EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, believes that the next wave of European Union enlargement by 2030 is a realistic goal. This includes not only Albania and Montenegro, considered frontrunners in the accession process, but also Moldova and Ukraine.
Kos emphasized that progress depends on the actual merits and commitment of candidate countries to implementing the necessary reforms.
In an interview with European Newsroom (ENR), Kos expressed hope that Moldova and Ukraine will be able to open the first chapters of accession negotiations during Poland’s presidency of the Council of the EU, which runs until the end of June 2025. She also took an optimistic view on the issue of Hungary’s veto against Ukraine’s accession, related to the treatment of the Hungarian minority.
While Ukraine and Moldova are making swift progress, the Western Balkan countries have been waiting for decades. North Macedonia, despite its early start in the European integration process, is still at the beginning of the path due to internal issues and blockades from neighboring member states. The country is now demanding guarantees that no further obstacles will arise from bilateral disputes.
Kos noted that negotiations with Montenegro could be completed by the end of 2026, while Albania aims to wrap up talks by 2027. The EU also maintains its commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina, though EU officials have voiced concern about internal political gridlock that is stalling reform efforts.
The Commissioner also called on Serbia’s new government to take a pro-European and reform-oriented stance, which would help accelerate its accession process. She is planning a visit to Belgrade at the end of April.
Kos stressed that the enlargement process is based on a “merit-based approach.” No country will be left behind, but the EU will assess each candidate’s progress individually. Every stage of the accession process requires unanimous agreement from all member states—up to 150 unanimous decisions are needed for each candidate country. Currently, 14 member states support abandoning the unanimity requirement in favor of qualified majority voting, but even that change would itself require unanimous approval.