EU-Western Balkans Summit hails progress on EUDI Wallets

The European Union welcomes progress on the gradual integration of the Western Balkans into its single market, including through digital initiatives such as the EU Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet, EU leaders said in the conclusion of the EU–Western Balkans Summit.

The Summit, held in Brussels on Wednesday, focused on the progress in the EU accession process of seven Western Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.

In a declaration published following the intergovernmental meeting, the EU commended the implementation of Single Market Highway initiatives, which aim to integrate Western Balkan industries into the EU’s economic space. It also hailed efforts to finance the modernization and harmonization of border crossings and called for further strengthening border management.

“We reaffirm our full and unequivocal commitment to the European Union membership perspective of the Western Balkans. The future of the Western Balkans is in our Union,” says the declaration.

Montenegro is currently seen as the frontrunner in EU accession. In preparation for the event, the country provisionally closed five chapters in the negotiating process, bringing the total number to 12 chapters. Following closely behind is Albania, which started formal talks on joining the bloc last year.

According to EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, Montenegro could technically complete accession negotiations by the end of 2026 and Albania a year later, Deutsche Welle reports.

Serbia, on the other hand, has seen a slowdown in progress, with President Aleksandar Vučić announcing that no one from his government will be present at the meeting. Despite being the largest and economically strongest candidate, the country has not achieved any major accession milestones since 2021.

Serbia has also continued to nurture close ties with Russia, even after the invasion of Ukraine.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  border security  |  digital ID  |  Entry/Exit System (EES)  |  EU  |  EU Digital Identity Wallet  |  Europe