Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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93. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the degree to which he and his EU colleagues continue to promote and encourage democracy in the western Balkans with particular reference to the need to observe the acquis communautaire; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1779/14]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The EU remains committed to promoting peace, democracy and stability in Europe through its enlargement policy. This commitment was most recently reiterated in the Conclusions of the General Affairs Council of 17 December.

With regard to the Western Balkans in particular, the EU noted that ten years ago at the Thessaloniki Summit of 2003, the EU reiterated its unequivocal support to the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries. In December’s Conclusions, the EU confirmed that these countries will become “an integral part of the EU, once they meet the established criteria.”

The EU is working actively with each country of the Western Balkans on their respective paths towards the EU to promote EU values and the Copenhagen criteria, including the alignment of those countries’ legislation with the acquis communautaire.

The EU is in active accession negotiations with Montenegro aimed at preparing it for EU accession. These negotiations are continuing, with seven chapters now opened for negotiations, of which two chapters have been provisionally closed. Two key chapters relating to the judiciary, fundamental rights and justice, freedom and security were opened last month.

The EU will begin, later this month, accession negotiations with Serbia, following the adoption of the EU’s negotiating framework in December.

Macedonia has yet to start accession negotiations, but the EU remains actively engaged in supporting the implementation of key reforms in that country through the High Level Accession Dialogue. In December, the General Affairs Council agreed that it would come back to the issue of beginning accession negotiations, on the basis of an update by the European Commission on the further implementation of reforms in Macedonia.

The EU is also engaged in a High Level Dialogue with Albania on key priorities for reform, in particular reform of the judiciary, the fight against organised crime and corruption and the protection of human rights and anti-discrimination policies. With regard to granting candidate status to Albania, the General Affairs Council last December agreed that “on the understanding that Albania continues to build on the encouraging progress made so far, the Council looks forward to a decision regarding granting candidate status to Albania in June 2014, subject to endorsement by the European Council.”

Negotiations began in autumn 2013 on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) between the EU and Kosovo. The SAA will represent the first comprehensive contractual relationship between Kosovo and the EU and an important milestone in Kosovo's European integration process. Under this Agreement, the EU and Kosovo shall gradually establish a bilateral free trade area and Kosovo will align its legislation with EU rules regarding competition, public procurement, intellectual and industrial property rights, consumer protection and working conditions.

Bosnia Herzegovina has negotiated and initialled an SAA with the EU, though this has yet to come into effect. The General Affairs Council in December noted its serious concern that the EU integration process in Bosnia has stalled due to a lack of political will on the part of the Bosnia and Herzegovina political leadership. The EU continues to facilitate dialogue among the Bosnian leadership aimed at reaching agreement on the way forward, as well as working with Bosnia through the Structured Dialogue on Justice issues.

Overall, enlargement remains a key policy of the European Union. Ireland remains committed to promoting peace and democracy throughout the region through the EU enlargement process and looks forward to further progress in 2014.