The FINANCIAL -- Brussels, 12 October 2011 - Today the European Commission recommends the
opening of accession negotiations with Montenegro, and granting EU
candidate status to Serbia.
In a set of annual reports, the Commission reports on the progress towards EU accession made by the Western Balkans, Turkey, and Iceland over the past year.
Presenting the annual Enlargement Package, Commissioner Stefan Füle said: "Today's recommendations for Montenegro and Serbia show that the enlargement process is stimulating reforms on the ground and helping to create a more stable and prosperous Europe. The transformational power of the enlargement process sends a powerful message of hope at this challenging time, both for European Union Member States and for the enlargement countries."
In a year that has seen the closure of accession negotiations with Croatia, there has been further progress elsewhere in the Western Balkans. The arrest of the two remaining ICTY indictees removed a major stumbling block from Serbia's European path and marked an important step towards reconciliation in the region. A dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina was established and has yielded initial results. This needs to be pursued constructively. Montenegro has strengthened its reform efforts based on the priorities set out by the European Union. The European Commission also confirmed its earlier recommendation to open accession negotiations with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Visa-free travel to the Schengen area was granted to the citizens of two more Western Balkan countries in December 2010, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Nevertheless, good governance, the rule of law, administrative capacity, unemployment and economic reform remain major challenges in the region. There are still problems concerning regional cooperation. In a number of countries, important reforms were delayed, often as a result of internal political developments and conflicts. There have been a number of worrying developments in freedom of expression in the media. Differences over status of Kosovo1 continue to have a negative effect on both Kosovo and the wider Western Balkans region.
Iceland's accession process has made headway over the past year, with negotiations ongoing. The Commission expects that the accession negotiations will continue to progress well and is confident that core issues such as fisheries and environmental protection can be addressed constructively.
The accession negotiations with Turkey have regrettably not moved into any new areas for over a year. Turkey's EU-accession process remains the most effective framework for promoting reforms, developing dialogue on foreign and security policy issues and strengthening economic competitiveness. At the same time, the Commission is concerned about the recent tensions in relations between Turkey and Cyprus. A new positive agenda in EU-Turkey relations needs to be developed, to enable a more constructive relationship based on concrete steps in areas of common interest.
Related Stories
