Western Balkan countries have taken significant steps towards European Union membership, with new investments, policy reforms, and growing regional cooperation, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated after Wednesday's EU-Western Balkans Summit.
Albania and Montenegro have been singled out for progress towards accession, which has become a realistic possibility for the first time in over a decade, the EC President said in her statement.
The Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, introduced by the EU, aims to boost integration by pairing investment with policy reforms. This effort has led the region to be more closely aligned with EU standards than previous candidates, she noted.
Thanks to initiatives under the Growth Plan, Western Balkan economies are forecast to grow by around 3% next year, reflecting stronger ties with the EU and the impact of implemented reforms, von der Leyen pointed out.
She added that businesses and citizens in the region will see further benefits from upcoming integration into the Single Euro Payment Area, which could generate savings of up to €500 million annually, the statement outlined.
Improvements to border crossings through so-called Green lanes are also expected to reduce transit times by as much as 80%.
Investments and regional cooperation expand
EU investment plans have mobilised €18 billion to date, including €6 billion in grants, supporting 68 flagship projects throughout the Western Balkans, the EC President said.
These focus on infrastructure in transport, energy, digital connectivity, and environmental sectors, the latest figures show.
The EU is also developing a network of artificial intelligence (AI) facilities, called AI Factories, with branches set to open in Serbia and North Macedonia, von der Leyen noted.
She added that companies in the region will gain access to these facilities, connecting them to advanced European technological resources, the commissioners announced. Investment conferences in Albania and Montenegro have led to private investment commitments totalling more than €4 billion.
Following a smooth transition of local governance after recent elections in northern Kosovo, the EU plans to lift existing measures on the territory and release €205 million in financial assistance early next year, with €216 million in total support programmed, the Commission President said.
She also emphasised that trade within the region has doubled since 2021, with an increase of 19% in goods and services exchanged, alongside reduced border waiting times credited with saving the equivalent of more than 20 years collectively.
Von der Leyen called for renewed efforts to complete the Common Regional Market agenda, describing it as the most direct path to competitiveness and integration with the Single Market, and added that the latest joint statement concluded that momentum for Western Balkans enlargement is currently at its highest point.
