Kos: North Macedonia still making no progress in EU negotiations, Albania and Montenegro lead the process

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that Albania and Montenegro are currently the countries that have made the greatest progress toward EU membership. They are followed by Moldova and Ukraine, while Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and North Macedonia are still at an earlier stage of the process. Serbia, she said, is a special case.

According to Kos, EU enlargement is facing a “window of opportunity,” but candidates must implement reforms and meet the established criteria. She said that Montenegro could fulfill the conditions by the end of this year or the beginning of next year.

“This is my ‘enlargement wall’: we have the main group of countries, with Montenegro and Albania, followed by Moldova and Ukraine. In the middle, we have not yet started with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and North Macedonia, and then there is the case of Serbia. This year, we are achieving more in enlargement than in the past 25 years,” she said.

Regarding Ukraine, the European commissioner assessed that its accession by January 1, 2027, is not feasible. She stressed that the path toward membership must be determined by merit and the fulfillment of the criteria. In relation to Serbia, Kos criticized the glorification of war criminals and the denial of genocide, calling on Belgrade to demonstrate through its actions its commitment to EU integration.

Kos also highlighted Italy’s role in supporting the enlargement of the European Union. She added that the EU must change its decision-making process so that it is ready for an enlargement that would include a larger number of member states.