Western Balkan Nations Push for EU Membership at Montenegro Summit

European Union leaders are meeting with representatives from Western Balkan nations in Tivat, Montenegro, for a summit focused on the region's potential EU membership. This meeting follows a recent endorsement by EU member states to intensify efforts toward integrating these countries into the union.

Currently, nine countries hold EU candidate status, marking a significant initial step toward potential membership. Five of these are located in the Western Balkans: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. The other candidate countries are Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova.

The path to EU membership requires aspiring countries to meet the "Copenhagen criteria," established in 1993. These criteria encompass a range of democratic, economic, and political conditions. Once a formal application is submitted, the European Commission typically takes 15 to 18 months to provide its assessment, though this timeline can be shortened with political will.

If the Commission's opinion is favorable and all EU member states approve, the country gains candidate status. This is followed by accession negotiations, during which the candidate country must align its laws and regulatory frameworks with those of the EU across 35 policy chapters. A chapter is considered closed once the candidate country demonstrates its readiness to implement EU legislation in that area.

The entire process, from candidate status to full membership, is lengthy. For instance, Croatia became a candidate country in 2004 but did not officially join the EU until 2013, illustrating the years of work involved in harmonizing laws and meeting all requirements.