A bigger Single Market before enlargement: how to integrate the Western Balkans ahead of accession

The European Commission's Growth Plan aims to integrate the Western Balkans more closely into the Single Market by accelerating reforms in the region, and encouraging more trade and investment. The region’s growing manufacturing sector could be strategically important for the green transition, and the recent visit by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was intended to encourage greater EU private investment ahead of accession. However, country-specific challenges and geopolitical threats present barriers to further economic integration and eventual EU membership. This panel discussed a range of questions: How to overcome the remaining hurdles to investment, including trade tensions and unpredictable global supply chain developments? Will the Growth Plan achieve its objectives by the end of 2027? When will each of the candidate countries be able to compete in the Single Market?

This stream of work was funded by the Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans..