Europe should be more open to the Western Balkans and should rapidly integrate Romania and Bulgaria into the passport-free Schengen Agreement, European Commission Chief Jean Claude Juncker told the European Parliament on Wednesday during his third annual State of the European Union Speech.
Predictably, he ruled out any EU membership perspective for Turkey in the near future, citing the recent purges in the country.
“It is clear that there will be no further enlargement during the mandate of this Commission and this Parliament. No candidate is ready yet,” he said.
“But, thereafter, the European Union will be greater than 27 in number. Accession candidates must give the rule of law, justice and fundamental rights utmost priority,” he said.
In the Balkans, Montenegro and Serbia have started EU membership talks already while Macedonia and Albania have candidate country status.
Others, like Bosnia and Kosovo, are seen as potential candidates for EU membership, too, at some point.
For more read the full of article at The Balkaninsight
