Kos: EU founded on former enemies' desire to overcome conflicts, an opportunity for the Western Balkans

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos today called on the countries of the Western Balkans to overcome outstanding bilateral issues in the spirit of the Berlin Process, good-neighborly relations and regional integration, while building trust and cooperation in order to seize the opportunity presented by enlargement.

Kos pointed out that Montenegro has closed 18 chapters and expects it to close more at the next intergovernmental conference in mid-October.

“You are now officially in the final stage. Maintain this momentum of successful negotiations. You have created new momentum for enlargement across the Western Balkans,” the commissioner stressed.

Kos said that Albania is also making progress on its reform path, has opened all chapters and already closed some, and will certainly close several more this year.

“I can say that this year is already a record year for the enlargement process. In the first nine months of this year alone, we have already opened and closed more chapters than in any year over the past 25,” she explained.

She said that she is sometimes asked “how to reconcile the geopolitical need for enlargement with the merit-based principle”.

“Geopolitics determines why enlargement is important and why we must act urgently, but we must also adhere to the merit-based principle, because those merits determine who is ready to join and when,” Kos said.

According to her, the benefits of enlargement should be considered, above all those related to security.

“We live in a world of geopolitical tensions, with direct attacks on our democracy and our way of life. That is why it is crucial for us to become more resilient,” Kos stressed.

She emphasized that no country could achieve this on its own and that, therefore, regional integration and good-neighborly relations are key. Given that the topic of today's meeting is convergence, Kos noted that alignment with European standards brings predictability and leads to increased investment, prosperity and jobs.

“A new IMF study has shown that the first 10 years of EU membership can bring a one-third increase in GDP, and after 15 years, as much as half. EU member states also benefited. The additional GDP of the older member states that joined in 2004 was around 13 percent after 15 years. It is a ‘win-win’ situation,” Kos explained.

The commissioner also said that the EU is extending the benefits of the single market to candidate countries even before accession, with SEPA being one example.

Kos said that the European Commission had followed the initiative of Germany and France and that on October 6 it would present additional ideas on how gradual integration could be expanded.
“The main idea is – more Europe before membership. But this is not a substitute for full membership,” Kos stressed.

She added that European integration means more than GDP growth and jobs, because it is “about the hearts and minds of everyone”.

“The Union offers a future in which the conflicts of the past are no longer so important. We should not forget that European integration was founded on the desire of former enemies to overcome the conflicts of the past. This is a great opportunity for the Western Balkans,” Kos stressed.

She said that overcoming conflicts is important for internal cohesion and for society within an enlarged EU.

“Let us address the outstanding bilateral issues in the spirit of the Berlin Process,” Kos said.