Western Balkans to join EU “in not too distant future”

Highlights from Barroso speech at the international conference, “European Union & Western Balkans 2015-2020 – Partnership Opportunity and Mutual Concern,” organized on December 5, 2014 by the Public Policy Institute in Belgrade:

  1. Former President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso expressed confidence that, despite the enlargement fatigue, the process of EU enlargement will continue and that the Western Balkan countries will join the Union in the not too distant future.
  2. He noted that he is proud that, as president of the European Commission, he proposed to the European Council that it open negotiations with Serbia and Montenegro.
  3. He is confident that Serbia will join the EU, but declined to speculate on when that will happen, and noted that recognizing Kosovo’s was not a condition for membership.
  4. He also noted that the level of cooperation between Belgrade and Moscow is not a topic related to Serbia’s EU membership, but that accession is only tied to meeting the requirements.