What is the Common European Market, and can Kosovo join?

What makes this initiative more serious, according to experts with whom Radio Free Europe spoke, is the willingness of the leader of one of the main EU countries, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, to advance it.

In a non-public document, sent to member states Austria, Czechia, Italy, Slovakia and Slovenia proposed that Western Balkan countries gradually enter the Common Market, believing this would maintain momentum in the EU enlargement process, and would encourage these countries to speed up the implementation of reforms.

The common European market is space, consisting mainly of 27 EU member states, enabling free movement of goods, services, capital and people, without border regulations or customs duties.

Why Proposal Adapts to Kosovo

Whether this proposal will enjoy the support of the entire bloc is unknown, but it appears to have the support of an important leader, such as Germany's Merz.

Toby Vogel, analyst at the Council for Policy Democraticisation in Brussels, tells Radio Free Europe that, although such proposals have been in the past, this current one has two new things of importance: Ukraine's progress in reforms and Merzi's support.

So, if you look at the countries of the Western Balkans, most of them are stuck in terms of governance reforms, rule of law and so on. Ukraine has made great progress”, Vogel points out.

Merz has given her “political balance to this” initiative, Vogel says, and “if Merz really would push forward, then for the first time in many years, we would have a kind of strong supporter, a enlargement champion within the EU”.

In a letter to EU leaders, on 21 May, Merz proposed that Western Balkan countries have privileged access to the Common Market, as well as closer ties with EU institutions in the decision-making process.

He proposed to give them observer status in the EU, while Ukraine the status of an associate member, unjustly voting, to speed up their full membership process.

Kosovo's chief negotiator with the EU, Jeton Zulfaj, declined to comment on the proposals when contacted by Radio Free Europe.

Of all six Western Balkan countries, Albania and Montenegro are estimated to have progressed markedly on the road to EU membership, and are in active talks. Serbia, Northern Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have candidate status.

This leaves Kosovo as the only country from the region without candidate status, about four years after it applied.

Vogel believes, for now, that for Kosovo some kind of gradual integration would be more promising than the beginning of the process for full membership, “, which at the moment seems really impossible, as there is no appetite on the part of the European Commission to support it”.

The Joint Market, according to him, may be interesting for Kosovo, but to get some progress, “The EU must become serious”.

Vogel stresses that gradual integration would not necessarily require recognition of Kosovo by all member states.

“The EC would have to explain member states in a clear and legally powerful manner why Kosovo, although not recognised [by Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia and Romania], could participate in aspects of the EU internal market”, he adds.

Vogel underlines that Kosovo “has friends in the EU, but there are no friends who are willing to spend political capital to advance its bid for membership”.

How would Kosovo benefit?

Besides providing access to a major European market, Kosovo's economy would also benefit from procedure and communication reliefs with various bloc authorities, says Kosovo trade expert Sytrime Dervisolli, in a proposal for Radio Free Europe.

It stresses that, as long as the Kosovo economy can feel negative impact initially, because it is the small manufacturing industry, the long-term “, I see it will be something positive for Kosovo's economy and, above all, for our consumers”.

There are some sectors that would benefit directly, according to Dervisol, such as the furniture sector, pre-fabricated construction, beverages, services, or information technology.

Kosovo's small economy is mainly oriented by consumption, imports and diaspora remittances.

According to the International Monetary Fund, economic activity in Kosovo has slowed, while inflation has increased over the past year. Overall inflation reached 5.75 percent in January 2026, prompted mainly by rising food prices.

Real growth in Bruto's domestic production slowed to 3.6 percent in 2025, down from 4.6 percent in 2024.