On May 31st, 2023, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission presented a new growth plan for the Western Balkans aiming to bring some of the benefits of the EU membership to the people in the region already today.

The plan is based on four pillars:  

• bringing the Western Balkans closer to the EU single market, by joining for example the digital single market in areas such as e-commerce or cybersecurity, or by facilitating trade in goods and payments 
• deepening regional economic integration which is crucial for unlocking the economic potential and attracting investors  
• accelerating fundamental reforms, such as building an independent and efficient judiciary, ensuring sound public procurement, or stepping up the fight against corruption 
• increasing pre-accession funds  

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