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Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – Enlargement package 2025 – Western Balkans and Türkiye

COR 2025/04083

OJ C, C/2026/2602, 20.5.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/2602/oj (BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, GA, HR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/2602/oj

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Official Journal
of the European Union

C series

C/2026/2602

20.5.2026

Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions – Enlargement package 2025 – Western Balkans and Türkiye

(C/2026/2602)

Rapporteur

Gillian COUGHLAN (IE/renew E.) Member of a Local Assembly: Councillor, Cork County Council

Reference documents

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions – 2025 Communication on EU enlargement policy – COM(2025) 690

SWD (2025) 750; SWD (2025) 751; SWD (2025) 752; SWD (2025) 753; SWD (2025) 754; SWD (2025) 755; SWD (2025) 756

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (CoR)

General comments

welcomes with keen interest the European Commission’s 2025 Communication on EU enlargement policy and the accompanying country reports and looks forward to the forthcoming pre-enlargement reforms and policy reviews, in particular when it comes to the policy reviews of cohesion policy, the common agricultural policy and the overall institutional framework. At the same time, it underlines the particular strategic importance of EU enlargement to the Western Balkan countries as an overdue measure to fill in gaps in order to complete the European community of peace and values;

acknowledges that the Russian war on Ukraine has transformed Europe’s security landscape, reminding that EU enlargement is a security and strategic democratic and societal imperative, grounded in the rule of law and fundamental rights; calls on the European Commission and the national governments of accession countries to view enlargement not only as a technical process but through its tangible impact on citizens and local communities, recognising that the frontline of democracy lies in cities and regions, whose resilience and wellbeing are directly linked to that of the EU as a whole and stresses in this regard the need to bolster democratic resilience, including support against hybrid threats, disinformation and pressures on civic space;

reaffirms its support for the merit-based accession of the Western Balkans and Türkiye, while stressing that accession must be firmly grounded in democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights; emphasises that gradual integration can make the EU more tangible to citizens in negotiating countries, improving their daily lives and fostering engagement and trust throughout what can be a lengthy journey towards EU membership;

points out that cities and regions are at the forefront of societal transformation, infrastructure development and the delivery of the concrete benefits of the European path, even when national authorities fall short. Any harassment, arbitrary detention or intimidation of mayors and local elected officials must be firmly combatted; encourages municipalities across the EU and candidate countries to participate in initiatives like the municipality of Istanbul’s International Observatory of Mayors at Risk and affirms its readiness to provide meaningful support;

calls on the European Commission and national governments to formally recognise subnational authorities as key partners in implementing European standards in a range of areas, and believes that, as such, they should be recognised as key institutional partners and consulted throughout the EU enlargement process; Thus, calls for the systematic and early involvement of local and regional authorities in accession-related reforms, stands ready to offer support in contributing to the drafting of enlargement reports through structured involvement of joint consultative committees (JCCs) and working groups (WGs) and urges the Commission to guarantee CoR participation in major EU forums, including Western Balkans summits and the EU Enlargement Forum, to ensure that local priorities inform agenda setting, planning and reforms;

calls on the European Commission to make local democracy, as well as balanced, local and regional economic development integral elements of the EU accession process; stresses that particular attention should be paid to rural, peripheral, mountainous and less-developed regions, warns that neglecting these aspects increases the risks of brain drain, democratic backsliding, destabilisation and external interference in acceding countries;

offers to organise awareness raising campaigns for LRAs in accession countries, in conjunction with JCC/WG meetings, regarding their crucial role in implementing EU policies on the ground, combating corruption, driving reforms and ensuring that citizens have ownership of the accession process;

calls on the European Commission to ensure adequate budgetary resources and establish a structured, easily accessible EU-financed programme for capacity building, the development of institutional reforms and the exchange of best practices between LRAs in the Member States and accession countries. Such a programme should build on successful initiatives, including the CoR’s TIPS4UA, EU for Municipalities project and the TAIEX programme, and could include a peer-to-peer Erasmus+-style mechanism to foster knowledge exchange, joint projects, resilience and accelerated EU integration and cohesion;

strongly supports the European Commission’s tightening of the rule of law conditionality mechanism, but calls for measures to ensure that funds withheld from Member States or national governments of accession countries due to rule of law breaches can remain accessible to cities and regions in those countries;

10.

calls on the European Commission to ensure that pre-accession funding instruments include dedicated calls to support town-twinning, inter-municipal and inter-regional cooperation between local and regional authorities in EU Member States and enlargement countries; underlines that concrete partnerships, peer-to-peer cooperation, cultural exchanges, study visits, joint pilot projects and the transfer of good practices in local development, public services, territorial planning and governance are effective means to bring the European Union closer to citizens, strengthen mutual trust and enhance administrative capacity and preparedness for EU accession at local and regional level;

