The EU has developed a policy to support the gradual integration of the Western Balkan countries with the Union. The EU aims to promote peace, stability and economic development in the region&nbsp;and open up the prospect of EU integration.

In order to apply for EU membership a country has to be European and respect the EU’s democratic values. It also needs stable institutions guaranteeing democracy and the rule of law; a functioning market economy; and the ability to take on and carry out the obligations of EU membership.

Parliament is fully involved in the Stabilisation and Association Process &nbsp;and must also consent to any new accession to the EU. In addition, through its budgetary powers, it has direct influence over the amounts allocated to the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance. Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs appoints standing rapporteurs for all candidate and potential candidate countries. Parliament expresses its positions on enlargement in the form of annual resolutions responding to the Commission’s latest annual country reports.

On 1&nbsp;July&nbsp;2013, Croatia became the first of the seven countries to join, and Montenegro, Serbia, the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania are official candidates. Accession negotiations and chapters have been opened with Montenegro and Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are potential candidate countries.

EU Enlargement - Western Balkans

The country was the first Western Balkan nation to sign a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU, which entered into force in April 2004.

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was granted candidate country status for EU membership in December 2005. In February 2008, the EU adopted the Accession Partnership for the country, which updated the previous European Partnership agreement of January 2006. Citizens of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia were granted visa-free travel to the Schengen area in December 2009.

In June 2018, Macedonia and Greece resolved the conflict with an agreement that the country should rename itself Republic of North Macedonia. This renaming came into effect in February 2019.

EU - North Macedonia (2019-2020)

North Macedonia submitted its membership application in 2004 and became a candidate for accession to the EU in 2005. The Council decided to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia on 25 March 2020, following the Commission's proposals on a revised enlargement methodology.

North Macedonia is currently on its way to becoming the 30th member of NATO and hopes for a swift ratification of the NATO Accession Protocol by all partners; it reiterates its belief in the positive impact that the accession of North Macedonia to NATO will have for peace and stability in the region; underlines that the accession of North Macedonia to NATO is an encouraging sign of improved climate in the region.

EU - North Macedonia

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with Afrim GASHI, Speaker of the Parliament of North Macedonia

Delegation to the EU-North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee Constitutive meeting

22nd  EU-North Macedonia joint Parliamentary Committee

2nd European Political Community Summit in Chisinau, Moldova - Meeting with Dimitar KOVACHEVSKI, Prime Minister of North Macedonia

AFET - Exchange of views with Bujar OSMANI, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia

20th EU - North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee

EP Plenary session - 2021 Report on North Macedonia

Ilhan KYUCHYUK meets with Bujar OSMANI, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia

AFET Committee - Exchange of views with Bujar OSMANI, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with Dimitar KOVACHEVSKI, Prime Minister of North Macedonia

EP Plenary session - Instrument for pre-accession assistance

2nd Western Balkans speakers' Summit 28 June - Group photo

2nd Western Balkans speakers' Summit 28 June

2nd Western Balkans speakers' Summit - AFET Committee in association with the EP Standing delegations for the Western Balkans, with the Speakers of the Western Balkans parliaments

David SASSOLI, EP President welcomes Zoran ZAEV, North Macedonian Prime Minister

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Zoran ZAEV, Prime Minister of North Macedonia.

EP President, Roberta METSOLA, participates to the EU-Western Balkans Summit. Before her address to the Council, she speaks to the press. One year after the 2022 summit in Tirana, EU and Western Balkans leaders met in Brussels for their fourth annual summit. The summit is an opportunity to reaffirm the EU membership perspective of the Western Balkans and also the need for partners’ sustained and irreversible reform achievements, underpinned by EU values and principles.

EU-Western Balkans Summit: Doorstep by Roberta METSOLA, EP President

Signing ceremony on E-evidence Directive and E-evidence Regulation, Waste batteries regulation and on the decision providing macro-financial assistance to the Republic of North Macedonia by Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, and Pascual Navarro Rios, State Secretary for the European Union, on behalf of the Spanish Presidency of the Council.

Signature of COD texts in presence of Roberta METSOLA, EP President and Pascual NAVARRO RÍOS, Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union on behalf of the Spanish Presidency of the Council

Closing statements of the MEPs debate on the official start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania last July and to call on the EU to grant visa liberalisation to Kosovo. They are also likely to urge Serbia to align with the EU’s restrictive measures and policy towards Russia. Opening statements by Oliver VARHELYI, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement.

EU-Western Balkans relations in light of the new enlargement package: closing statement by Oliver VARHELYI, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement

MEPs debate on the official start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania last July and to call on the EU to grant visa liberalisation to Kosovo. They are also likely to urge Serbia to align with the EU’s restrictive measures and policy towards Russia.

EU-Western Balkans relations in light of the new enlargement package: MEPs debate (part 2)

MEPs debate on the official start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania last July and to call on the EU to grant visa liberalisation to Kosovo. They are also likely to urge Serbia to align with the EU’s restrictive measures and policy towards Russia. first part of the debate.

