Kos in Skopje: Europe cannot be united without Western Balkans

From the Development Plan, all Western Balkan states except for Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina have received the first pre-finance funds.

Kosovo at this meeting is represented by incumbent Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

In the opening address, Commissioner Kos said Europe cannot be united without the Western Balkans.

She added that there is now a clear consensus on enlargement, which has not been the same in the past, but the “the window of opportunity will not be open forever”, follows Periscope.

“We are seeing significant progress. Albania, dear prime minister Edi Rama, has opened three clans over the past six months. Thank you for your contribution to the success of the enlargement process. If we keep at this rate, we can open all class this year. Meanwhile, Montenegro closed another chapter last Friday.

The reform agenda has been adopted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we are waiting for the new government, Mr. Kurti, finally deploy more energy to the membership process. Meanwhile, we are already moving ahead with Serbia”, she said.

Kos said the Development Plan is fully in their hands.

This is a means to help you with important reforms, which are also necessary to prepare for membership. At the same time, this plan allows your citizens and businesses to benefit from the unique EU market, under equal conditions with member states. And that, not in a distant future”, she stressed.

She added that countries have done much, but now it is time to intensify the implementation phase.

"Simply," it means that a new entrepreneur, for example here in Skopje or Tirana, can accept payment from all over Europe as easily as a business in Vienna or Madrid”, Kos said.

Western Balkan countries are in various phases of the EU membership process, while the Growth Plan aims to speed up reforms and prepare them for membership.

Of the 6 billion-euro fund for Western Balkan countries, Kosovo has been allocated about 900m euros to a grant-shaped part, and a form of credit.

While its neighbours have only begun to benefit, Kosovo risks falling behind in the European Union's millions of-euro race.

On 21 June, Serbia has become the last country after northern Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro, which has announced it has accepted the first means from the EU, worth 51.66m euros.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has not yet handed over the required Reform Agency to European authorities.

In Kosovo, the problem is another: it does not have the constitution to ratify the agreement needed for the benefit of funds.

Such agreements have the character of international agreements, so they should also be ratified in the Assembly with two-thirds of the vote.

The growth plan, which is at the centre of the EU-Western Balkans Summit, will be considered on two separate panels, according to the summit agenda.

Prime Minister Mickoski and Commissioner Kos will keep his opening remarks to the panel dedicated to the Western Balkans Growth Plan and are expected to hold a joint media conference.

Meanwhile, ministers from countries in the region and senior EU representatives, regional organisations and other international partners will participate in the second panel. This panel will focus on concrete mechanisms and support for implementation of the Growth Plan.

The plan, approved by the European Parliament and the EU Council in May 2024 and eventually approved in October the same year, amounts to a value of six billion euros. It includes investments and reforms for Western Balkan countries as part of the reform agenda for the period 2024-2027.

Part of these funds will be provided as grants and the rest in the form of loans under favourable conditions.

This very plan and its reform agenda prompted the leader of the largest opposition party, the Social Democrat League of Macedonia (LSDM), Venko Filipce, to criticise the Macedonian government before Martha Kos's arrival in Skopje.

According to him, the VMRO-led government- DPMNE “has shown neither will nor capacity to implement reform agenda”.

“Affat has exceeded 43m euros from the Growth Plan, destined for reform, has remained untapped. They have not even activated the 52m-euro advance from this plan. The economy, justice and energy ministries have no reform, law or project. Only the Ministry of Digitalisation has implemented it, and this thanks to reforms prepared during the LSDM government of”, Filipce said.

However, European Affairs Minister Orhan Murtezani said that even though the reform implementation rate in June will be slightly lower compared to December, financing from the Growth Plan is not endangered. He added that the risk of losing funds would exist only if required reforms are not met within an additional 12-month deadline, as the initial deadline ends this June.

“This means that the risk of losing funds will emerge in June 2026, but by then the tools will be accessible to us”, Murtezan said. /REL/