Brussels – After an unusually long delay in confirming the schedule – and amid early speculation about a possible meeting alongside the next European Council in December – the date and venue of the 2025 EU-Western Balkans Summit have now been formally confirmed.
On 17 December, EU leaders will meet their Western Balkan counterparts for the annual gathering, which will take place in Brussels for the fourth consecutive year (with the sole exception of the additional extraordinary meeting in Tirana in December 2022). As has now become tradition, the EU-Western Balkans Summit will be held on the eve of the last European Council of the year.
Pending the publication of the final agenda, the 33 leaders – together with the Presidents of the Commission and the European Council and the EU High Representative – are expected to focus on the latest findings of the 2025 Enlargement Package, with Montenegro and Albania leading the race for EU accession. The Growth Plan for the Western Balkans will take centre stage, widely regarded in Brussels as one of the most effective tools for bringing the region closer to the EU, both economically and in terms of reforms.
Political developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina – particularly the post-electoral scenarios following the recent elections in Republika Srpska and ahead of the 2026 general election – as well as democratic backsliding in Serbia, are likely to be addressed bilaterally. Kosovo will also be discussed in the bilateral talks, with its general elections scheduled for 28 December amid a political crisis and the EU’s punitive measures. For North Macedonia, the summit will likely serve as yet another opportunity to highlight the blockage of accession negotiations caused by a bilateral dispute with Bulgaria within the EU framework.
Following the discussions in Brussels on 17 December, all the leaders will meet again on 1 June in Montenegro for the 2026 EU-Western Balkans Summit, marking only the second time this format is hosted in the partner region.
The recent history of the EU-Western Balkans summits
The EU-Western Balkans Summit is a high-level meeting between the European Union and the six countries of the region – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. The summit serves as a platform for dialogue regarding the Western Balkans’ EU accession perspective, while also addressing current challenges. It typically results in a joint declaration outlining agreements, priorities, and initiatives for closer cooperation.
The first EU-Western Balkans summits took place in 2018 in Sofia (Bulgaria), with the adoption of a declaration introducing new measures to enhance cooperation in areas such as the rule of law, good governance, security, migration, and socio-economic development.
In 2020, amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, a summit was organised in Zagreb (Croatia) and held virtually. During this meeting, the EU reaffirmed its commitment to the Western Balkans’ EU perspective while also focusing on regional cooperation in tackling the pandemic and planning for economic recovery.
In 2021, the summit in Brdo (Slovenia) was held at the leaders’ level. The adopted declaration outlined initiatives to strengthen connectivity within the region and promote both the green and digital transitions.
Following the renewed impetus on EU enlargement caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, 2022 was particularly active with two meetings. In June, leaders convened in Brussels to review progress on EU integration and address challenges arising from the war in Ukraine. On 6 December, an EU-Western Balkans Summit was held in Tirana (Albania) – the first ever hosted within the Western Balkans—with discussions covering security, migration, economic development, and countering foreign interference.
The 2023 summit in Brussels continued this trajectory by focusing on advancing gradual integration, building economic resilience, and strengthening cooperation in light of ongoing geopolitical challenges, particularly Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
The most recent summit, hold on 18 December 2024 in Brussels, further consolidated the EU-Western Balkans partnership, addressing a broad spectrum of topics, from political cooperation to economic development, security, bilateral issues, and migration.
