Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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183. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which progress continues in regard to the application for EU membership of countries in the western Balkans; the extent to which the acquis communautaire continues to be met in all cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3255/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The countries of the Western Balkans are making steady progress in their preparations to join the European Union. Within the region of the Western Balkans, there are four candidate countries: Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania. In addition, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo are potential candidate countries.

The enlargement process is founded on the Copenhagen criteria, which reflect the EU’s founding values: peace, democracy, the rule of law, respect for fundamental rights, and a functioning market economy. Countries wishing to join the Union are assessed according to these criteria and their ability to take on the obligations of membership by successfully adopting, implementing and enforcing the cumulative body of EU laws, otherwise known as the acquis communautaire.

The European Commission published its annual Progress Reports on 8 October 2014. These Progress Reports outline in detail the extent to which the candidate and potential candidate countries have advanced to fulfil the necessary conditions for membership and highlight areas where further reforms are necessary. In common with the other EU Member States, Ireland participated in the examination of these reports at official level before they were discussed by Ministers at the General Affairs Council in December 2014.

The European Union began accession negotiations with Montenegro in June 2012 and sixteen negotiating Chapters are now open, of which two have been provisionally closed.

Serbiabegan accession negotiations on 21 January 2014. Since then, the screening process has been on-going to determine the extent of Serbian alignment with the acquis communautaire. The first Chapters are expected to open for negotiation during 2015. A major focus during the process will be on the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo, with the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue expected to resume in February.

Macedoniawas granted Candidate Status in 2005 but it has yet to open accession negotiations, pending a resolution of the name dispute with Greece.

Albaniawas granted Candidate Status in June 2014. Ireland supported this step as a signal of positive encouragement to the Albanian Government, and the region as a whole, to maintain reform momentum.

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has not yet formally applied for EU membership and thus remains a potential candidate country. At the Foreign Affairs Council in December, EU Ministers agreed on a renewed approach that will seek to further advance the country on its EU path. By focussing on clear reform objectives by the political leaders of BiH, the renewed approach aims to facilitate the entry into force of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between BiH and the European Union.

Kosovohas continued negotiations with the European Commission on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), the first step on the EU accession path. The SAA was initialled in July 2014 and the next steps will be discussed later this year.

Ireland remains very supportive of EU enlargement, one of the EU’s most successful policies, promoting peace, prosperity and stability in candidate and potential candidate countries. Together with our EU counterparts, we will continue to support the countries of the Western Balkans, as they undertake the reforms necessary for eventual EU membership.