About: EU enlargement
Kosovo says to maintain its tariffs on Serbia despite EU pressure
Kosovo will keep its 100% tariffs on Serbian goods until Belgrade recognizes Pristina, Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said on Monday (4 December), defying calls by the European Union and United States for the tariffs to be abolished.
EU urges Kosovo to revoke import tax on Serbia, Bosnia goods
The European Union called on Kosovo on Wednesday (7 November) to revoke its decision to impose an import tax on goods coming from Serbia and Bosnia, a move that is likely to further sour relations between Pristina and Belgrade.
Albania bans sports betting, restricts casinos in bid to tackle organised crime
Albania's parliament on Thursday (25 October) passed a law banning a large sports betting industry and restricting casinos in a bid to clamp down on organised crime.
Juncker raises spectre of new Balkans war
European Union Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker warned on Friday (5 October) of a possible new war in the Balkans if Bosnia, Albania, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo do not feel the EU is serious about offering them future membership.
Erdogan says he will consider referendum on Turkey’s EU bid
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Thursday (4 October) he would consider putting Turkey's long-stalled bid to join the European Union to a referendum, signalling exasperation with a process he says has been waylaid by prejudice against Muslims.
Kosovo president visits disputed area after similar visit by Serbian leader
Kosovo's president made a rare visit on Saturday (29 September) to a disputed, mainly ethnic Serb area in the north of the country, angering Belgrade just three weeks after Serbia's president infuriated Pristina by visiting the same area.
Macedonia to accept referendum as valid even with low turnout
Two days before a crucial referendum that could open the doors of Macedonia to NATO and EU membership, an official from Skopje speaking in Brussels on Friday (28 September) made it clear that the authorities will declare the result as legitimate even in case of a low turnout.
Several thousand Macedonians gather to support EU, NATO membership
Several thousand Macedonians gathered in the capital Skopje on Sunday (16 September) to express their support for NATO and European Union membership bids and for a change in the country's name.
US defense chief to visit Macedonia, concerned about Russian ‘mischief’
US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Tuesday (11 September) he would visit Macedonia before the 30 September referendum on changing the country's name, also expressing concern about suspected Russian interference in the vote, which Moscow denies.
Serbia’s Vucic says long road ahead in talks with Kosovo
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić pledged to continue talks with Kosovo officials to resolve differences but warned it would take a long time to reach a broad deal with Pristina that could allow both nations to move towards EU membership. Expectations...
EU ministers wary of Kosovo-Serbia border changes
EU ministers voiced concern on Friday (31 August) about talk of potential border changes between Kosovo and Serbia, warning that it could destabilise the Balkans, a region still simmering with ethnic tensions.
Calls for justice after Bosnian reporter brutally beaten
Bosnian journalists on Monday (27 August) demanded justice after a reporter said he was severely beaten by unknown attackers after covering politically-sensitive protests. The US and European Union also condemned the assault on Vladimir Kovacevic, a journalist who works for...
EU Commission encourages border ‘corrections’ to settle Kosovo-Serbia relations
Brussels should accept an agreement between Serbs and ethnic Albanians to settle their long-standing dispute over Kosovo, a top EU official said on Sunday (26 August), seeking to dispel fears that any redrawing of Balkan borders might reignite feuds in the volatile region.
EU begins screening Macedonia, Albania for mid-2019 accession talks
The European Union began screening the readiness of Balkan neighbours Macedonia and Albania yesterday (17 July) to start negotiations by June next year on joining the EU.
EU puts ‘North Macedonia’ and Albania on hold until the European elections
The European Union agreed a compromise on Tuesday (26 June) whereby it would open negotiations to join the bloc with Albania and Macedonia in June next year, provided a string of conditions on rule of law, crime and corruption are met.
Netherlands to veto the opening of accession negotiations with Albania
The Dutch parliament blocked on Thursday (21 June) the opening of EU accession negotiations with Albania. The EU summit will decide on 28-29 June whether to open negotiations with Macedonia and Albania.
Albania justice minister: Next six months will be crucial for our EU bid
The member states are expected to vote next week on whether to open accession talks with Albania, as the Commission has recommended. The Balkan country has made progress in improving the rule of law but its EU prospects remain vague as several EU capitals have called for caution in planning the bloc's next enlargement.
Tsipras and Zaev seal historic deal to end name dispute
Greece and Macedonia on Sunday (17 June) signed a historic preliminary agreement to rename the small Balkan nation the Republic of North Macedonia, ending a row that has poisoned relations between the two neighbours since 1991.
End of Macedonia’s name dispute opens road to EU talks and NATO membership
Macedonia and Greece yesterday (12 June) resolved a nearly three-decade row by agreeing to the name Republic of North Macedonia, opening the road for the landlocked country to start EU accession talks and to join NATO. Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran...
Thousands call for Albanian interior minister’s resignation
Thousands of Albanian opposition supporters rallied in the capital Tirana on Saturday calling for the resignation of interior minister Fatmir Xhafaj, whose brother has been convicted of drug trafficking.
Western Balkans remain in standby mode
EU members want to take their time with a new round of enlargement - something that the Western Balkans summit this Thursday (17 May) in Sofia is unlikely to change. EURACTIV Germany’s partner Der Tagesspiegel reports.
Montenegro investigative reporter shot and injured
An attacker shot an investigative reporter in Montenegro Tuesday (8 May), police said, prompting calls from the European Union and the United States to protect journalists in the Balkan country.
Commission budget proposal hardly makes EU enlargement possible
The Commission proposal for the long-term EU budget for 2021-2027, unveiled on Wednesday (2 May), shows that the funds allocated for EU enlargement are 1.2 times superior to the previous budget period. But no country joined the EU in 2014-2020.