Balkan leaders face warning over accession

At the General Affairs Council on 16 June 2003 European Union Foreign Ministers agreed that accession countries in the Balkans should be warned when they meet at the European Council in Thessaloniki from 20-21 June 2003 to expect only a modest increase in financial assistance and no timetable for eventual membership of the EU. Balkan leaders will be advised to deal with corruption, human trafficking, smuggling and the judicial systems within their countries in exchange for closer co-operation with the EU.

http://consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/gena/76201.pdf http://consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/en/gena/76201.pdf

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