11.

welcomes the contribution of European city networks and regional initiatives, including Eurocities and the B40 Balkan Cities Network, in fostering early integration of cities from candidate countries into European governance frameworks, and supports their role in delivering structured cooperation on climate action, democracy, digitalisation and local economic development; highlights, in this context, concrete city-to-city cooperation involving Sofia and partner cities from the Western Balkans, including through funded by the CERV Programme CIVIC Act project – Civic Activism for Resilient Democracy – bringing together Sofia, Tirana and Podgorica to strengthen civic participation and democratic resilience;

Country-specific observations

ALBANIA

12.

welcomes the significant progress achieved by Albania, which has led to the opening of all negotiating clusters. Welcomes as well the ambition to close accession negotiations by the end of 2027 and encourages all political forces and stakeholders to step up their efforts and work together to ensure further progress;

13.

commends the formation of the National Association of Municipalities of Albania (NAMA) and the launch of a JCC, praising the enthusiasm of the Albanian partners and their inclusive approach;

14.

reminds the Albanian government that fiscal decentralisation is essential in enabling local authorities to sustainably carry out their tasks, particularly as responsibilities expand in the context of EU accession. Administrative and territorial reform should be guided by the functions and tasks of municipalities rather than electoral considerations, with the ideal size of a municipality reflecting its capacity to deliver services effectively. It should also follow European and International standards, including consultation with representatives of national minorities and ensure the right of minorities to participate effectively in public affairs at local level;

15.

regrets the central government’s call for resignations of local officials in 2025 and stresses that local democracy should develop independently, in line with the European Charter of Local Self-Government; in addition, stresses the importance of merit-based recruitment, promotion and dismissal to ensure professional, depoliticised local administration;

16.

welcomes Albania’s continued progress on judicial reform, anti-corruption, organised crime and media freedom, while urging the acceleration of EU-related reforms and stronger administrative capacity at all levels;

17.

praises the pilot delegation of competencies in health, education and agriculture to four municipalities, highlighting the need for adequate funding, technical expertise and capacity-building to ensure long-term sustainability.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

18.

calls on Bosnia and Herzegovina to adopt and enforce constitutional, legislative and procedural reforms, in particular electoral law amendments in order to implement the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and the Constitutional Court of BiH and to ensure that the three constituent peoples are legitimately represented in state institutions and that all citizens can be elected to any institution; also to enforce ODIHR recommendations in order to strengthen electoral integrity, ensure inclusive participation, enhance institutional functionality, improve the functioning of institutions, thus enabling full local and regional engagement in EU integration;

19.

encourages Bosnia and Herzegovina, following the decision of the European Council of March 2024, to take all relevant steps set out in the Commission’s recommendation of 12 October 2022 with a view to the adoption of the negotiating framework by the Council the moment these conditions are met. As a matter of priority, Bosnia and Herzegovina should adopt the new Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council and the Law on Courts in line with European standards and implement the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and Constitutional Court of BiH; underlines the importance for a successful accession process to work together beyond political differences, starting by the appointment of a Chief Negotiator;

20.

expresses disappointment with the low voter turnout of below 35 % in the Republika Srpska snap presidential election, and highlights concerns about the resulting implications for democratic legitimacy; calls for measures to strengthen local democracy, increase electoral participation and ensure transparency and accountability in future elections;

21.

condemns the moves by the leadership of Republika Srpska which are leading to the secession of the entity from Bosnia and Herzegovina and calls on the Republika Srpska to fully recognise and enforce the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and respect the constitutional order of the country;

22.

questions the USA’s decision to lift sanctions on Milorad Dodik and other Republika Srpska officials, and calls on the EU to impose targeted sanctions on all actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina who undermine its sovereignty, territorial integrity or constitutional order, as a measure to safeguard stability and support EU integration;

23.

reaffirms the CoR’s commitment to supporting LRAs in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the EU integration path through the working group and, when conditions permit, a JCC, underlining the crucial role of all subnational authorities as key actors in implementing reforms and the EU acquis at local level, following the good example of the canton of Sarajevo and the fight against corruption;

24.

stresses that challenges stem not from the decentralised structure but from a lack of political will and constructive engagement. Reiterates that decentralisation, when properly implemented and adequately financed, can be a strength rather than an obstacle, and that all levels of governance must promote coordination, renounce ethnic vetoes and adopt pragmatic decisions to strengthen functionality, accountability and public service delivery;

