Albania, North Macedonia on track for EU accession talks – EC report

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Albania and North Macedonia are on the march towards EU accession talks, according to the latest annual European Commission (EC) progress report that assesses the membership chances of those two Western Balkan countries as well as Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which are collectively known as the WB6.

While Albania has shown commitment to EU-orientation reforms, the setting of a start date for talks has been delayed by Bulgaria’s blocking of North Macedonia’s bid to commence discussions with the bloc. Bulgaria’s veto of North Macedonia is related to bilateral disagreements on historical and national identity, although the latter country has made progress in all of its stated key areas apart from “freedom of expression”, the EC notes.

While Serbia has been in the EU accession process for years, recent progress has been limited, the EC writes, adding that the country must “normalise” its relations with Kosovo and devise a strategy for combatting corruption. The EC names Kosovo’s instability and Montenegro’s deep political divide as other reasons for WB6 accession delays. Bosnia and Herzegovina must instigate electoral and constitutional reforms, the report adds.

Source: Balkan Insight