Pacote Alargamento 2024 Balcãs Ocidentais e Turquia
Opinion factsheet
Conteúdo desta página
- Relações externas, alargamento e política de vizinhança
- Alargamento
- Região dos Balcãs Ocidentais
Opinion number:
CDR-0264-2025
Status:
Adotados
Objective
The CoR monitors the enlargement process via the adoption of regular opinions on each annual enlargement package of the European Commission. Their purpose is to put into perspective the state of the enlargement reforms from the perspective of local and regional authorities.
this specific opinion has a focus on decentralisation as key for a succesful enlargement, including fiscal decentralisation
the opinion gives a summary for the whole region of the Western Balkans and Türkiye, and in the second part gives details regarding each candidate country and potential candidate
The CoR has a statutory role in EU enlargement policy via the Joint Consultative Committees (JCCs) where the CoR represents the EU. Its integrated EU enlargement approach also includes Working Groups (WGs) for countries without JCCs of their own yet, as well as the annual flagship Enlargement Day event.
this specific opinion has a focus on decentralisation as key for a succesful enlargement, including fiscal decentralisation
the opinion gives a summary for the whole region of the Western Balkans and Türkiye, and in the second part gives details regarding each candidate country and potential candidate
The CoR has a statutory role in EU enlargement policy via the Joint Consultative Committees (JCCs) where the CoR represents the EU. Its integrated EU enlargement approach also includes Working Groups (WGs) for countries without JCCs of their own yet, as well as the annual flagship Enlargement Day event.
Impact
It is very difficult to measure the impact of the CoR own-initiative opinions, so called non-legislative opinions (when the Commission has not sent a referral and requested an opinion); nevertheless, the CoR role at the local and regional level is recognised by the enlargement countries, as several of them have thanked the Rapporteur on the opinion and the recommendations it contains: it is generally admitted that the implementation of reforms is made by the local and regional authorities, so the peer-to-peer exchanges are extremely valuable.
Essential points
THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (CoR)
- underscores the significance of EU enlargement policy in addressing current geopolitical challenges (…), and highlights the fresh momentum both for aspiring candidates and EU Member States to unite on the common foundation of democracy, human rights and respect for the rule of law;
- reaffirms its support for the gradual integration of EU candidate countries into selected policy areas, on a merit-based approach that requires commitment to EU values and fulfilment of the Copenhagen criteria; expresses concern about recent developments in certain candidate countries, which raise questions as to their commitment to EU values and the rule of law, including the respect for local democracy;
- urges the European Commission to ensure that candidate countries and potential candidates actively involve local and regional authorities (LRAs) from the outset in implementing the Reform Agendas under the Growth Plan, particularly in strengthening absorption capacities; emphasises that the CoR and its bodies are prepared to support LRAs in achieving this objective through the exchange of good practices;
- highlights the indispensable role of LRAs in fostering reconciliation, addressing historical legacies and resolving bilateral issues through dialogue, trust-building and joint cross-border initiatives, promoting locally driven solutions in line with EU principles;
- stresses the importance of effective decentralisation in candidate countries in order to fully capitalise on the benefits of the EU accession process, (…) accompanied by fiscal decentralisation;
- recognises that it is of paramount importance for candidate countries and potential candidates to fully align with the EU common foreign and security policy (CFSP);
- calls on the Commission and candidate countries and potential candidates to combat ‘local state capture’, understood as a local governance system fully or partially usurped by powerful individuals or groups to serve their own particular interests.