Merz Pushes for Full Western Balkans EU Integration at Summit
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz aims to fast-track Western Balkan nations into the EU, calling the bloc's 13-year expansion freeze a mistake that must be corrected.
Speaking ahead of the Western Balkans Summit in Tivat, Montenegro, Merz announced that he wants to see the region’s countries join the EU as quickly as possible, according to Junge Freiheit. The CDU leader posted on social media platform X that the European Union has not admitted new members for 13 years, which he characterized as a failure on the part of the bloc itself.
The Western Balkans region comprises Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, and the Skopje State. Slovenia and Croatia were originally counted as part of the Western Balkans but have already joined the EU in 2004 and 2013 respectively.
Annual Summit Aims to Prepare Candidate States
The conference taking place this year in Montenegro has served since 2014 as an annual platform designed to support EU integration for the six Western Balkan states. The initiative was launched by former Chancellor Angela Merkel of the CDU.
The conference is focused on promoting stability, regional cooperation, and concrete reforms necessary for EU membership. Participants include governments of the candidate countries, the European Commission, and several EU member states including Germany, France, Italy, and Austria.
Billions in EU Funding Already Allocated
To help Western Balkan states meet EU requirements, Brussels has provided substantial financial support through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, known as IPA. This fund explicitly supports what the EU calls reforms in the enlargement region.
Between 2007 and 2013, the Western Balkans received approximately 3.5 billion euros through IPA I, as Junge Freiheit reports. From 2014 to 2020, IPA II provided more than four billion euros. Since 2021, IPA III has been active, with the EU distributing a total of roughly 14 billion euros. Recipients of funding under the new program also include Turkey.
Additional Growth Plan Exclusive to Western Balkans
The Western Balkans also receives EU funding through a separate Growth Plan program. According to the European Commission, this initiative aims to integrate the states into the EU internal market, promote economic cooperation, and deepen EU-aligned reforms. The Commission states on its website that the Growth Plan creates incentives for enlargement partners to prepare for EU membership by granting them certain benefits ahead of full integration.
For the period between 2024 and 2027, the EU is providing approximately six billion euros in total, consisting of two billion euros in grants and four billion euros in preferential loans.
With information from Junge Freiheit
