Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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174. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the situation in the western Balkans continues to be monitored with particular reference to continued peace and security and membership of the European Union for the various states in the region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3516/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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There are currently five countries which have EU Candidate Status, including four in the Western Balkans – Montenegro, Serbia, the Republic of Macedonia, and Albania. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are potential candidate countries.

Ireland is a strong supporter of the enlargement process, and views it as a transformative driver for peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

The European Commission continues to work actively to support prospective member states in implementing reforms in order to make progress on their respective EU paths. The Commission publishes regular reports on each of the candidate and potential candidate countries. These provide a ‘state of play’ assessment on the preparations for Union membership in each individual accession country across the acquis communautaire, highlight the remaining challenges and set out guidelines on key reform priorities. Ireland welcomed the 2016 reports, which were published on 9 November and discussed extensively by Ministers at the General Affairs Council in December 2016, at which Minister of State Dara Murphy represented Ireland.

Ireland, along with our European partners, will continue to monitor and encourage progress in implementing reforms across range of areas covered by the acquis.