European commissioner Várhelyi: Western Balkan countries need credible EU integration outlook

Given that the Western Balkan region is an integral part of Europe, the European Union must offer its countries a credible outlook for joining the bloc, the European commissioner for enlargement and neighbourhood policy said on Tuesday.

Addressing a session of the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee, Olivér Várhelyi urged accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia to be opened as soon as possible.

He said

the two countries had done everything required of them, adding that the EU had a duty to start the accession talks.

At the same time, he urged dialogue with member states that still had reservations about the bloc’s enlargement.

Várhelyi said the importance of integrating the Western Balkan region must not be questioned. The new European Commission will assign even greater importance to the issue of enlargement and will work to enhance the policy’s credibility, he added.

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He said it was regrettable that EU leaders had failed to reach an agreement at the October summit on starting the accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia. Varhelyi vowed to support the EC’s efforts to start the talks with both countries.

Meanwhile, he said that next month the EC will unveil its plans for speeding up the accession talks, adding that the commission wants the General Affairs Council to be in a position to greenlight the talks by March. The commissioner said it was important that the EU send a positive message to the Western Balkan countries before next May’s EU-Western Balkan summit in Zagreb.