(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 7 - TÜRKIYE | Membership status: candidate country The report highlights a "gradual restart" of relations between the EU and Türkiye and "concrete steps" towards constructive exchanges on issues of common interest. However the Commission notes that Türkiye, with which accession negotiations have been frozen since 2018, has not reversed the negative trend observed in recent years of the continuous deterioration of democratic standards.
    Türkiye became a candidate country in December 1999.
    Accession negotiations opened in October 2005.
    Western Balkan countries: ALBANIA | Membership status: candidate country The European Commission considered it "crucial" that the pace of reforms aimed at the EU be intensified. Albania opened the first chapter of accession negotiations with the European Union on October 15.
    Albania's PM, Edi Rama, assessed this moment as historic. "The opening of the chapters is a great achievement and marks a historical milestone… Every success that Albania has achieved in the EU process should be seen as a step for the entire region.
    There is no other future for Albania," said Rama.
    The first chapter includes several essential areas such as justice, the judiciary, the functioning of democratic institutions, public procurement and the reform of public administration. Progress in this group will determine the overall pace of negotiations. Albania has waited several years to open membership negotiations.
    Albania became a candidate country in June 2014. Accession negotiations opened in July 2022. In the latest report, the European Commission set a goal to close the accession negotiations with the country by the end of 2027.
    BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA (BiH) | Membership status: candidate country According to the latest enlargement report, there has been a stagnation in the reform process in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) since March this year, although the authorities in BiH had previously "undertaken concrete reforms". The positive developments have been "hampered" by "developments in Republika Srpska" (the Bosnian entity with a Serb majority), including "continued secessionist rhetoric".
    The country's authorities have shown a willingness to reach an agreement and accelerate the reform process by the end of the year.
    Bosnia and Herzegovina received candidate status in December 2023 and accession negotiations were opened in March 2024.
    KOSOVO | Membership status: potential candidate Regarding Kosovo, the European Commission said in the report that it was available to prepare an opinion on the application for entry as soon as the European Council requests it.
    The EU member countries that do not recognise the independence of Kosovo are Spain, Slovakia, Cyprus, Romania and Greece.
    Kosovo applied for EU membership in December 2022.
    MONTENEGRO | Membership status: candidate country The European Commission recalled that in June this year it was confirmed that the country met the provisional reference criteria for the chapters related to the rule of law, which gives the opportunity to provisionally close other sections "if the conditions are met". Even so, the Commission pointed out that more progress is needed in the rule of law and the judiciary.
    Montenegro became a candidate country in December 2010.
    Accession negotiations opened in June 2012. In the latest report the Commission set a goal to close the accession negotiations with the country by the end of 2026.
    NORTH MACEDONIA | Membership status: candidate country North Macedonia has consistently stated its political commitment to the strategic goal of EU integration and its ambition to move forward in the accession negotiations, outlined the report. It also noted that essential EU-related reforms need to be implemented. North Macedonia maintained good relations with other enlargement countries and continued its engagement in regional initiatives.
    According to negotiations framework adopted in July 2022, North Macedonia must complete constitutional changes for including the Bulgarians in its constitution, along with Croats, Montenegrin, Jews and other minorities as "parts of ethnic groups living in the country".
    In conclusions from December 2023 European Council was stated: "The European Union is ready to complete the opening phase of the accession negotiations with North Macedonia as soon as it has implemented its commitment to complete the constitutional changes as referred to in the Council conclusions of 18 July 2022, in line with its internal procedures. The European Council calls on North Macedonia to accelerate the completion of these changes".
    North Macedonia became a candidate country in December 2005.
    Accession negotiations opened in July 2022.
    SERBIA | Membership status: candidate country Serbia met the criteria to open negotiations on the sections related to competitiveness and inclusive growth. The European Commission assured that in the coming year the country is expected to accelerate work on the implementation of reforms linked to entry into the EU.
    "The independence and impartiality of the judiciary needs to be further improved in the higher-level courts and in the courts of first instance," the report stressed.
    "We are on the EU path and the EU is our largest external trade partner, and we have set an objective for ourselves to meet all the commitments through the Growth Agenda and the reform agenda by 2027, regardless of whether we will be a member (by that time) or not," said Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, commenting on the annual enlargement report.
    Serbia became a candidate country in December 2010.
    Accession negotiations opened in June 2012.
    This article is published twice a week. The content is based on news by agencies participating in the enr, in this case AFP, ANSA, ATA, BTA, dpa, EFE, FENA, LUSA, MIA, STA, and Tanjug.
    (ANSA).