Press Release: The EU Enlargement Process: A Year of Progress in the Western Balkans and Turkey

On 14 October 2009 the Commission adopted its annual strategy on EU enlargement. The communication highlighted the progress the Western Balkans and Turkey made towards European integration during a difficult year of global economic crisis, and spelt out the main challenges facing them in the months and years to come. In the light of the progress achieved, the Commission decided to recommend the opening of negotiations with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. In a major step forward for the region, visa liberalisation for the Western Balkans will progress substantially in 2010.

• Primary Source

ESO: Information Guide: Enlargement of the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/information-guide-enlargement-policy/

European Commission: MEMO/09/450: Key findings of the progress reports on Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Kosovo http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/450&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: MEMO/09/449: Key findings of the progress reports on the candidate countries: Croatia, Turkey and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/449&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: SPEECH/09/469: Enlargement package 2009 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/09/469&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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