On 30 October, the European Commission praised the annual EU Enlargement Package, which contains a detailed assessment of the state of affairs and progress made by Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Turkey.
This is stated on the website of the European Commission.
The EC noted that the opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine was ‘an important recognition of Ukraine's determination to implement reforms on the path to EU membership’.
‘Following the first intergovernmental conference in June 2024, the analytical study of the acquis (screening) is proceeding smoothly. Provided that Ukraine fulfils all the conditions, the Commission expects to open the negotiation clusters, starting with the main ones, as soon as possible in 2025,’ the European Commission said.
As for other candidates for accession, Montenegro has generally achieved interim benchmarks in two chapters. The European Commission noted that further progress is needed in the area of the rule of law and the judiciary.
Serbia has met the benchmarks for the opening of Cluster 3 (Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth). In the coming year, Serbia is expected to accelerate the implementation of EU accession-related reforms in all areas, with particular attention to the intermediate benchmarks on the rule of law and on ensuring a truly enabling environment for civil society and the media.
Albania was encouraged to further increase the pace of EU-oriented reforms, in particular in the area of the rule of law, consolidating achievements in law enforcement, effectively fighting corruption and organised crime, and promoting fundamental rights, including media freedom, property rights and minority rights.
North Macedonia was encouraged to continue implementing EU-related reforms, particularly in the pillar cluster of the judiciary, fight against corruption and organised crime.
As for Bosnia and Herzegovina, the EC is preparing a negotiation framework for adoption by the EU Council once the country has taken all the steps outlined in the Commission's recommendation of October 2022.
Kosovo applied for EU membership in December 2022. The EU has noted progress in the fight against organised crime, as well as improvements in the business environment. Kosovo needs to step up its efforts to strengthen the rule of law and public administration, as well as to protect freedom of expression.
As for Moldova, if all conditions are met, the Commission expects to open negotiations on clusters, starting with the basics, as soon as possible in 2025.
Georgia: Although the European Council granted candidate status to the country in December 2023, the accession process was de facto suspended due to government actions. The European Commission responded to irregularities during the parliamentary elections and stressed that comprehensive electoral reform is needed.
Turkey is a candidate country and a key partner of the European Union. However, negotiations have been stalled since 2018, following a decision by the EU Council. The European Commission noted that serious concerns remain in the areas of fundamental rights and the rule of law.
The EU Council is to consider the Commission's recommendations on each candidate state and decide on the next steps in the enlargement process.