Bringing Western Balkan countries closer to the EU increases stability and security in Europe as a whole

On 10 March in Strasbourg, the Latvian Foreign Ministry’s Parliamentary State Secretary for European Affairs, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, participated in the European Parliament debates on bringing western Balkan countries (Montenegro, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, and Kosovo) closer to the European Union (EU), supporting the perspective that this process of integration is a chance to improve judicial systems and the economic situation in these countries, as well as contributing to a stable environment for EU neighbours in the region.

Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica emphasised that bringing countries closer to the EU in the process of EU integration also simultaneously impels a speeding of necessary reforms, reinforcement of the rule of law, and amongst other things, greater trust for the law enforcement authorities and the fight against corruption, while also developing the economy, and facilitating societal integration. Bringing countries closer to the EU increases stability and security in Europe as a whole, reducing the chances of conflict, and combatting illegal migration and organised crime.

Participating in the debate on behalf of the Council of the EU, the Parliamentary State Secretary positively evaluated what Montenegro has achieved and said that during the time of Latvia’s EU Presidency will continue the accession negotiations on opening new chapters.

The Council was pleased with the accomplishments made by the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in bringing its legal system closer to the EU, while at the same time, it emphasised the need for political will to implement the reforms.

Accession talks with Serbia were formally launched in January 2014 but in order to open talks on the first chapters, it is necessary to see forward movement in the dialogue on the normalisation of relations with Kosovo. In the near future, the EU plans to conclude a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Kosovo.

This EU parliamentary discussion takes place in advance of Wednesday’s vote on resolutions which assess progress over the past year in EU integration for these four western Balkan countries. The European Commission prepares annual progress reports for EU candidate countries and potential candidates that are then talked over, both at the European Council and at the European Parliament.

Each month the European Parliament meets in four day plenary sessions (from Monday to Thursday) in Strasbourg. Once a month, the European Parliament meets in an extra one day session in Brussels.