European Committee of the Regions sets out recommendations to deepen and accelerate enlargement process in the Western Balkans.
The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) has urged the European Union to focus more sharply on the local and regional level of government in the Western Balkans as the prospects of countries in the region becoming members of the EU rise.
In an opinion adopted on 17 April, EU local and regional leaders emphasised “the utmost importance” of EU funding to improve the capacity of local and regional administrations, and called for more calibrated measures of progress in public-administration reforms as well as more for concerted work with regions, cities and networks representing their interests.
Enlargement has risen in prominence in EU policy in recent years, but the CoR’s recommendations acknowledge that public sentiment in some countries seeking EU membership is no longer as positive as it once was. The CoR’s opinion, which was drafted by Nikola Dobroslavić (HR/EPP), Prefect of Dubrovnik-Neretva County, suggests that strategic communication at the local level would help to convey better some of the benefits of European integration and to counter disinformation.
Among the key sources of tangible benefits from EU integration that the opinion identifies are the gradual integration of economic sectors into the EU’s single market and efforts to advance the energy, digital and green transitions, as well as the roll-out of the EU’s Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans. The Facility is expected to provide up to €2 billion in grants and €4 billion in loans to between 2024 and 2027. The opinion suggests the involvement of local and regional authorities in such programmes will prove important.
The opinion is a response to the European Commission’s latest report on the progress achieved in reforms necessary for a country to join the EU.
The CoR also provides country-specific assessments. These underscore the need for continued reform in public administration at the local and regional level in every country, and also highlight a decline – to record lows – in public support for EU membership in Serbia.
The CoR’s opinion praises general progress in a number of countries – particularly Albania and North Macedonia – where it also notes the advance of reforms related to local and regional government, with Albania making progress on decentralisation, and with dialogue improving between different levels of government in North Macedonia, particularly related to the EU accession process.
However, Montenegro – commonly seen as closest to closing negotiations – has made only limited progress made in public administration reform, and the CoR is concerned about the transparency of appointments of local officials. In Kosovo*, tensions between Serb-majority municipalities and the central government remain a key point of tension internally and with neighbouring Serbia. In Serbia itself, the largest country in the Western Balkans, local authorities remain weak, while in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serb-dominated entity of Republika Srpska is criticised for legislative initiatives that “threaten fundamental freedoms and contradict constitutional jurisprudence”.
The report also covers Türkiye. As in recent years, the CoR reiterates serious concerns about the overall deterioration of democratic standards, criticises continued government pressure on opposition mayors, and calls on the country to revise its legal framework to align with European Charter of Local Self-Government, which has been ratified by all members of the Council of Europe, the continent’s human-rights watchdog. The CoR supports calls for bolder EU efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus.
Türkiye opened membership negotiations in 2005, Serbia and Montenegro started membership talks in 2012, while North Macedonia and Albania began negotiations in 2022. The EU recognised Bosnia and Herzegovina as a candidate for membership in 2022, at the same accepting an application for membership from Kosovo*.
The European Committee of the Regions will hold its annual Enlargement Day on 29-30 April, bringing together local and regional politicians from the enlargement countries – including Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia – to discuss enlargement reforms with national and European politicians and officials. Fiscal decentralisation and reform of public administration will be central themes.
The CoR works with individual enlargement countries through working groups and joint consultative committees. The opinion by Mr Dobroslavić underlines that the CoR would like to upgrade its work with Albania and with Bosnia and Herzegovina through the creation of joint consultative committees.
Quote:
Nikola Dobroslavić (HR/EPP), Prefect of Dubrovnik-Neretva County: “Enlargement is a matter of great importance for the EU, and it is good for both the EU and the enlargement countries if it is carried out according to the established criteria. The CoR supports all candidate countries on their accession path, but they must show commitment and political will to implement the necessary reforms and finally meet all the criteria for membership. Local and regional authorities in enlargement countries should be engaged in all processes in those countries, and the CoR’s commissions and working groups are available to provide all assistance to partners in candidate countries in implementing the necessary reforms.”
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution UNSCR 1244/1999 and the International Court of Justice opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
