EU enlargement policy 2020

 

SUMMARY OF:

European Commission communication on EU enlargement policy

Treaty on European Union (TEU) — Title VI — Final provisions — Article 49

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE ARTICLE AND THE COMMUNICATION?

• Article 49 TEU provides the legal basis for admitting a European country into the European Union (EU).
• The communication on enlargement policy assesses the main developments and the progress made by the candidate countries and other western Balkans partners, draws conclusions and makes recommendations.

KEY POINTS

• Each year, the European Commission adopts its enlargement package — a set of documents on its policy on EU enlargement.
  • In October 2020, the Commission also adopted an economic and investment plan for the western Balkans (see summary).
• The package takes into account:
  • the Commission’s 2018 western Balkans strategy
  • the 2020 communication ‘Enhancing the accession process — A credible EU perspective for the Western Balkans’
  • the decision of the Council of the European Union to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia.
• The 2020 package includes a communication that assesses the reform progress, sets out the way forward and takes stock of the situation in the candidate countries and other western Balkans partners. The assessment focuses on:
  • the judiciary and fundamental rights
  • justice, freedom and security
  • functioning of democratic institutions
  • public administration reform
  • the economy
  • the ability to take on the obligations of membership
  • regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations.

In addition to this communication, the package contains the reports in which the Commission presents its detailed assessment of the state of play in each candidate country and other western Balkans partners, what has been achieved over the last year, and provides guidance on reform priorities:

• Albania report 2020;
• Bosnia and Herzegovina report 2020;
• Kosovo* report 2020;
• Montenegro report 2020;
• North Macedonia report 2020;
• Serbia report 2020;
• Turkey report 2020.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

• European Neighbourhood policy and enlargement negotiations (European Commission)
• EU accession process step by step (European Commission).

MAIN DOCUMENTS

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2020 — Communication on EU enlargement policy (COM(2020) 660 final, 6.10.2020)

Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title VI — Final provisions — Article 49 (ex Article 49 TEU) (OJ C 202, 7.6.2016, p. 43)

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Commission staff working document — Albania 2020 report accompanying the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — 2020 communication on EU enlargement policy (SWD(2020) 354 final, 6.10.2020)

Commission staff working document — Bosnia and Herzegovina 2020 report accompanying the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — 2020 communication on EU enlargement policy (SWD(2020) 350 final, 6.10.2020)

Commission staff working document — Kosovo* 2020 report accompanying the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — 2020 communication on EU enlargement policy (SWD(2020) 356 final, 6.10.2020)

Commission staff working document — Montenegro 2020 report accompanying the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — 2020 communication on EU enlargement policy (SWD(2020) 353 final, 6.10.2020)

Commission staff working document — North Macedonia 2020 report accompanying the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — 2020 communication on EU enlargement policy (SWD(2020) 351 final, 6.10.2020)

Commission staff working document — Serbia 2020 report accompanying the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — 2020 communication on EU enlargement policy (SWD(2020) 352 final, 6.10.2020)

Commission staff working document — Turkey 2020 report accompanying the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — 2020 communication on EU enlargement policy (SWD(2020) 355 final, 6.10.2020)

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — An economic and investment plan for the western Balkans (COM(2020) 641 final, 6.10.2020)

Commission staff working document — Guidelines for the implementation of the green agenda for the western Balkans accompanying the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — An economic and investment plan for the western Balkans (SWD(2020) 223 final, 6.10.2020)

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Enhancing the accession process — A credible EU perspective for the western Balkans (COM(2020) 57 final, 5.2.2020)

last update 29.06.2021