25.

welcomes the September 2025 Reform Agenda and the green lighting by the European Commission; stresses, however, that its effective implementation is essential in order for Bosnia and Herzegovina to fully benefit from the Western Balkans Growth Plan, particularly at local and regional level;

26.

calls on the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to advance preparations for Chapter 22 on Regional Policy and Coordination of Structural Instruments by adopting a national strategy for structural and cohesion funds, strengthening capacity to manage EU assistance and improving public investment management through an updated and transparent project pipeline;

KOSOVO

27.

welcomes the successful organisation of peaceful and inclusive local elections held in autumn 2025, with the participation of all communities, noting that the renewed engagement of the Kosovo Serb community has strengthened the legitimacy of municipal institutions and restored the functioning of local democracy;

28.

notes that, with the re-establishment of inclusive local democratic participation, the original justification for EU measures imposed on Kosovo no longer applies, and calls on the European Commission to lift, as a matter of priority, those measures that have directly affected municipalities by suspending EU funding, which has a clear and immediate impact on citizens’ welfare; Calls in parallel to de-escalate the tensions, particularly in the north and ensure access to basic public and social services to all citizens;

29.

acknowledges Kosovo’s continued commitment to its EU path and the strong public support for European integration, while regretting that political polarisation and prolonged institutional deadlock at central level have slowed reforms; stresses the need to improve coordination and trust between central and local authorities, as persistent governance tensions undermine the effective implementation of legislation and policies in key areas such as public administration reform, protection of non-majority communities, environmental protection, climate action and basic public services;

30.

urges Kosovo and Serbia to engage constructively in the EU-facilitated dialogue and for Kosovo to take immediate steps towards the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-Majority Municipalities (A/CSM) in line with the European proposal of October 2023 and highlights the contribution CoR members can make through their expertise, especially in conflict resolution;

31.

calls for the further strengthening of municipal administrative capacity, including improved financial oversight, sound budget planning and consistent application of merit-based professional development, performance appraisal and promotion systems to ensure sustainable and accountable local governance; underscores the importance of municipal level investments in water and waste systems, recycling schemes and climate adaptation measures, which are critical for living standards and align with Kosovo’s ongoing efforts to implement environmental standards;

32.

calls on Kosovo to abstain from measures that adversely impact the daily lives of people in local communities, particularly in the north of the country; emphasises the importance of ensuring that tensions are not inadvertently escalated nor progress in the Dialogue is hindered;

33.

believes that, in light of the European Parliament’s resolution of 7 May 2025 and with a view to ensuring institutional coherence and political clarity and reflecting Kosovo’s European prospects, an alignment of the terminology with that of the European Parliament should be conducted, by discontinuing the use of the ‘Kosovo*’ designation and its accompanying footnote in its public documents;

MONTENEGRO

34.

welcomes the European Commission’s 2025 Enlargement Report confirming that Montenegro remains on the right track towards EU membership and continues to be the most advanced candidate country, providing certainty for municipalities in long-term planning and the use of pre-accession support; welcomes the country's ambition to close accession negotiations by the end of 2026;

35.

notes that, despite overall progress, democratic institutions remain fragile and the implementation of key recommendations in the Fundamentals chapters is often partial, with direct implications for local governance, electoral credibility and citizens’ trust in decision-making;

36.

urges Montenegro’s central government to pursue effective decentralisation by ensuring that municipalities have sustainable own-source revenues and clearly defined competences, particularly in spatial planning and sustainable local development; notes that the continued central control over land governance, including national parks and extensive coastal areas, significantly limits municipalities’ capacity to carry out transparent planning, attract sustainable investment and implement environmental, territorial and climate-related policies in line with the EU acquis; stresses that such decentralisation should be fully aligned with the EU principles of subsidiarity and local self-government; calls for a peaceful resolution of disputes with local authorities in the municipality of Zeta and the city of Ulcinj, respecting all foreseen procedures and regulation, especially those of the EU in environmental protection;

37.

stresses the importance of fostering an inclusive and tolerant political climate at local and national level, importance of avoiding actions such as the adoption of the Resolution on Genocide in Jasenovac, Dachau and Mauthausen camp systems, ensuring open and constructive dialogue that respects Montenegro’s multi-ethnic and multi-religious character, and guaranteeing the effective implementation of the rights of all groups, as enshrined in law, given the central role of municipalities in social cohesion and community relations;

38.

strongly recommends that Montenegro continues to engage in good faith with neighbouring countries in areas relevant to local and regional authorities, recognising the benefits for cross-border cooperation, regional stability and local economic development;

