BRUSSELS – The leaders of the European Union and the Western Balkans held the annual summit on 18 December 2024, adopting the Brussels Declaration which assessed that the strategic partnership between the EU and the Western Balkans is more important than ever and reaffirmed the EU membership perspective for the region. In the press conference following the meeting, new momentum for enlargement was emphasised.
President of the European Council António Costa said that the timing of yesterday’s summit “could not have been better”.
“It was the first meeting I chaired as the President of the European Council. This highlights the political priority that enhancing cooperation with the Western Balkans has for me and the EU”, Costa said.
He reiterated his earlier message that the enlargement is the best geostrategic investment for peace, stability, and security. There is no other region in the world in which the EU has invested more resources – financial resources, human resources and expertise, Costa added.
“Some challenges persist. Bilateral disputes and neighbourhood dilemmas need to be addressed. We need to stay focused on credible and sustainable reforms. Tonight, we have heard frustrations from the region, but I believe we can overcome them together. We now have a new momentum”, the President of the European Council said.
He added that, during this summit, he noticed “a collective sense of responsibility and a new drive to work harder and faster”.
In her speech, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU would continue to work hard on two priorities with our Western Balkan partners: EU accession and gradual integration into the Single Market.
“Future Member States must prepare for the responsibilities of membership. But at the same time, the EU must adapt to accommodate a larger family. This is why, early in this mandate the Commission will review its major sectoral policies. We want to make sure that they are adapted to an enlarged Union”, she said.
Speaking about the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, Ursula von der Leyen said that the Commission is preparing pre-financing worth over EUR 300 million to start with the reforms.
“At the same time, and that is important, the Growth Plan offers Western Balkan partners gradual access to our Single Market. So it is an investment and opening for reforms, it is a unique approach. And it is working. Let me give you some examples. Take the so-called ‘green lanes.’… This will lower the waiting time at the border by up to 80%”, von der Leyen said.
She added that the EU is also bringing the Western Balkans into the Single Euro Payments Area, with Albania and Montenegro joining as of next year and North Macedonia and Serbia “set to follow soon”.
Brussels Declaration: Strategic partnership between the EU and the WB more important than ever
The leaders adopted the Brussels Declaration which was accompanied by an Annex on deliverables and priorities. During the press conference, President of the European Council António Costa said that the Declaration is different from the previous summits – more concise and more easily understandable by the citizens.
The Declaration stated that, in the context of the radical change in the global geopolitical situation, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East, and at the start of the new EU leadership cycle “the strategic partnership between the European Union and the Western Balkans is more important than ever”.
“We once again reconfirm our full and unequivocal commitment to the European Union membership perspective of the Western Balkans”, it states.
According to the Declaration, the rule of law, freedom of expression, independent and pluralistic media, gender equality, and a strong role for civil society are crucial to ensure a functioning democracy.
“In this respect, actions will speak louder than words as partners take ownership and implement the necessary reforms, notably in the area of fundamentals”, the Declaration states.
The Declaration also stressed the need for unity in the context of the war in Ukraine.
“Standing together with the EU remains a clear sign of our Western Balkan partners’ strategic orientation. The EU will continue to invest in multilateralism and cooperate with partners to uphold international law. In this respect, we commend those Western Balkan partners that are already fully aligned with the EU’s CFSP and urge those that have not yet done so to follow suit”, the document states.
The Declaration endorsed the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, which has the potential to double economic growth in the region over the next decade and also welcomed the fact that Security and Defence Partnerships were agreed with the first partners this year.
The document also stated that the absence of a normalisation of relations between Pristina and Belgrade is holding back both partners.
“The Agreements reached in the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue must be implemented, in particular the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation and its Annex”, it states.
The Annex to the Declaration on deliverables and priorities consists of four parts. Among the deliverables in the first part, “Enhancing Integration with the Western Balkans through the Growth Plan” are the ratification of the agreement on Access to Higher Education and Admission to Higher Studies in the Western Balkans, full implementation of EU-Western Balkans Green Lanes and pursuing the work towards becoming part of the EU value chain for Critical Raw Materials.
The second part of the Annex, “Building a robust economic foundation for the future and tackling together the negative impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine”, includes the commitment to implement the Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) and the Green and Digital Agendas for the Western Balkans.
The third part of the Annex, “Accelerating and further deepening EU’s political and policy engagement with the Western Balkans, including on Common Foreign and Security Policy”, focuses on cooperation in security and defence, building resilience and focusing on the social dimension of EU integration.
Finally, the fourth part of the Annex, “Irregular migration, counterterrorism, fight against organised crime and corruption, and justice” includes an invitation for the EU to align on the Pact on Migration and Asylum and EU visa policy and a call to establish working arrangements and pursue cooperation with the European Public Prosecutors Office (EPPO).