EU-Western Balkans relations
The EU provides strong political, technical and financial support to help Western Balkans partners to progress on their European path.
Western Balkans' partners
The Western Balkans region comprises six partners: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
The EU is committed to the EU membership perspective of the Western Balkans and several of the partners are on the path to becoming EU member states. Following the EU-Western Balkans summit in Thessaloniki on 21 June 2003, EU leaders have reaffirmed their support for the partners' reform efforts and their commitment to advancing the gradual integration between the EU and the region, including at the European Council meeting on 26 June 2025.
The EU also maintains close ties with the Western Balkans partners and cooperates with them in a number of important areas.
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
Stabilisation and association process
The stabilisation and association process runs in parallel to and is supportive of EU accession negotiations.
All Western Balkans’ partners have signed a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU. The agreements are tailor-made for each partner.
The EU is exploring possibilities to gradually integrate the Western Balkans partners during the enlargement process, by using the potential of existing instruments.
Growth Plan for the Western Balkans
To help support the Western Balkans’ partners on their European path, and to encourage faster socio-economic convergence with the EU, the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans was presented in November 2023. The plan comes on top of existing EU aid and supplements financial assistance provided under the instrument for pre-accession assistance (IPA III).
The plan consists of four interconnected pillars and aims to:
- enhance economic integration of the Western Balkans partners in the EU single market
- advance regional economic cooperation through the Common Regional Market
- accelerate EU-related reforms
- increase financial assistance through a dedicated Reform and Growth Facility
At the centre of the plan is the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans, a financial instrument that will provide €6 billion over the 2024-2027 period. Of the total amount, €2 billion will be provided in grants and €4 billion in loans. The facility will help the partners undertake EU-related reforms, based on ambitious reform agendas adopted by each partner.
Payments are subject to strict conditions in terms of the achievements of reforms set out in the reform agenda. In addition, to receive EU support under the facility, certain conditions apply with regard to effective democratic mechanisms. These include a multi-party parliamentary system, free and fair elections, pluralistic media, an independent judiciary, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. Another condition for Serbia and Kosovo is that they engage constructively, with measurable progress and tangible results, in the normalisation of their relations.
EU-Western Balkans investment and trade
EU-Western Balkans meetings
Separately from ongoing accession processes, EU leaders also hold regular summits with their Western Balkans counterparts. The summits are the most important political meetings between the EU and Western Balkans leaders.
The EU also holds other meetings with the Western Balkans’ partners, including:
- Stabilisation and association councils
- Informal exchanges at ministerial level in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council
- EU-Western Balkans ministerial forums on justice and home affairs
Last review: 12 December 2025