39.

commends the work of the CoR’s JCC with Montenegro and supports further structured engagement between the CoR, Montenegro’s local authorities and the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro to strengthen local democracy and anchor the EU accession process firmly at territorial level;

NORTH MACEDONIA

40.

notes the gradual progress of North Macedonia towards EU accession, in particular the accession to the Single Euro Payments Area, advances on roaming and access to all funds allocated under the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans; at the same time, urges the national government to adopt the long-committed constitutional amendments on minority rights, as referred to in the Council Conclusions of July 2022, to unblock its accession process and ensure full protection of all communities;

41.

commends North Macedonia’s alignment with EU foreign and security policy, and NATO membership, while urging continued reform implementation to ensure steady progress towards EU integration and full participation in European structures;

42.

calls on the national government to swiftly adopt the proposed law on local self-government and to strengthen dialogue across all levels of government, while implementing comprehensive measures to enhance local and regional governance capacity, including fiscal decentralisation, integrated territorial development and improved coordination to ensure the transparent and effective implementation of EU-funded programmes;

43.

is aware of the significance for EU integration of the outcome of the recent local elections in the country, regretting that the campaign was governed by identity politics and that important local issues as well as women’s representation were not addressed;

44.

requests the Association of the units of local self-government of North Macedonia (ZELS), as the primary partner of JCC North Macedonia, to incorporate, as much as possible, gender balance and political plurality in their JCC membership, and to promote a continuous and active collaboration between LRAs of North Macedonia and the CoR partners;

45.

stresses the need to strengthen the fight against serious and organised crime, financial crimes and money laundering by improving investigative, prosecutorial and conviction capacities and ensuring adequate resources for law enforcement agencies;

46.

encourages progress in public administration reform, including the full implementation of the July 2025 laws on administrative servants and public sector employees, e-government development, digitalisation of institutional registers and the use of digital tools such as the Digital Identity Wallet;

SERBIA

47.

notes with concern the slow pace of Serbia’s accession process with several negotiation chapters opened but a clear slowdown in reforms central to the rule of law, democratic governance and media freedom. This stagnation raises serious doubts about Serbia’s ability to meet its stated EU integration timeline, yet there have been certain positive developments. Welcomes in this sense Serbia’s newly established high-level operational team to accelerate its EU accession, as well as progress made with regards to the electronic media and the electoral framework. Expects Serbia to demonstrate strong political will and consistency in implementing EU-related reforms and is looking forward to opening Cluster 3 of Serbia's negotiating chapters, when all necessary criteria are met;

48.

commends the courage of Serbian students in particular following the Novi Sad railway station collapse; expresses full solidarity with peaceful protesters and their right to assembly; strongly condemns the disproportionate use of force, democratic backsliding and unlawful detentions; calls for the immediate release of all detainees, the dismantling of the camp in Pionirski Park and the full protection of civil liberties; urges the Commission to impose targeted restrictive measures against officials responsible for violence, intimidation and rule of law violations;

49.

Calls on Serbia to confront systematic corruption, and stresses the importance of sustained efforts to ensure tangible results, including putting in place a robust criminal justice response, following the adoption of a new anti-corruption strategy for 2024-2028;

50.

condemns repression of journalists and civil society actors, including foreign correspondents, the suppression of different minorities, including the LGBTIQ community and stresses that these violences of fundamental rights are incompatible with EU values and detrimental to public trust, democratic pluralism and Serbia’s accession prospects;

51.

while welcoming the adoption of amendments to media legislation and the steps taken so far, towards finalising the appointment of the Council of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) in an inclusive and transparent way, calls on the Serbian authorities to restore media freedom and pluralism, prevent war criminals from appearance in state media, counter political interference and smear campaigns, and ensure that independent and opposition voices are heard and respected at all levels of governance;

52.

welcomes the adoption of the amendments to the law on the unified voter register and urges full implementation of ODIHR/OSCE electoral recommendations, with particular focus on local elections, to ensure transparent, fair and credible processes that underpin democratic legitimacy, plurality and effective local self-government;

53.

encourages targeted capacity building for municipalities to apply EU environmental acquis on water, waste and air quality, alongside practical circular economy actions that improve public health and reduce service costs;

54.

emphasises the need to reinforce constructive engagement in the EU-facilitated dialogue with Kosovo, ensuring full implementation of the 2023 Agreement on the Path to Normalisation, as this is essential for regional stability and Serbia’s continued EU accession progress; highlights the importance of Serbia’s broader strategic alignment with the EU, especially adherence to EU foreign and security policy, and urges tangible progress in dialogue, policy alignment and cooperation with civil society to rebuild credibility and advance on the European path;

