The EU plans to help Western Balkan countries continue the reforms needed for EU integration by investing 6 billion euros, the president of the European executive, Ursula von der Leyen, said in Skopje on Monday, Reuters reported.

Ursula von der LeyenPhoto: Lopez/EUC/Zuma Press/Profimedia

According to her, North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina should take advantage of the “window of opportunity” for EU enlargement and work on aligning their standards with those of the EU bloc.

Von der Leyen said the EU’s new growth plan for the region would include opening its market to the Western Balkans in sectors such as the free movement of goods and services, transport and energy.

He also called on these countries to open a common regional market and continue the necessary reforms.

North Macedonia, for example, needs to reform the business environment, create effective public administration, have healthy public finances and improve the fight against corruption.

It also needs a constitutional amendment to recognize Bulgarians as a minority, as Bulgaria has requested to allow the country to join the EU.

“These reforms will bring investment,” von der Leyen said at the start of her Western Balkans tour at a press conference with North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski.

“We have proposed a package of 6 billion euros for partners from the Western Balkans,” she said.

Von der Leyen said the EU was ready to start disbursing 100 million euros in microfinance aid, but “we need to do more, we need to bring our savings closer” as the Western Balkans’ incomes are around 42% of the EU average. income.

“We aim to double your economy over the next decade,” she said.

After being promised EU membership years ago, the accession process in the region has slowed down, mainly due to the reluctance of the 27 EU bloc members and the lack of reforms in the region.

Serbia and Montenegro were the first in the region to start talks on joining the EU, while Albania and North Macedonia started talks with Brussels last year. Bosnia and Kosovo are still far behind their neighbors in this process.