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bne March 2018 Southeast Europe I 39
in terms of its EU aspirations. Kosovan Deputy Prime Minister Enver Hoxhaj recently urged ambassadors of several EU member states to support a more bal- anced approach for Kosovo in the new enlargement strategy.
Kosovo is considering applying for can- didate status, but its relations with the EU are complicated mostly as a result of unfulfilled obligations, such as the failure to ratify its demarcation border agreement with Montenegro. Further progress in the Serbia-Kosovo normali- sation dialogue is also required.
Preparing for new members
Analysts at the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (viiw) said on February 6 that the new strategy “signals a more interventionist stance” by Brussels in the region.
“The Commission has put significant focus on two key areas: the resolution of outstanding security issues in the region, and the strengthening of the rule of law,” viiw analysts said. “This repre- sents a change of focus from Brussels. Whereas previously the EU had assumed
ber states are not in a position to block the accession of other Western Balkans candidates,” the statement said.
This has repeatedly been a problem
in the past, for example with Greece’s blocking of Macedonia’s accession prog- ress, and Cyprus’ blocking of Turkey’s. With many outstanding conflicts in the Western Balkans region, the prospect
of early entrants blocking the progress of those that are slower to progress is
a serious concern.
Brnabic sent out an encouraging mes- sage in this regard, stressing that coop- eration in the region would a priority and offering support for Serbia’s old foe Albania on its EU path.
“We will support, and we have been clear in the past, Albania and Macedonia to open negotiations as soon as pos- sible and we will be available to support everyone who needs it in the European perspective,” Brnabic said, according to a Serbian government statement.
With the aim of supporting the transfor- mation efforts of the Western Balkans in
areas of mutual interest, the European Commission announced six flagship actions that the EU will take over the next years.
These includes initiatives such as strengthening the rule of law, reinforced cooperation on security and migration through joint investigating teams, expanding the EU Energy Union to the Western Balkans and lowering roaming charges and rolling out broadband in the region.
The strategy spells out the priorities and areas of joint reinforced cooperation, addressing the specific challenges the Western Balkans face, in particular the need for fundamental reforms and good neighbourly relations.
“Judicial reforms, the fight against corruption and organised crime, and public administration reform need to deliver real results and the functioning of democratic institutions need to be seriously enhanced. Economic reforms must be pursued with vigour so that structural weaknesses, low competitive- ness and high unemployment rates are addressed,” the Commission recom- mended.
EU leaders are expected to confirm the 2025 promise at a special EU-Western Balkans summit in May in Sofia.
“The European Commission announced six flagship actions that the EU will take over the next years”
that improving economic connectivity would automatically bring about political cooperation, the approach now recog- nises that these two issues must progress together, and that sometimes the politics has to come first. Broadly, this also repre- sents more of an interventionist strategy than previously; the EU is pushing for major changes in state-building and bilateral and regional cooperation.”
The European Commission said in the report that the EU itself needs to be ready for new members once they have met the conditions, which is ensuring effective decision-making.
“Finally, special arrangements must be put in place to ensure that future mem-
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