EU-Western Balkans relations in light of the new enlargement package: MEPs debate (part 1)

MEPs debate on the official start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania last July and to call on the EU to grant visa liberalisation to Kosovo. They are also likely to urge Serbia to align with the EU’s restrictive measures and policy towards Russia. opening statements by Oliver VARHELYI, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement.

EU-Western Balkans relations in light of the new enlargement package: opening statement by Oliver VARHELYI, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement

On the 14th September 2022, Ursula von der LEYEN, EC President, delivers her State of the European Union (SOTEU) speech in the European Parliament. This infoclip illustrates one of the main stake of the coming year: the future of the Europea Union. Following the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoe) which took place from May 2021 to May 2022, EU citizens have asked for a revision of the treaties and a reconstruction of the EU. Furthermore, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia have been granted the candidate status to join the EU, while discussions to enlarge the European Union to Western Balkans countries are ongoing.

Infoclip: Future of the European Union

&lt;p>EU and Western Balkan leaders meet in Brussels ahead of the June European Council meeting. Leaders discuss progress on EU integration and the challenges stemming from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.&lt;/p>

EU-Western Balkans leaders' meeting: arrival and doorstep by Roberta METSOLA, EP President

In two resolutions, MEPs are set to warn that the enlargement process could potentially have historically important implications for security in Europe. The draft reports, to be put to a vote on Thursday, assess the progress made by North Macedonia towards EU membership. They urge the Council to officially start accession negotiations with both countries, pointing to the geostrategic context of relations with Russia and its aggression against Ukraine. Closing statements by Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew, BG), rapporteur and Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice.

2021 Report on North Macedonia: closing statements by Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew, BG), rapporteur and Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice

In two resolutions, MEPs are set to warn that the enlargement process could potentially have historically important implications for security in Europe. The draft reports, to be put to a vote on Thursday, assess the progress made by North Macedonia towards EU membership. They urge the Council to officially start accession negotiations with both countries, pointing to the geostrategic context of relations with Russia and its aggression against Ukraine.

2021 Report on North Macedonia: MEPs debate

In two resolutions, MEPs are set to warn that the enlargement process could potentially have historically important implications for security in Europe. The draft reports, to be put to a vote on Thursday, assess the progress made by North Macedonia towards EU membership. They urge the Council to officially start accession negotiations with both countries, pointing to the geostrategic context of relations with Russia and its aggression against Ukraine. Opening statements by Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew,BG), rapporteur and Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice.

2021 Report on North Macedonia: opening statements by Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew, BG), rapporteur and Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with Dimitar KOVACHEVSKI, Prime Minister of North Macedonia in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) hold an exchange of views with the Speakers of the Parliaments from the Western Balkans on the key role of Parliaments in the EU enlargement proces, in Brussels. Extracts from the meeting with the EP delegations for the Western Balkan and with the Speakers of the Western Balkans’ parliaments.

2nd European Parliament - Western Balkans Speakers Summit: extracts from the meeting with the EP delegations for the Western Balkan and with the Speakers of the Western Balkans’ parliaments

David SASSOLI, EP President, invites speakers from the parliaments of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia to meet for the Summit of EP - Western Balkans’ Speakers of Parliament. They debate the role that parliaments should play in EU post-COVID-19 enlargement.

2nd EP - Western Balkans Speakers' summit chaired by David SASSOLI, EP President; arrivals, roundtable, signing of joint declaration of Western Balkans Speakers Summit 2021 and family photo

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Zoran ZAEV, Prime Minister of North Macedonia, in the European Parliament in Brussels: arrival, welcome and roundtable.

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Zoran ZAEV, Prime Minister of North Macedonia: arrival, welcome and roundtable

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Stevo PENDAROVSKI, President of North Macedonia in the European Parliament in Brussels. Arrival, photo opportunity and roundtable

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Stevo PENDAROVSKI, President of North Macedonia: arrival, photo opportunity and roundtable

During the plenary session (24-25 March 2021) in the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate on 2019-2020 progress reports on Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia. Opening statements by Isabel SANTOS (S&D, PT), Albania rapporteur; Viola VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL (Greens/EFA, DE), Kosovo rapporteur; Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew, BG), North Macedonia rapporteur and Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK), Serbia rapporteur. After that, statements also by Olivér VÁRHELYI, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement and by Ana Paula ZACARIAS, Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs. (This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery).

Joint debate on 2019-2020 progress reports on Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia: opening statements by Isabel SANTOS (S&D, PT), Viola VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL (Greens/EFA, DE), Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew, BG) and Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK)

Isabel SANTOS (S&D, PT), EP Standing Rapporteur for Albania, and Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew Europe, BG), EP Standing Rapporteur for North Macedonia, give a press conference after they presented their reports in a debate during the plenary session. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Press conference by Isabel SANTOS (S&D, PT), EP Standing Rapporteur for Albania, and Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew Europe, BG), EP Standing Rapporteur for North Macedonia

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