EU leaders to meet in Tirana in December to further the Western Balkan agenda

Tirana, Albania – | 25 Oct 2022 (Tirana Echo) – European leaders are set to gather in Albania’s capital Tirana in December to talk about the energy crisis and the further integration of the Balkan nations into the European Union.

“We will hold the next #EU #WesternBalkans summit in the region – on 6 December in Tirana, Albania 🇦🇱 to reaffirm our reinforced engagement. Western Balkans are a key priority for the European Union. The EU and the Western Balkans need each other”. tweeted Michel.

The news was announced last night by EU Council President Charles Michel, who said the EU and the Western Balkans need each other amid reinforced engagement by Brussels.

While Montenegro and Serbia are ahead in accession talks, Albania and North Macedonia have only just begun negotiating, while Bosnia and Kosovo, as potential candidates, are still lagging behind.

The high level gathering comes at a time of slow progress in accession talks between Brussels and the 6 Western Balkans countries.

As the old continent is hit by the energy shortages and the cost of living crisis, there is little appetite among EU member states to accelerate the integration of the Balkan nations, often blaming corruption and inadequate democratic credentials across the southern region for the slow pace of progress.

Despite ongoing promises and countless statements of shared strategic objectives and a common European perspective for the region, the EU has shown little enthusiasm for further enlargement, opting instead for parallel initiatives and joint round tables.

As rumors of a two-tier Union have been circulating for a while, EU leaders gathered earlier this month in Prague, under a new format branded as the ´European Political Community’, to talk about energy, security, climate and the economic situation in Europe.

In addition to the 27 EU member states, the new platform includes 17 other countries from Iceland to Azerbaijan, some of which are EU membership candidates and others share the geographic European space. Only Russia and Belarus were absent, and the format’s feasibility remains to be seen.

Balkan leaders are hoping to get further assistance from the EU during the upcoming meeting in Tirana.

Competition between the 6 states for funding is fierce as the latest EU Economic & Investment Plan for the WB has allocated a substantial financial package of €9 billion in EU funds, and the potential to mobilize up to €20 billion of investments through the Western Balkan Guarantee Facility.

The Plan supports investments on sustainable transport, clean energy, environment and climate, digital future, competitiveness of the business sector, human capital development and strengthened connectivity across the region.

The Western Balkans, with a total population of 18 million, are at the heart of Europe, surrounded by EU member states.

During a recent visit in the region, EU High Representative Josep Borell said that “The European Union is not complete without the Western Balkans”.

However, it has been nearly 20 years since the legendary Thessaloniki Summit, where the EU pledged its commitment to the European perspective of the Western Balkans.

Since then, only Croatia has joined the EU, while the rest of the region is plunged into economic depression and strengthening political autocracy.