The European Commission advocates for new rules regarding the admission of new member states. Under these rules, six Balkan countries would have to meet more stringent criteria. Additionally, negotiations already underway can be halted or even reversed. The current 27 EU countries will have greater say in these decisions.
With these new procedural arrangements, the European Commission hopes to address the concerns of French President Emmanuel Macron. He believes that the European Union must first be thoroughly modernized and reformed before new members can be admitted. Other EU government leaders think that these two processes can coincide.
Twenty years ago, the Balkan countries were given prospects for European membership. Until now, Croatia has been the only one admitted. The accession of others has been in a serious stalemate since October. French President Emmanuel Macron vetoed accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania. The Netherlands and Denmark advocate for decoupling these two dossiers. They particularly had reservations about starting talks with Albania, which they still consider too corrupt.
Promotion
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hopes to turn the tide with a new negotiation method, a fresh attempt to bring North Macedonia and Albania to the negotiating table, and an economic aid plan for the entire region. A new summit with the Balkan countries is planned in Zagreb in May.
Euro skeptics believe the new rules will result in even longer delays in admitting the Balkan countries. It is possible that the outcome of the two-year EU Future Conference, which starts later this year and concludes next year, will first be awaited. The EU leaders want to use that conference to modernize all current procedures, decisions, and budgets—an aim that French President Macron has advocated multiple times.
Hungarian Oliver Varhelyi, the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, makes respect for the rule of law the starting and ending point of the talks. This theme is addressed first in the negotiations. Without an agreement, there will be no discussion on adapting to European rules. If a candidate country jeopardizes its legal framework again, negotiations can be paused or stopped. Financial support to those countries can also be reduced.
The European Commission hopes to receive the green light at the regular EU summit in March for talks with North Macedonia and Albania. French government circles responded cautiously positively to the new method yesterday, though this does not mean that Paris already welcomes North Macedonia and Albania. The Netherlands emphasizes that "each country is assessed on its own merits." The Dutch government points out that Albania still has significant work to do in fighting organized crime and corruption.