Brussels: European Union leaders are convening in Brussels on December 18-19, focusing on securing financial support for Ukraine for the subsequent two years. With several countries, including Bulgaria, Malta, and Italy, expressing skepticism about a reparations loan for Kyiv, diplomatic efforts are intensifying to resolve this issue.
According to Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, a separate summit is taking place on December 17 in Brussels, involving leaders from six Western Balkans hopefuls-Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia-meeting with EU counterparts. This annual EU-Western Balkans summit has been largely procedural with minimal tangible outcomes. A draft summit communique indicates that the EU sees the Western Balkans’ future within the Union and considers enlargement a realistic possibility.
In reality, the path to EU membership for most of these countries is stalled, with only Albania and Montenegro making headway. The political dynamics leading up to the mee
ting highlight the fragile nature of this progress. Montenegro was poised to close accession talks on five policy chapters, marking significant progress until France intervened. France, citing concerns, initially agreed to close only three chapters but later relented after discussions between Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The issue with France was not Montenegro but rather Serbia, which has not opened any accession chapters due to its stance on EU sanctions against Russia. France linked Montenegro’s progress to Serbia’s situation, a common tactic in Brussels to synchronize candidate countries’ advancements.
While France conceded on Montenegro, it influenced the EU’s stance on Kosovo. The EU imposed measures on Kosovo in 2023 after recognizing controversial election results, and despite calls for easing these measures, France, backed by other countries, insists on maintaining them until Kosovo’s parliamentary election on December 28.
Beyond enlargement, the EU a
ims to integrate the Western Balkans into the EU market in specific areas. Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia joined the Single Euro Payments Area, simplifying euro bank transfers. The EU plans to include the entire region in its “roam like home” mobile phone regime by 2026, further integrating these countries with the EU.
On December 16, Ukraine advances toward securing compensation for damages from Russia’s 2022 invasion. Ukrainian politicians, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will attend a meeting at The Hague to adopt a convention establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine. This commission is the second step in Ukraine’s compensation process, following the establishment of a Register of Damage in 2023, which records compensation claims against Russia.
The International Claims Commission will assess compensation claims, with claims dating back to the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. Three panels will evaluate the claims, drawing from international law exper
ts. The convention will take effect once ratified by 25 states, a process expected to proceed swiftly.
The Netherlands has been instrumental in advocating for Ukraine’s compensation, playing a significant role in drafting the convention. While initiated within the Council of Europe framework, the initiative is open to global participation, with initial momentum coming from a United Nations General Assembly resolution in 2022.
Looking ahead, the European Commission’s annual visa liberalization report is due on December 19. It assesses third countries’ compliance with EU visa liberalization criteria. This year’s report is expected to critique Georgia’s democratic regression, potentially impacting its visa-free regime in the future.
That’s all for this week. Feel free to reach out to me on any of these issues on X @RikardJozwiak, or via email at [email protected].
Until next time,
Rikard Jozwiak
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