Balkans

Despite strong pressure from other EU countries, the Netherlands has refused to agree to Bulgaria and Romania joining the open border Schengen zone. The two countries have not still done enough to combat corruption and organized crime, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said. The EU will consider the question again …

A decision by the European Union on whether to grant Serbia candidate status will be taken by EU foreign ministers in February, EU president Herman Van Rompuy said Friday. 

Greece has called on the Macedonian government to remain dedicated to the negotiations about the name dispute.

Bulgaria has stressed its adherence to the principled position of NATO on preserving Kosovo’s territorial integrity, according to the speech of the Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov at the annual meeting of the Alliance member states’ top diplomats. “The general principled agreement for the territorial integrity of Kosovo was among …

EU leaders are to postpone a decision to grant Serbia candidate status for the next summit in March, according to the draft conclusions of the European Council leaked overnight. According to the draft conclusions for the summit on Friday, Serbia may obtain EU candidacy in March when EU

European leaders hail historic opportunity for Croatia and say Zagreb’s persistence vindicates enlargement policy; Croat President says country needs ‘more Europe, not less’. Croatia signed its EU accession treaty on Friday in Brussels, aiming to become the European club’s 28th member state on July 1, 2013.

Negotiations on membership with Montenegro will start in June 2012, according to the draft conclusions of the European Council. According to the leaked draft conclusions that the European Council will adopt on Friday, accession

Little movement is expected in a discussion on Bulgaria’s and Romania’s application to join the Schengen area during next week’s meeting of the European Union’s interior ministers. The Dutch government wants to wait for an interim report by the European Commission (EC) in February before lifting its objections. The government …

If treaty goes ahead as expected in Brussels, country may become EU’s 28th member on July 1, 2013. The European Commission announced that the accession treaty will be signed on Friday morning on the margins

Parliament had supported an opposition motion demanding a renewed ban on products from Serbia. Kosovo’s parliament on Wednesday adopted a motion calling on the government to introduce a trade ban with Serbia.