Five EU countries push ‘step-by-step’ membership model for Western Balkans

Austria, Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia have proposed a “step-by-step” model for integrating Western Balkan countries into the EU’s single market, Euractiv reported on Wednesday.

“To sustain the momentum of enlargement and advance European integration, strong and attractive incentives are needed,” the countries, all EU members, said in a confidential document.

The document was reportedly circulated among EU member states and calls for “merit-based access, if necessary, step by step to the European single market” as an incentive for candidate countries.

The proposal outlines a model described as “systematic sectoral integration,” allowing Western Balkan states to gradually participate in EU programs as they align with EU rules.

It suggests expanding access to areas including transport, energy, digital markets, competitiveness strategies, and critical raw materials.

The paper also includes safeguards in case candidate countries backtrack on reforms after gaining access to parts of the single market.

It further calls on EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos to develop new proposals along these lines, arguing the approach would strengthen the single market and help counter the influence of third countries, including Russia and China.