We can open all chapters with Albania this year, declared the European Union's Enlargement Commissioner, Marta Kos, in an interview she gave to the European Newsroom (ENR) and the Albanian Telegraphic Agency.

Commissioner Kos stated that "enlargement today is really different from what it was five years ago."

"When I started as Commissioner, I said that enlargement is really different from what it was five years ago. And today I am saying that enlargement today is different from what it was in December 2024. Why is that? Because the whole world is on the move. The whole of Europe is on the move, the whole neighbourhood is on the move. And the security aspect is becoming more and more important. So this security imperative is growing rapidly. And we need to find answers, not only in relation to the enlargement process, but to the whole neighbourhood policy, especially because we surround this eastern part with them. And another reason why this is important is that for the first time in history, we are somehow confronted with external divisive forces that would like to see the enlargement process fail," Kos stressed.

"And this is also something new in the accession process. So, you know, if I were to say that there were for me three phases in the past, you know, the enlargement until 1995, where it was just about a country meeting the criteria. It can be accepted. It was more important then. The country met the criteria. The EU has to be ready. It was possible then. But then it changed. We have to deepen now. We have to deepen, we have to broaden and we have to have answers to geopolitical and security needs. And in this respect, now that we are faced, we have to show our unity first," Kos added.

Secondly, the Commissioner continued, “we need to have answers to address the tension between geopolitical and security needs on the one hand and the enlargement methodology on the other. Enlargement remains the most effective tool to ensure peace, prosperity and freedom. On the other hand, it has limits. The short-term challenges are that we can only do so much. I can talk about this later, but this is the tension that we feel all the way. Especially now I was showing you Moldova and Ukraine, where, for example, especially with Moldova and the parliamentary elections in the autumn, it would be crucial that we could open the talks and of course also for Ukraine. So what can we do. Not so much from a technical point of view, because we can really offer a lot.”

Commissioner Kos underlined that "Albania is making really good progress and we can open the entire group of chapters with Albania this year."

"We are able to open all the chapters with Ukraine and Moldova this year based on the technical weight. But then, of course, the member states have to make the decision. So, how do we work in this geopolitical change of the world, how do we continue with the enlargement process and what kind of neighbourhood policy do we do to ensure that we will be safe. So, how do we respond to the immediate challenges? If the enlargement process takes some time, it is for us to accelerate integration wherever possible. We have many tools, one of the best tools, which is also of a financial nature. We have our growth plans for the Western Balkans, for Moldova and Ukraine. We have the opportunity to integrate the candidate countries into the internal market, which is happening with SEPA or roaming. Then, what? How can we also have an immediate response? Now there is the issue of Turkey. With Turkey, we are not moving at the level of candidate status. So, it is still at a standstill, but we are moving forward", Kos continued.

"I can talk more if you want to know about the high-level dialogue on the economy that we have had and plan to have, that in May we have a high-level dialogue on migration, which means how to deal with the countries that are candidates. And then, of course, what we can do too, and that is what we are doing. Together with the High Representative and the Vice President, we are working together on the Black Sea strategy, we are also partially renewing the Eastern Partnership and we will continue with this document before the summer holidays. So overall it is like that, which means that for me enlargement is easier compared to the past, because there is a clear message from all EU institutions that enlargement is a priority," she said.

On the other hand, Kos added, “enlargement has never been so challenged by external forces. And I would say that they do not come only from the East, which we actually have to take into account in everything we are doing. But, I am still encouraged. How? We have started in this mandate because there is great will and vision also of the member states that we need to move forward. I just came from the Foreign Affairs Council yesterday in Luxembourg. We had a debate on Ukraine. We had a debate on the Western Balkans… On the other hand, it is wonderful and I am very honored and very happy that I can have this portfolio… Of course we have challenges and it is very different in different countries, but they will certainly happen”.

She added that the new dynamic is for all candidate countries.

"For the candidate countries from the Western Balkans, compared to Moldova and Ukraine, there is a new dynamic vision of the European Union to accelerate the accession process. On the other hand, we also experience, especially through the enlargement plan, a kind of peer pressure between countries, especially in the Western Balkans. And then we have differences. For example, Albania, you know it was together with North Macedonia. Now, since the secession, Albania is making really good progress," Kos declared.

The Commissioner stressed that “unfortunately, I cannot say that about Bosnia and Herzegovina. We cannot even start to engage in the growth plan because we have not received the reform agenda or they are not able to appoint the chief negotiator. So, things that are so normal or easy in other countries, in BiH, especially in this institutional crisis, it is much more difficult. I come back to your question. They will not be left behind. We are strongly committed to bringing them into the European Union. But of course, we will stick to the merits and we will see. And we are really strongly involved in bilateral issues, which are quite numerous there”.

During the interview, Kos claims that only the European Union can bring candidate countries into the EU. "Nobody else because it is a big responsibility. And it also has to do with our credibility. That is why we cannot lose any of the candidate countries...", she added.

"The vision of the Albanian government, which we support, is to conclude negotiations by the end of 2027. So, a year later and then it would mean that Albania could become a member. Let's even say if we want three years until 2030. And I think this is a very realistic perspective," said European Union Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos.

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