The EU-Western Balkans Summit was held today in Brussels to reaffirm the strategic partnership and discuss future challenges and opportunities for cooperation.
At the end of the summit, the leaders of the European Union (EU) and its member states, in consultation with the Western Balkans partners, issued a joint statement, reaffirming the full and clear commitment to the Western Balkans' perspective of membership in the European Union.
EU-Western Balkans Summit
Brussels Declaration, 17 December 2025
We, the leaders of the European Union (EU) and its Member States, in consultation with our Western Balkan partners, have today reached the following conclusion:
Today's summit serves as a testament to the strong foundations of our relationship and the benefits it brings to our citizens. Russian aggression against Ukraine and intensifying geopolitical challenges highlight the need for ever stronger ties between the EU and the Western Balkans. The summit is the most important occasion of the year to reaffirm the strategic partnership between the European Union and the Western Balkans.
We reaffirm our full and clear commitment to the prospect of the Western Balkans joining the European Union. The future of the Western Balkans lies in our Union. Enlargement is a realistic opportunity, which we must seize.
We welcome the new energies and progress made since the last summit. Accelerating the accession process, based on credible reforms by partners, fair and rigorous conditionality and the principle of own merits, is in our common interest.
Enlargement is a geostrategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity, as stated in the Granada Declaration.
The emergencies of our time require sustained momentum. Aspiring members must intensify their reform efforts. At the same time, the European Union must intensify its work on the ground and its internal reforms.
The EU welcomes the commitment of the Western Balkan partners to upholding European values and principles, in accordance with international law and prioritising the principles of democracy, fundamental rights and values and the rule of law, and expects them to demonstrate this both in words and actions by undertaking and implementing the necessary reforms, particularly in key areas.
Freedom of expression, independent and pluralistic media, gender equality and a strong role of civil society are crucial to guarantee the functioning of democracy. The EU also calls on partners to guarantee the rights and equal treatment of persons belonging to minorities.
Comprehensive regional cooperation, reconciliation and good neighborly relations remain key to building a common future and to implementing international agreements in good faith and with tangible results, including the Prespa Agreement with Greece and the Treaty on Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation with Bulgaria.
Further and decisive efforts are still needed to promote reconciliation and stability in the region, as well as to find and implement final, comprehensive and binding solutions to regional and bilateral disputes and issues of the partners rooted in the legacy of the past, in accordance with international law and established principles, including the Agreement on Heritage Issues, the remaining cases of missing persons and war crimes issues.
We stand united in our unwavering support and solidarity with Ukraine as it defends its sovereignty and territorial integrity against Russia's unprovoked and illegal war of aggression.
We reiterate our support for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, based on the UN Charter and international law. We will continue to invest in the multilateral approach and work with partners to respect international law.
Alignment with the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), including the implementation and enforcement of EU restrictive measures and the prevention of their circumvention, remains a strong expression of a partner's strategic choice.
We congratulate those Western Balkan partners that have already achieved full harmonisation and call on those that have not yet done so to follow suit.
The EU welcomes the contributions of partners to the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy missions and operations. The EU continues to support the Western Balkans in addressing cyber and other hybrid threats, foreign information manipulation and interference, and in further strengthening cooperation to develop resilience, including through the Western Balkans Cyber Capability Centre and the European Shield of Democracy.
We welcome the first security and defence partnerships in the Western Balkans and the launch of security and defence dialogues. We remain committed to continued support under the European Peace Facility.
The EU remains committed to bringing the Western Balkan partners closer to the EU since the enlargement process began. Gradual integration, carried out in a reversible and merit-based manner, is underway in several policy areas, bringing concrete early benefits to citizens and preparing the ground for membership.
Further proposals for gradual integration should be considered, in line with the relevant harmonisation with the EU acquis. Progress towards economic integration should fully preserve the integrity of the EU single market and the level playing field.
We welcome progress in the gradual integration of the Western Balkans partners into the EU Single Market, including in: – implementing the Single Market Fast Track initiatives, expanding the green lanes between the EU and the Western Balkans and financing the modernisation and harmonisation of border crossings; – the successful accession of some partners to the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) with others on track to join, significantly reducing the costs of banking transactions; – joining or replicating digital initiatives, such as the Digital Innovation Hubs, WiFi4WB and the EU Digital Identity Portfolio; reducing roaming costs for the internet between the EU and Western Balkan partners from 1 October 2023, confirming the commitment and process of extending the EU's "Roam like at Home" area to the Western Balkans, allowing citizens to call, send messages and use mobile internet anywhere in the EU and the region at no additional cost.
The Growth Plan will accelerate socio-economic convergence between the Western Balkans and the EU, provided that partners implement EU-related reforms. The Growth Plan has the potential to accelerate economic growth in the region over the next decade by providing up to €6 billion for reforms and investments.
This value is added to the 29 billion euros being distributed through the Economic and Investment Plan. The EU calls for maximum use to be made of the extraordinary opportunities offered by the Growth Plan through timely implementation of reforms.
The EU stresses that the Regional Common Market serves as a catalyst for deeper integration and a step towards the EU Single Market. The EU calls on the Western Balkans partners to fully engage in constructive cooperation to make it a reality and to implement the agreements reached.
The EU welcomes and will continue to support the strengthening of connections, including in the fields of energy, transport and digital, within the region and with the EU. The EU continues to support ongoing efforts to diversify energy sources and routes. This will increase our energy security and reduce dependencies.
The EU will continue to contribute to the energy transition in the Western Balkans.
Managing migration remains a key challenge and shared responsibility.
While progress has been made, further action is needed by Western Balkan partners to fully align their visa policy with the EU, to combat migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings, and to further strengthen border management, asylum and reception systems, and returns to countries of origin.
Joint efforts should also continue in the fight against corruption, drug trafficking and all forms of serious and organised crime, as well as in preventing and combating terrorism and violent extremism in line with the recently signed new Joint Action Plan, and in the framework of the launch of the European Coalition against Drugs (ECAD) to tackle drug-related challenges.
The lack of normalization of relations between Pristina and Belgrade continues to hinder both partners on their path towards Europe.
All agreements reached in the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue must be implemented, in particular the Roadmap to Normalisation Agreement and its Annex. Support under the Reform and Growth Instrument for the Western Balkans is conditional on constructive engagement by partners with measurable progress and tangible results in the normalisation of their relations.
We emphasize the importance of continued mutual efforts in strategic communication, including the benefits of gradual enlargement and integration, as well as the need for building trust, understanding and inter-societal consensus.
We expect our Western Balkan partners to inform their publics that the EU remains the region's closest partner, as well as its main donor, investor and trading partner, and to demonstrate their commitment to EU values and reforms through words and actions.
We look forward to the next EU-Western Balkans summit in Montenegro in June 2026.
We welcome the agreement of the Western Balkans partners1 with this declaration.
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