Juncker Urges EU to Integrate Balkan States

Europe should be more open to the Western Balkans and should rapidly integrate Romania and Bulgaria into the passport-free Schengen Agreement, European Commission Chief Jean Claude Juncker told the European Parliament on Wednesday during his third annual State of the European Union Speech.

Predictably, he ruled out any EU membership perspective for Turkey in the near future, citing the recent purges in the country.

"It is clear that there will be no further enlargement during the mandate of this Commission and this Parliament. No candidate is ready yet," he said.

"But, thereafter, the European Union will be greater than 27 in number. Accession candidates must give the rule of law, justice and fundamental rights utmost priority," he said. 

In the Balkans, Montenegro and Serbia have started EU membership talks already while Macedonia and Albania have candidate country status.

Others, like Bosnia and Kosovo, are seen as potential candidates for EU membership, too, at some point.

The EU retains a supporting role in stabilising Bosnia and Herzegovina, through the EUFOR/Althea military-led mission. Between 2003 and 2012, the EU deployed a police mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, too.

In Kosovo, the EU still deploys EULEX, a mission to support the Kosovo authorities in upholding the rule of law.  

Juncker, on the other hand, ruled out EU membership for Turkey for the foreseeable future, citing what Brussels sees as major human rights transgressions during the past year, after a failed coup in 2016 resulted in mass purges in the army, justice and education systems and the media.

.@JunckerEU #SOTEU: If we want more stability in our neighbourhood, then we must maintain a...

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