Leaders from the EU and the Western Balkan countries are meeting in Tirana on Tuesday 6 December for the first EU-Western Balkans summit in the region.
“For the first time ever, leaders will come to the region to talk about the region, with the region”, stressed the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, on Friday 2 December.
Although since the June meeting (see EUROPE 12978/2), North Macedonia and Albania have opened accession negotiations with the EU (see EUROPE 12996/2), the European Commission has proposed granting EU candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina (see EUROPE 13072/12) and visa liberalisation for Kosovo has been unblocked in the EU Council (see EUROPE 13074/13), the situation in the region remains complicated, with tensions running high between Belgrade and Pristina in particular (see EUROPE 13070/31).
The half-day summit will be an opportunity to recall the European perspective of the countries in the region and to reaffirm the importance of the strategic partnership.
According to a draft EU declaration obtained by EUROPE, which the Western Balkan countries can sign up to, the EU is expected to reaffirm its full and unequivocal commitment to the Western Balkans’ prospect of membership and call for an acceleration of the accession process, based on credible reforms by the partner countries.
The draft declaration also stresses the need for further reform, particularly in terms of the rule of law. “The EU and the Western Balkans are determined to accelerate and deepen their political engagement”, the document adds. The EU is also expected to commit to deepening its sectoral cooperation with the countries of the region.
The draft also recalls that the EU Council has asked the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union to progress the gradual integration of the region during the enlargement process itself “in a reversible and merit-based manner”.
The meeting will be organised around two sessions. The first, in the presence of the President of the European Parliament, as well as representatives of the European Investment Bank, the EBRD, the World Bank and the Regional Cooperation Council, will be devoted to the consequences of the war in Ukraine for the Western Balkans and to the way in which the EU is supporting the countries of the Western Balkans in the face of common challenges, particularly in terms of energy and food security.
The draft declaration recalls the announcement of the EU’s energy support package of €1 billion in grants for the region and the EU’s proposal to involve the Balkan countries in the joint purchase of gas, LNG and hydrogen.
The Europeans are also expected to remind the countries of the region of the importance of alignment in terms of common security and defence, including regarding the implementation of sanctions against Russia.
“As we deepen our cooperation with our partners, we urge them to make swift and sustainable progress towards full alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and to act accordingly, including on EU restrictive measures”, the draft statement says. This is particularly relevant for Serbia.
The EU could also state that it will continue to work with the region to further develop its defence capabilities and that it will strengthen its engagement with the Western Balkans in areas such as military mobility and space.
Overview of the partnership
The second session, in the form of a working lunch between the Heads of State or Government, will be devoted to the more political issues of security, the fight against terrorism and organised crime. The leaders are also expected to address migration issues, in particular joint efforts to manage migration, “a joint challenge and responsibility” as figures for the Western Balkans migration route have risen sharply over the past year (see EUROPE 13077/7). The draft summit conclusions highlight the importance of the “urgent and crucial” alignment of partner countries’ visa policies with that of the EU.
Regional cooperation issues will be addressed. The draft declaration recalls that the implementation in the region of the Economic and Investment Plan and the Green and Digital Agendas will strengthen the region’s economy and resilience. It also stresses that further decisive efforts are needed for regional reconciliation and stability and calls in this context for progress in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.
The Heads of State or Government could also discuss foreign interference and information manipulation as well as cybersecurity. According to the draft declaration, the EU should commit to strengthening cooperation with the Western Balkans on resilience against foreign disinformation and manipulation and on cybersecurity. “The implementation of long-term, region-wide EU cyber support will start in 2023”, the text recalls.
At the lunch, the leaders are also expected to discuss youth issues.
They will also take stock of the progress made towards the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU’s internal market, on the modernisation of payment systems in line with EU standards, in the digital field and the implementation of the EU-Western Balkans green lanes, which aims to facilitate cross-border logistics and the continuity of goods flows.
In addition, ahead of the summit, the EU and the region will sign a declaration to reduce roaming charges between the EU and countries in the region. From October 2023 onwards, the cost of data transmission should fall. This reduction in charges will be based on voluntary cooperation between telephone operators.
Serbia will be present
Although he had initially announced that he would boycott the summit, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić finally confirmed his participation on Monday 5 December (see EUROPE 13076/23). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)