The European Parliament has urged the European Union to take a more forceful approach to enlargement, warning that prolonged delays risk undermining stability in the Western Balkans at a time of heightened geopolitical rivalry and growing Russian influence, according to a draft report adopted by its foreign affairs committee.
The report, seen by BalkanView, describes enlargement as “one of the EU’s strongest geopolitical tools” and calls for stronger political signals toward Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. It says deeper integration would strengthen democratic resilience and security across southeast Europe.
Rule of law and foreign-policy alignment
The Parliament said accession must remain merit-based and tied to reforms in the rule of law, judicial independence, media freedom and minority protections. It warned that backsliding on democratic standards should trigger the freezing of accession talks.
The draft expresses concern over continued gaps in foreign-policy alignment with the EU, particularly in Serbia, saying that failure to match EU sanctions and positions amounts to a “fundamental barrier” to membership.
MEPs said deeper regional cooperation is a “precondition” for accession and urged governments to settle bilateral disputes without obstructing neighbours — an implicit reference to tensions involving Kosovo, Bosnia’s internal political rifts, and previous vetoes affecting North Macedonia’s EU path.
Internal EU reforms to prevent new blockages
The report renews calls for internal EU reforms to ensure the Union can absorb new members. It says member states should reduce reliance on unanimity in interim enlargement decisions, arguing that repeated vetoes have stalled Western Balkan candidates. It notes that Article 49 of the EU Treaty allows the use of qualified majority voting without treaty changes.
MEPs also support gradual sectoral integration — including limited access to parts of the single market — for countries progressing on reforms, but say such steps “cannot replace full membership.”
The Parliament describes EU financial instruments, including the Reform and Growth Facility and IPA III, as crucial for supporting institutional and infrastructure reforms in the Balkans. It calls for strict rule-of-law conditionality for all EU funds to ensure transparency.
The draft also urges the inclusion of Western Balkan countries in major transport, energy, connectivity and military-mobility projects to strengthen resilience to external threats.
Russian influence and disinformation
MEPs voice concern about “large-scale and malicious” Russian disinformation campaigns in the region. They welcome plans to extend the EU’s upcoming European Democracy Shield to the Western Balkans to counter foreign interference.
The Parliament calls for deeper cooperation with national parliaments and civil-society groups in the Western Balkans and for expanded use of tools supporting democratic standards.
To sustain momentum, the report says the EU should set “clear and predictable timelines” for the most advanced candidates, while maintaining that accession can only take place when all membership conditions are met.