EU Commission adopts new accession methodology for Western Balkans

The purpose of the new methodology is, as Commissioner Olivr Vrhelyi said, to re-establish a credible perspective of the Western Balkans EU membership.
At a news conference in Brussels, Vrhelyi said that EU member states should approve a new methodology before the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Zagreb in May, in parallel with the launch of negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania.
He said that the revised methodology of EU accession negotiations as "the first element of a new strategy presented by the new European Commission" is based on four basic principles. "It aims to make accession negotiations more credible, dynamic, predictable and with stronger political steer", Vrhelyi concluded.
"The European Union accession process needs to rest on solid trust and mutual confidence. Focus on fundamental reforms will be strengthened, while the EU needs to deliver on its commitment when candidates meet conditions", Vrhelyi added.
Namely, the overall aim of the Commission's proposals is to enhance credibility and trust on both sides and yield better results on the ground.