelerate the enlargement process and also clarify the agenda for 2024 and beyond.
Concern has been on the rise since Ukraine gained EU candidate status, that Western Balkan states might be subject to marginalization within the EU’s expansion strategy. Balkan countries such as Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, have been waiting for EU accession for many years now.
Among the key elements of these proposals is an action plan revealing successive integration of the Western Balkan states by 2024, according to the ORF report.
Furthermore, additional financial support is to be established through an improved incentive system. It is also proposed to invite the Western Balkan countries to informal Council meetings. Accession negotiations with the Western Balkan countries-Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, and Northern Macedonia – are underway, with Bosnia-Herzegovina holding only candidate status.
According to the report, Kosovo has made the least progress in EU integration. Kosovo officially applied for EU membership on December 14 last year.
Furthermore, Foreign Minister Schallenberg announced the establishment of a core group within the EU, comprising Austria, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, as well as the Czech Republic, according to DiePresse. The group, known as the “Friends of the Western Balkans” is to strengthen connections in the Western Balkan countries and the EU even before they become part of the bloc.
Earlier this year, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó, reiterated its calls to the EU to accelerate the integration process of Western Balkan countries.
The Minister considered the further EU enlargement a positive step that would further strengthen the bloc and help the EU countries to better manage migration issues, which is among the most discussed ones.
In the EU-Western Balkans Summit that was held in Tirana in December last year, leaders of the EU countries reaffirmed the full commitment to Western Balkans’ EU membership perspective.
During the EU-Western Balkans Summit, the leaders urged for the acceleration of the accession process for the Western Balkan states and for rational reforms, as well as fair conditionality, among others.
