This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
EU enlargement policy 2020
- Date of last review:
- 29/06/2021
- Initial creation date:
- 26/08/2021
- Summary code:
-
- 16.04.00.00 Enlargement: Strategy and Reports
- EUROVOC descriptor:
- Directory code:
- Summarised document(s):
- Author:
- Publications Office of the European Union
- Responsible entity(ies):
- Council of the European Union
EU enlargement policy 2020
SUMMARY OF:
European Commission communication on EU enlargement policy
Treaty on European Union (TEU) — Title VI — Final provisions — Article 49
WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE ARTICLE AND THE COMMUNICATION?
- Article 49 TEU provides the legal basis for admitting a European country into the European Union (EU).
- The communication on enlargement policy assesses the main developments and the progress made by the candidate countries and other western Balkans partners, draws conclusions and makes recommendations.
KEY POINTS
- Each year, the European Commission adopts its enlargement package — a set of documents on its policy on EU enlargement.
- In October 2020, the Commission also adopted an economic and investment plan for the western Balkans (see summary).
- The package takes into account:
- the Commission’s 2018 western Balkans strategy
- the 2020 communication ‘Enhancing the accession process — A credible EU perspective for the Western Balkans’
- the decision of the Council of the European Union to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia.
- The 2020 package includes a communication that assesses the reform progress, sets out the way forward and takes stock of the situation in the candidate countries and other western Balkans partners. The assessment focuses on:
- the judiciary and fundamental rights
- justice, freedom and security
- functioning of democratic institutions
- public administration reform
- the economy
- the ability to take on the obligations of membership
- regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations.
In addition to this communication, the package contains the reports in which the Commission presents its detailed assessment of the state of play in each candidate country and other western Balkans partners, what has been achieved over the last year, and provides guidance on reform priorities:
BACKGROUND
For more information, see:
- European Neighbourhood policy and enlargement negotiations (European Commission)
- EU accession process step by step (European Commission).
MAIN DOCUMENTS
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2020 — Communication on EU enlargement policy (COM(2020) 660 final, )
Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union — Title VI — Final provisions — Article 49 (ex Article 49 TEU) (OJ C 202, , p. 43)
last update
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.