Enlargement: spotlight on decentralisation, democracy and economy in bilateral meetings

The European Committee of the Regions on 16 December completed a season of meetings with local and regional politicians from countries seeking EU membership, with discussions in Pirot with Serbian local and regional politicians and in Istanbul with leaders from across the political spectrum in Türkiye.

Each of the eight external meetings assessed current progress with EU-related reforms, with separate debates on elements of the accession agenda that are particularly topical and pressing for local and regional authorities in that particular territory.

How to use EU funds for economic growth were in the spotlight in meetings with Albanian, Montenegrin, and Serbian local and regional authorities, with opportunities for young people a particular concern in Kosovo*. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, debate centred on local development needs and building up the capacity of local and regional administrations, while challenges to local democracy were to the fore in Türkiye. Political and fiscal decentralisation were centre-stage in Albania and Moldova. The continuation of decentralisation reforms and preparations for reconstruction were discussed with Ukrainian local and regional authorities in a meeting in Prešov, Slovakia.

The meetings came shortly after the European Commission published, on 4 November, its reports on each country's progress on the reform agenda agreed with the EU. The exchanges will feed directly into the CoR's assessment of the Commission's reports, with recommendations scheduled for adoption in March 2026.

Reflecting momentum towards enlargement, the CoR has this year decided to upgrade working relations with local and regional authorities in four partners. There are now dedicated working groups with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, and Moldova, and a new joint consultative committee - a more structured platform for dialogue and cooperation - with Albania. Formal decisions by the Stabilization and Association Councils are pending on transforming the working groups with Moldova and Ukraine into joint consultative committees (JCCs).

Given recent local elections, no meeting of the JCC North Macedonia was possible. The CoR maintains a dialogue with local and regional authorities from Georgia, which has unilaterally put on hold its accession process, through the Conference of Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP). CORLEAP held its annual meeting on 27 October.

Quotes:

Csaba Borboly (RO/EPP), chair of the WG Bosnia and Herzegovina and vice-president of Harghita County Council: "By coming to Brčko, we sent a clear message: Bosnia and Herzegovina's European future will be built from the local level up. Brčko has shown that when communities join forces, they can rise above divisions and deliver stability, reforms and economic opportunities for their citizens. Our Working Group will continue to serve as a bridge between local leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the EU institutions in Brussels, ensuring that local needs are heard and that EU support reaches communities on the ground."

Gillian Coughlan (IE/RE), chair of the WG Kosovo and member of Cork County Council: "I would like to warmly commend the enthusiasm and commitment of our local partners on the ground in Kosovo, which was clearly evident throughout our autumn Working Group meeting in Pristina. Their engagement and openness to cooperation are a strong foundation for continued progress. I am also particularly grateful for the two educational study visits organised for the Working Group. The visit to the school was especially inspiring, as it vividly demonstrated a shared ambition to align with European standards in education and a genuine desire to invest in a better future for the next generations."

Nikola Dobroslavić (HR/EPP), chair of the JCC Montenegro and prefect of Dubrovnik-Neretva County: "It is good that Montenegro, according to the statement of the President of the European Council Antonio Costa, has gone the furthest in the accession process towards EU membership and that it has broad support of its citizens on this path. The Montenegrin authorities must continue to work persistently on fulfilling the criteria for membership such as the rule of law, the fight against corruption and organised crime, freedom of the media, minority rights, gender equality, relations with neighbours and alignment with the EU's foreign and security policy."

Anna Magyar (HU/ECR), chair of the JCC Serbia and member of the County Council of Csongrád Megye: "A meeting of this kind has not taken place in the past two years, and therefore today feels like the beginning of a new cycle - one we hope will conclude with Serbia as a full member of the EU. Local and regional authorities are key to supporting Serbia's EU-related objectives. Enlargement is not only a technical exercise; mayors and councillors play a decisive role in translating the opportunities it offers into real outcomes on the ground."

Antonio Mazzeo (IT/PES), chair of the JCC Albania and president of the Regional Council of Tuscany: "Albania's path towards EU membership is built through the active role of its municipalities and regions. The Joint Consultative Committee shows that strong local democracy, fiscal decentralisation and effective access to EU funds are essential to deliver real progress for citizens. By empowering local authorities through multilevel governance and sustainable public investment, we strengthen Albania's reforms, social cohesion and trust in the European project. Europe is our shared destiny - and it is Albania's destiny as well."

More information:

• Agendas: Agendas for the meetings of the Joint Consultative Committees with Albania (4 December), Montenegro (4 December), and Serbia (16 December) and for the meetings of the Working Groups on Bosnia and Herzegovina (2 December), Kosovo (30 October), Moldova (24 November), Türkiye (16 December) and Ukraine (28 November).
• Press releases: Working Group on Moldova (24 November), Working Group on Ukraine (28 November), Working Group on Türkiye (16 December).
• Enlargement report 2024: Factsheets on the CoR's opinions on enlargement package 2024 for the Western Balkans and Türkiye (rapporteur: Jean-Luc Vanraes, BE/RE, member of Uccle Municipal Council) and Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia (rapporteur: Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, PL/EPP, mayor of Gdańsk).
• Enlargement report 2025: The CoR's rapporteurs on the European Commission's enlargement package 2025 are Gillian Coughlan (IE/RE), member of Cork County Council (Western Balkans and Türkiye) and Patrick Molinoz (FR/PES), vice-president of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region (Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia). Highlights of the European Commission's reports.
• CoR platforms: Working Groups and Joint Consultative Committees, and the Conference of Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP).

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution UNSCR 1244/1999 and the International Court of Justice Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.