BRUSSELS – The EU-Western Balkans summit gathered the leaders of the EU and the Western Balkans on Wednesday, 18 December 2024 in Brussels to reaffirm the EU membership perspective of the Western Balkans as well as to pursue a renewed momentum in the strategic partnership between the two regions. The summit discussed a variety of topics, highlighting transport-related policies and integration, with a particular focus on transport facilitation.
In her statement at the joint press conference following the EU-Western Balkans Summit, President of the European Commission, Ms Ursula von der Leyen, highlighted the example of the Green Lanes initiative.
“Take the so-called ‘green lanes.’ We are speeding up the movement of people and goods at ten key border crossing points between the EU and the Western Balkans. This will lower the waiting time at the border by up to 80%,” she pointed out.
The joint declaration adopted at the summit underlines that to advance their integration, the Western Balkans partners should proceed in an ambitious manner with reforms in the area of sustainable transport, in line with their commitments under the Transport Community Treaty. The Western Balkans partners are expected to adopt the new action plans for acquis alignment on rail, road, road safety, waterborne transport and transport facilitation.
The declaration also points out that the EU will support the Western Balkans partners’ integration in the EU road and rail transport market on the basis of the adoption of the relevant EU acquis, with particular focus on reform measures under the Reform Agendas.
To make border crossings faster, more efficient, safe and secure, the EU and Western Balkans partners should work to implement EU-Western Balkans Green Lanes, with a view to applying those on all relevant borders, while fully respecting the EU acquis and procedures, the declaration underscores.
In coordination with neighbouring EU Member States, the Western Balkans partners should work on implementing the Roadmap for Enhancing Green Lanes, Improved Customs Cooperation and Modernisation of Border/Common Crossing Points, laying the groundwork for the modernisation of the 11 priority crossing points, it was pointed out.
To learn more about the Green Lanes and the Roadmap, please click here.
To advance sustainable connectivity, the Western Balkans partners should undertake further efforts towards the modernisation of their transport networks, based on TEN-T standards. They should prioritise projects on extended core and comprehensive TEN-T network, thereby rehabilitating and further expanding passenger rail connections in the region and towards EU neighbours. The EU will support this work.
Photo: European Union
