After the EU-Balkans Summit at the Brdo Castle near Kranj on October 6th, President Ursula Von der Leyen reaffirmed that Western Balkans belong in the European Union. A week later, the Commission adopted the 2021 Enlargement Package.

The 2021 Enlargement package sets out the recommendations for each of the 6 Western Balkans countries and Turkey. Whereas Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia and Turkey are candidate countries, Bosnia Herzegovina and Kosova are potential candidates.

The new Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance/IPA III, adopted on 15 September with a budget of over 14 billion euro, is a solid investment in the future of the enlargement region and will allow the EU to provide necessary funding to support the implementation of key political, institutional, social and economic reforms to comply with EU standards and progressively align with its rules and policies.

2021 Enlargement package: European Commission assesses and sets out reform priorities for the Western Balkans and Turkey