EU Proposes Gradual Integration for Western Balkans but Offers No New Accession Timelines

European Union leaders met Western Balkan counterparts in Tivat, Montenegro on June 5, 2026 and proposed a gradual integration process that would allow candidate countries to join selected EU formats before full membership. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters at Porto Montenegro that the message of the day was clear: “We want you.

Macron said France and Germany had put forward a strengthened gradual integration plan under which a country aligning with EU criteria on specific issues could attend European Council meetings. ” Merz noted that the EU had admitted no new members in 13 years and that shortcomings on the EU side needed to be addressed.

The six Western Balkan states seeking membership are Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.

Ukraine and Moldova have joined the accession queue since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine renewed Brussels’s interest in enlargement. Accession normally requires years of negotiations and legal reforms, with unanimous approval from all 27 current EU members needed at each stage. Some candidates have remained in the process for more than 15 years.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama wrote in a joint op-ed that faster integration should be offered in exchange for new members giving up veto rights. Macron said enlargement matters geopolitically because the region affects Europe’s energy, security and migration routes. Public support for EU membership in Serbia stands below 50 percent.

Montenegro submitted its application 20 years ago. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said technical talks with Montenegro could finish by the end of 2026, potentially allowing membership by the end of 2028. Montenegro and Albania are viewed as the most advanced candidates, while Serbia and Bosnia lag on required reforms.