The European Union used a summit in Montenegro on June 5 to send a renewed political signal that enlargement remains firmly on the bloc's agenda, even as long-standing disputes continue to slow the accession ambitions of some Western Balkan countries.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola joined leaders from EU member states and the six Western Balkan partners at the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Tivat, where discussions focused on reforms, economic integration and the next steps towards membership.

"The future of the Western Balkans is in the European Union," von der Leyen said, describing enlargement as a strategic investment in Europe's stability, prosperity and security at a time of increasing geopolitical uncertainty.

Leaders welcomed ongoing reforms across the region and reaffirmed their support for a merit-based enlargement process.

They stressed that good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation remain essential for advancing integration and unlocking the full benefits of EU membership. The summit also underlined the importance of stronger cooperation on foreign, security and defence policy.

The summit reflected a growing effort by Brussels to make the benefits of EU integration more visible before accession.

Rather than focusing solely on membership negotiations, leaders highlighted practical measures already being implemented through the EU's Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, including investment funding, trade facilitation and access to parts of the EU Single Market.

Since 2024, €673.6mn has been disbursed under the Growth Plan to support reforms and investment projects across the region. The programme, backed by a €6bn Reform and Growth Facility, aims to give Western Balkan countries some of the economic benefits of membership before they formally join the bloc.

Leaders pointed to progress on Green Lanes for trade, integration into the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) and investments in digital connectivity.

New initiatives announced at the summit included cooperation with the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, a mobility scheme allowing up to 100 Western Balkan civil servants to work in EU member-state administrations, plans to extend the DiscoverEU youth travel programme to the region from 2027, and preparations for future roaming arrangements between the EU and the Western Balkans.

Ahead of the EU-Western Balkans summit in Tivat, Germany and France circulated a non-paper outlining a new approach to EU enlargement aimed at speeding up the gradual integration of Southeast European countries and Moldova into the bloc.

The summit also highlighted the varying pace of accession across the region.

Von der Leyen said Montenegro, currently regarded as the frontrunner among the Western Balkan candidates, could become the EU's 28th member state by 2028 if it maintains its reform momentum.

"Montenegro becoming the 28th member state by 2028 is within reach," she said after the summit, calling on the country to maintain its current pace of reforms.

Yet despite the more optimistic tone emerging from Brussels, scepticism remains widespread across a region that has spent years navigating an often unpredictable accession process.

For countries such as North Macedonia, where reforms have frequently outpaced political progress, the summit's message that enlargement remains alive was welcome but hardly sufficient to dispel lingering doubts.

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski welcomed the message from EU leaders that enlargement remains alive, while reiterating his government's position that the country's European path must not come at the expense of national identity.

"These are moments when practically the European Union, that is, the European Council, clearly states that the enlargement process remains alive. What is our task as a government is to preserve that process, to progress, but at the same time not to lose our dignity," Mickoski said.

While EU leaders spoke of a more dynamic, merit-based process and highlighted the tangible benefits of gradual integration, many Western Balkan governments continue to seek clearer assurances that political obstacles will not indefinitely delay their path to membership.

The contrast between the EU's renewed enthusiasm for enlargement and the region's cautious expectations was perhaps best captured by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Speaking ahead of the summit in Tivat, Rama expressed frustration with the slow and often uncertain nature of the accession process. Albania has previously targeted 2030 as a possible accession date, but Rama brushed aside speculation about timelines.

"There are three things you can't predict: God, sex and the EU," he said to journalists.

The remark drew laughter, but it also reflected a sentiment shared across much of the Western Balkans: while enlargement may once again be a strategic priority for Brussels, the journey from candidate status to membership remains anything but predictable.

The meeting in Tivat was the eighth EU-Western Balkans summit since the format was launched in 2018. While membership timelines remain uncertain for much of the region, the gathering reflected a broader shift in Brussels towards bringing Western Balkan countries closer to the EU through gradual integration, investment and practical cooperation, even before formal accession takes place.