Enlargement & Neighbourhood Archives

The Parliament plans to open a new office in the Western Balkans, as a strategy to enhance its oversight over the enlargement process the European Parliament's administrative body plans in a document seen by Euractiv.

Is it possible that a single piece of legislation could sway Georgia - an official candidate for EU membership since December - away from its EU path? And if so, does it mean that Vladimir Putin is winning back this former Soviet republic, the birthplace of Stalin?

European diplomats have been negotiating “how much positive” a message toward Turkey will be at the EU summit on 17 April as well as if something tangible could be offered to Ankara, Euractiv has learnt.

Kosovo took another step towards becoming a member of the Council of Europe (CoE), a pan-European human rights body, on Tuesday (16 April) as its parliamentary assembly overwhelmingly passed a report recommending membership, with even representatives from non-recognising states voting in support.

With some EU member states and sectors likely to be exposed more than others by the European Union's future enlargement rounds, a new fund is needed to compensate for imbalances, according to a draft report by former Italian prime minister …

EU leaders are expected to stress the importance of making progress in the Cyprus settlement talks, according to draft conclusions, seen by Euractiv, for an EU summit on 17-18 April, amid new calls from Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar for a 'two-state solution' for the divided island.

Despite the security risks involved, there can be no going back on the EU’s commitment to a renewed enlargement process. But policymakers need to take steps to fulfil the EU’s aspiration of securing stability, writes Sir Michael Leigh.

The EU’s new funding package for the six Western Balkans hopefuls, aimed at boosting fledgling reforms in the region, could see reform plans submitted and first disbursements made ‘before the end of the summer break’, Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi told Euractiv.

Bosnia's international peace overseer on Tuesday (26 March) imposed changes to the country's election law to ensure its integrity, including barring convicted war criminals from running, ahead of a vote in October.

EU leaders gave the political green light on Thursday (21 March) for opening membership talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina but also made clear the Western Balkan country would have to undertake more reforms before the actual talks could start.

EU leaders are set to give the political green light to open accession talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday (21 March), but the outcome still hangs in the balance as several member states aim to tie the decision to progress on Ukraine and Moldova.

In recent days, Germany has increased pressure to add to the EU summit conclusions a “positive” message for the future of EU-Turkey relations, something that Cyprus did not see in positive light, Euractiv has learnt.

As EU leaders face a tough call this week whether to move with the next steps for Ukraine and Moldova or risk a delay until after the EU elections, progress on Bosnia and Herzegovina is expected to complicate matters further.

Ukraine's future accession to the bloc will bring more benefits than costs, and EU member states should approve the next formal steps later this week, the country's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told Euractiv. "We are waiting and wishing to have approval …

The European Commission is expected to recommend that Bosnia-Herzegovina start accession talks on Tuesday (12 March), according to people familiar with the matter.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked Western Balkan countries on Wednesday (28 February) to start producing military equipment to help his country fight Russia, as the EU and US continue to grapple with providing military and financial aid.

Gradually integrating civil society from candidate countries into the EU will give them the ability to become as strong as they should be by the time of accession, write Oliver Röpke, Milojko Spajić and Edi Rama.

The European Commission said on Wednesday (17 January) it was "now going to start" the EU accession screening process for Ukraine and Moldova, with member states already wondering why the process for the two Eastern candidates had not started in December, as expected. 

Thousands of people rallied in the Serbian capital of Belgrade on Tuesday (16 January) to protest alleged fraud committed by President Aleksandar Vučić's governing party during parliamentary and local elections last month.

Two decades since the EU's “big bang” enlargement in 2004, the bloc's long-stalled ambition to accept new members has experienced a striking revival. Yet, beyond the moral and geopolitical arguments lurks a seldom asked question - is there an economic case for enlargement, and if so, for whom, write Mirek Dusek and Andrew Caruana Galizia.

Spain’s recognition of Kosovo passports has revitalised the debate over Kosovo’s statehood and what this means for Catalonia but the continued comparison of Kosovo with Catalonia is ill suited from the legal and political standpoint, argues Kushtrim Istrefi.

A large protest was held in Tbilisi on Saturday (13 January) to demand harsh punishment for a woman accused of defacing a religious icon depicting Soviet dictator Josef Stalin which was recently-installed in the Georgian capital.

A group of women victims of Bosnia's 1990s war pressed charges on Thursday (11 January) against organisers of a rally glorifying Ratko Mladić, the wartime army chief given life in prison over war crimes, including genocide.

Bosnian Serbs marked on Tuesday (9 January) their self-proclaimed "national day", disregarding condemnations and warnings that the holiday violated Bosnia's constitution and put peace at risk.