Juncker SOTEU Address: EU to Integrate Balkan States

On 13^th September, Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission, delivered his State of the Union speech in front of the European Parliament, taking stock of achievements of the past year and presenting priorities for the year ahead, as well as unveiling his views on the future of Europe. Although stressing that the conditions for the entry of a new member from the Western Balkans into the EU will not be fulfilled before the end of the mandate of the current European Commission – in 2019 – Juncker urged the European Parliament to put Western Balkan integration higher on the agenda. According to the Roadmap for a More United, Stronger and More Democratic Union, an initiative to be launched with a 2025 perspective is the strategy for a successful EU accession of Serbia and Montenegro, as frontrunner candidates in the Western Balkans, with a particular emphasis on the rule of law, fundamental rights and the fight against corruption and on the overall stability of the region. More information is available here.

Source: Balkan Insight