EU-Balkans: Brussels Declaration. “We share a common future, urgent challenges to be overcome together”

“We share a common future and face urgent challenges that we can only overcome together. We owe it to our citizens to build a future of peace and prosperity, based on shared principles and values, and common interests”. The summit between the EU and the Western Balkans, which took place in Brussels yesterday, in the run-up to today’s European Council meeting, ended with the “Brussels Declaration”, a text over ten pages long, confirming the Balkan countries’ road towards accession to the European Union. “The future of the Western Balkans is in our Union. We once again reconfirm our full and unequivocal commitment to the European Union membership perspective of the Western Balkans”. The text lays down a number of preliminary principles then delves into concrete issues such as economy, transport, climate action, security, migration.

“Enlargement is a geostrategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity”, the document states. “There is a new dynamism in the enlargement process and notable progress since our last Summit. The acceleration of the accession process, based on credible reforms by partners, fair and rigorous conditionality and the principle of own merits, is in our mutual interest”.