Brussels – Another EU-Western Balkans Summit will seek to demonstrate the Union’s commitment to a region that has been waiting for years at the EU’s door. Yet concrete steps continue to fall short of the expectations raised by repeated declarations and announcements.
On 25 November, on the eve of the special European Council, which will address key contentious issues such as the next EU budget and funding for Ukraine, the second EU-Western Balkans Summit of 2026 will take place in Brussels. “The Western Balkans’ future is in the European Union,” said European Council President António Costa, announcing the summit. “Their accession is our priority, our shared ambition and a crucial geopolitical investment in these turbulent times.”
Hopes for progress beyond the usual repetition of well-worn refrains were dampened by the “strategic dialogue” at the latest EU leaders’ summit on 15 October, which proved anything but strategic. In particular, the removal from the conclusions on EU enlargement and reforms of the only two significant passages setting out a timeline for Montenegro’s accession showed that the bilateralisation of the accession process – this time led by Croatia – is far from over.
By the time the EU-Western Balkans Summit takes place, several key developments are expected.
First and foremost, the European Commission is expected to present its 2026 Enlargement Package, including the much-anticipated strategic areas for strengthening the gradual integration of candidate countries and accession roadmaps for the four most advanced countries in the negotiations, including Montenegro and Albania. The summit on 25 November will provide the first opportunity to discuss these issues with the leaders of the region.
Moreover, Accession Conferences with Montenegro and Albania may be convened on the margins of the next General Affairs Council meeting on 19 November, with a view to provisionally closing further accession chapters. This would give fresh impetus to hopes in Podgorica, in particular, of achieving its goal of completing the accession negotiations by the end of the year and moving on to the final drafting, signing and ratification of the Accession Treaty.
Serbia will be particularly under the spotlight, as the outcome of what could be the most crucial election in recent history will shape the future political and institutional direction of a country that has been backsliding on its EU path for years. However, given the possibility of a complex post-election political landscape and the presidential election to be held by 25 December, it is not unlikely that Belgrade will decide to skip the summit, albeit for reasons very different from those behind its absence in 2025.
The Growth Plan for the Western Balkans is also expected to feature on the summit’s agenda, with an assessment of what has actually been achieved in terms of reforms and the funds forfeited by some countries, such as Serbia and Kosovo, while Bosnia and Herzegovina faces the deadline in December. The Commission intends to redistribute the unallocated funding to the countries that have performed well – Albania, North Macedonia and Montenegro – “but they will need to update their reform agenda,” an EU source told The New Union Post, adding that “we are currently doing this with them”.
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 2024 summit 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.
The 2025 in Brussels was overshadowed both by Hungary’s veto on the 2025 enlargement conclusions and by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s decision not to attend the meeting to “protect Serbia and its interests.”
The most recent summit, held on 5 June 2026, took place for the second time ever in the Western Balkans region, specifically in Tivat (Montenegro). It primarily served to showcase Montenegro’s progress towards EU accession and to try to revive EU enlargement as a “strategic policy rather than a purely bureaucratic exercise,” as Ambassador Petar Marković told The New Union Post.
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