European Union leaders reaffirming their commitment to bringing the Western Balkans countries into the bloc at a summit on December 17, while urging governments in the region to accelerate reforms and overcome old disputes.

There has been fresh momentum for EU enlargement since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, while Albania and Montenegro are advancing rapidly towards EU accession, progress has been slower for the remaining four Western Balkan countries, prompting Serbia's decision not to participate in the summit. 

"We reaffirm our full and unequivocal commitment to the European Union membership perspective of the Western Balkans. The future of the Western Balkans is in our Union. Enlargement is a realistic possibility, which should be seized," said the declaration adopted at the EU-Western Balkans summit in Brussels on December 17.

After the summit, European Council President António Costa said it sent a “clear message” that the bloc “firmly supports the Western Balkans’ future in the European Union”. 

“We have just concluded our summit with our Western Balkans partners. It is the most significant occasion of the year to reaffirm the strength of our relationship,” Costa said. “And today’s summit has delivered a clear message: we firmly support the Western Balkans’ future in the European Union.”

Costa framed enlargement as a strategic necessity at a time of heightened geopolitical tension, arguing that a bigger EU would be safer and more resilient.

“Enlargement remains central to our shared objectives,” he said. “From a geopolitical perspective, an enlarged European Union means a safer, stronger and more peaceful Europe.”

He added that previous rounds of enlargement had boosted prosperity on both sides. “Every previous enlargement has proven this,” Costa said, while stressing that the bloc must remain credible. “The European Union remains an attractive and credible project — and we must deliver on the expectations it creates.”

He added: “Enlargement is now moving faster than it has in the last 15 years. And we must seize this opportunity.” 

However, only five of the six Western Balkan countries were represented at the summit, with the region’s largest economy Serbia being notably absent. 

Belgrade made the decision not to send a representative after European Union member states again failed to agree on advancing Belgrade’s accession talks, President Aleksandar Vucic said ahead of the summit. The decision was announced a week after EU officials dismissed Vucic’s suggestion that all Western Balkan countries should join the bloc simultaneously.

“Tangible” progress 

In his address, Costa pointed to what he described as tangible progress across much of the region over the past year.

“Montenegro’s path to the EU has clearly accelerated,” he said, noting that “just this week, five accession chapters were successfully closed.”

Albania, he added, had opened all negotiating clusters in a short time. “The last ones just in November,” Costa said. “Next year will be their moment of truth to accelerate reforms.”

On North Macedonia, he struck a more cautious note. “We welcome the steps to boost regional connectivity,” Costa said, adding that Brussels hoped for “real progress in 2026”. He said authorities in Skopje “know what they need to do.”

Bosnia & Herzegovina, he said, had taken a key step by adopting a reform agenda needed to unlock EU funding. “This will allow them to tap the full potential of the European Union’s support and gradual integration,” Costa said.

Regarding Kosovo, Costa said the EU welcomed “the steps taken to build trust between communities,” adding that upcoming parliamentary elections could be “a crucial moment for consolidating the reforms and engaging constructively in the European accession path.”

Political choice

Beyond technical benchmarks, Costa said the region faced a fundamental decision about its future.

“Let’s be clear, beyond the technicalities of the process, there is a fundamental political choice to make,” he said. “A choice between staying trapped in the past, or moving forward towards a joint future in the European Union.”

He added: “Only by overcoming the past can the Western Balkans fully assume their role as future EU members, and contribute to a stable, prosperous, and united Europe.”

Acknowledging the difficulties ahead, Costa said some reforms would be painful but necessary. “The road ahead will not be easy. Some reforms will be difficult, but they are worth it,” he said. “And I believe that our partners are committed to delivering.”

He pledged continued EU backing, calling enlargement “a deeply transformational process” that would anchor the region’s future through economic convergence. “The EU is — and will remain — the Western Balkans’ most reliable partner,” Costa said. “They are all part of the European family, and the European Union is their place.”

Regional leaders call for progress

Western Balkan leaders used the summit to press for faster progress and fewer political obstacles.

North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said his country had waited too long to start accession talks, blaming bilateral disputes for repeated delays. The country’s progress has been repeatedly delayed by disputes with its EU-member neighbours, first Greece and more recently Bulgaria. 

“We as a country deserved it a long time ago because our path began 25 years ago,” Mickoski said. “But due to artificial reasons, I would say, we still cannot be part of the European family.”

He said his government was committed to reforms not for Brussels’ sake, but for citizens at home. “We are committed to delivering everything that is needed in this process, not because of the process itself, but above all because of the Macedonian citizens, because they deserve it,” he said.

Jakov Milatović, president of Montenegro, which is the most advanced of the Western Balkan countries in the accession process, struck a more upbeat tone, describing his country as already embedded in the European project. “Montenegro is among friends: in a European family of people who share the same values and vision,” he said on X.

“With partners and allies we are building a safer country, stronger economy and fairer institutions, with a strong momentum and a clear goal ahead,” Milatović added. “Time to get the job done.”

Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani welcomed what she said were steps by the EU to ease punitive measures imposed earlier, but pressed for their full removal.

“We welcome the EU’s decision to remove the measures, while we hope to work to remove them completely as soon as possible,” Osmani said, adding that Kosovo had shown “constructiveness, cooperation and full compatibility with the European Union’s foreign security policy”. 

Osmani also called for Kosovo to be granted official EU candidate status. “We hope that as soon as possible, we will have the support of all member states so that Kosovo, based on merit, also receives the status of a candidate for European Union membership,” she said.

Gradual integration 

EU officials said the summit also focused on gradual integration measures, including the bloc’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, launched in 2023. The plan aims to bring the region closer to the EU single market and unlock up to €6bn for reforms and investments, provided conditions are met.

Leaders also discussed foreign and security policy, reiterating support for Ukraine and urging Western Balkan partners to align more closely with the EU’s common foreign and security policy. Cooperation on migration, border management and the fight against organised crime and corruption was also on the agenda.

The summit concluded with a joint declaration expected to underline the EU’s “full and unequivocal commitment” to the Western Balkans’ membership perspective, while making clear that the pace of accession will depend on reforms at home.