EU summit: Austria urges faster Western Balkans integration!

EU summit: Austria urges faster Western Balkans integration!

Laimgrubengasse 10, 1060 Wien, Österreich - On December 18, 2024, a decisive summit between the European Union and the States of the West Balkans will take place in Brussels. SPÖ delegation manager Andreas Schieder emphasizes the urgency of faster integration of the Western Balkans into the EU. He refers to the time previously wasted by the Hungarian government and the EU's loss of influence in the region, especially towards Russia and China. Schieder demands a clear schedule for the expansion and warns of the critical situation in Serbia, which in his opinion is in an anti -democratic downward spiral. This could cause the accession talks with Serbia to be exposed to, since the EU cannot stand by and see how the country moves away from democratic values, such as ots.at reported.

The Western Balkans plays a key role in EU expansion policy. Since Croatia's accession in 2013, other countries such as Albania, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia and Serbia have positioned themselves as candidates. The accession negotiations progress, with different progress. The EU pursues a clear plan to stabilize and integrate these regions, which reflects the principle of the stabilization and association process (SAP). This process promotes the cooperation between the Western Balkans and with the EU and also includes financial support and political dialogues. It is crucial that despite the challenges in countries such as Serbia and the need for fundamental reformal steps, the EU continues to maintain a constructive dialogue to secure peace and stability in the region, such as Europarl.europa.eu highlighted.