A decision on the European Parliament’s new Rapporteurs for the Western Balkan Six is once again likely to be made in the early autumn, sources in Brussels unofficially state for EWB. As they explain, “we first have to shuffle MEPs to designated Committees”, including the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), and then, in September or October, it will be decided who will be responsible for monitoring the situation in the region.
In the previous months, during the campaign for the European Parliament election, the rumour had it that the liberals (ALDE) from the “Renew Europe” group in the EP were eyeing the post of the Rapporteur for Serbia.
Following the vote, which took place in the EU member states on 6-9 June, the liberals lost a significant number of seats in the EP, but, in all likelihood, they will again be part of the ruling majority in the EU institutions.
The EP Rapporteurs are, among other things, responsible for drafting the annual Reports on the situation in EU candidates or aspiring countries.
When writing the Report, they may consult with relevant experts and other stakeholders. They are also responsible for writing so-called “compromise amendments” to the Draft Reports and conducting negotiations with “Shadow Rapporteurs”, appointed by other parliamentary groups. The Reports drafted by the Rapporteurs are first discussed at the AFET session, and then examined and voted on in plenary.
Since 2014: EPP “in charge” of Serbia and BiH, S&D of Albania, Greens of Kosovo
The European People‘s Party (EPP), which retained the leading position in the EP following the latest election, has “held” the portfolio of the Rapporteur for Serbia since 2014. David McAllister served as the EP Rapporteur for Serbia from 2014 to 2019 and was succeeded by Vladimir Bilčik (Slovakia) in this post in October 2019. Bičlik did not run in the latest EP election.
From 2014 to 2024, the EP Rapporteurs for BiH were also the representatives of EPP. In the previous EP (2019-2024) the Rapporteur for BiH was the Portuguese Paulo Rangel. He left the European Parliament early this year because he was appointed Foreign Minister in his home country. Rangel replaced a Romanian Christian Dan Preda, who held the post of the EP Rapporteur for BiH in the 8th European Parliament.
In the last five years the EP Rapporteurs for Albania and Montenegro came from the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) Group, which will be the second largest group in the next European Parliament as well. The Rapporteur for Albania (2019-2024) was Isabel Santos (Portugal), a member of the Socialist Party. Santos did not run in the latest EP election. Before her, EP Rapporteur for Albania was a retired MEP and a well-known politician in the Western Balkans, Knut Fleckenstein.
From 2019 to 2024 the EP Rapporteur for Montenegro was Tonino Picula (Croatia). Picula, a representative of the Social Democratic Party of Croatia, retained the seat in the EP.
Prior to Picula, a British MEP Charles Tannock, who retired from the European Parliament after Brexit, was in charge of monitoring the situation in Montenegro.
Over the past decade, the EP Rapporteurs for North Macedonia came from ALDE. Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Bulgaria) served in this post from 2019 to 2024. Kyuchyuk was re-elected to the EP in June 2024. His predecessor as Rapporteur for North Macedonia was a Slovenian liberal politician Ivo Vajgl.
When it comes to Kosovo, as an unspoken rule, the EP Rapporteurs have been the representatives of the European Green Party. From 2019 to 2024 a German politician Viola Von Cramon served in the post. Von Cramon succeeded the Slovenian Igor Šoltes in this portfolio.