Press Release: 2009 the year of the Western Balkans

On November 5, 2008, the Commission adopted its annual strategy paper for the EU’s enlargement policy. It highlights the role enlargement policy plays in the Union’s strategic interest in stability, security and conflict prevention. The Commission also reviews the progress achieved in the Western Balkans and Turkey over the last year and spells out the challenges ahead. The Western Balkan countries' advance towards EU membership can be accelerated, provided they meet the necessary conditions. It should be possible to reach the final stage of accession negotiations with Croatia by the end of 2009, provided that Croatia fulfils all the necessary conditions. The pace of negotiations with Turkey will continue to match the pace of reform in the country.

• Primary Source

European Commission: MEMO/08/672: Key findings of the progress reports on Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Kosovo http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/08/672&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: MEMO/08/675: 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/08/675&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: SPEECH/08/582: Enlargement package 2008 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/582&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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