55.

welcomes that Serbia has actively engaged in and started to deliver on the implementation of the new Growth Plan for the Western Balkans across all four pillars of gradual integration with the EU: single market, regional economic integration, fundamental reforms and increased financial support; also welcomes that under the Reform and Growth Facility, a performance-based EU instrument that supports the EU accession process, the country adopted its Reform Agenda;

TÜRKİYE

56.

reiterates that Türkiye remains a candidate country and a key strategic partner for the European Union, but expresses deep concern at the continued and systemic backsliding in the areas of the rule of law, fundamental rights, freedom of expression, judicial independence and democratic standards, as reflected in the Commission’s 2025 Country Report; stresses that the current trajectory is incompatible with the values and principles on which the EU is founded, and that accession negotiations cannot be meaningfully re-energised in the absence of clear and measurable progress;

57.

condemns the erosion of local and civic democracy, including the detention and dismissal of elected opposition mayors, municipal officials and civil-society actors, as well as the use of government-appointed trustees as expressed in the CoR urgent resolution on the arrest of Turkish mayors and the assault on local democracy in Türkiye; condemns the criminalisation of peaceful student activism and the systematic curtailment of LGBTI rights; urges respect for electoral outcomes, the release of unlawfully detained mayors, an end to the trustee practice and accountability for actions undermining local self-government; stresses that protection of local democracy is a fundamental benchmark for any credible re-engagement with the EU accession process;

58.

stresses that the EU’s democratic values require Türkiye to fully guarantee the political and civil rights of all local representatives, including protection against arbitrary detention and politically motivated judicial proceedings. Reiterates that the release of imprisoned mayors and the restoration of democratic local governance are essential conditions for rebuilding institutional trust and making progress in EU–Türkiye relations;

59.

regrets that, to date, the Turkish authorities have, on two occasions refused to authorise a visit of the imprisoned mayor of Istanbul, and Adamowicz Prize laureate, Ekrem İmamoğlu; calls on the Turkish authorities to grant such authorisation without delay; and reiterates the Committee of the Regions to send a CoR delegation to Türkiye in order to demonstrate, in a tangible and visible manner, its solidarity with and support for all democratically elected Turkish local and regional representatives who are imprisoned or otherwise prevented from exercising their mandates;

60.

recalls that the European Committee of the Regions awarded the Paweł Adamowicz Award 2025 to the Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, in recognition of his commitment to democratic values, local self-government and inclusive governance; underlines that this award reflects the Committee’s continued support for democratically elected local and regional representatives and for the protection of local democracy as a core European value;

61.

encourages city diplomacy and reinforced municipal cooperation, including through CoR’s ARLEM and WG Türkiye, to maintain dialogue, share expertise and strengthen local democracy; welcomes the municipality of Istanbul’s initiative to establish an International Observatory of Mayors at Risk, and stands ready to actively engage with this observatory, involving the EU Member States and enlargement countries, to support mayors as defenders of democratic values; expresses serious concern about recent and ongoing centralising reforms that risk undermining municipal autonomy, pluralism and the effective exercise of local self-government, contrary to European democratic standards;

62.

welcomes the ceasefire between the Turkish state and the PKK as a window of opportunity for peace, de-escalation and regional stability; stresses that any sustainable reconciliation process must be anchored in democratic governance, inclusive participation and full respect for fundamental rights, including the rights of elected representatives, particularly in Kurdish-majority municipalities; calls for credible progress to build confidence and support wider regional stability;

63.

reaffirms that Türkiye must: (i) avoid threats and actions that could raise tensions and undermine the prospects for a peaceful settlement and damage good neighbourly relations; (ii) recognise and normalise its relations with the Republic of Cyprus; and (iii) fulfil its obligations under the additional protocol to the EU-Türkiye association agreement by removing all obstacles to both the free movement of goods and direct transport links with the Republic of Cyprus; (iv) immediately reverse its unilateral actions in Varosha and to fully respect UNSC Resolutions 541, 550, 789, 1251; (v) respect the sovereignty of all EU Member States over their territorial sea and airspace as well as all their sovereign rights, including the right to explore and exploit natural resources in accordance with EU and international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UN-CLOS);

64.

calls for a more active role by the EU in supporting all stages of the UN-led process, with all appropriate means at its disposal and welcomes the appointment of the Commission’s special envoy for Cyprus;

Brussels, 5 March 2026.

The President

of the European Committee of the Regions

Kata TÜTTŐ

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/2602/oj

ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)

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