Slovenian candidate for the EU Enlargement Commissioner, Marta Kos, expressed optimism on Thursday regarding the accession timelines for Montenegro and Albania. Speaking at a European Parliament (EP) hearing, she suggested that Montenegro and Albania could conclude their EU membership negotiations by 2026 and 2027, respectively.
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During the hearing, where she answered questions from members of the EP's Foreign Affairs Committee, Kos emphasized her commitment to accelerating the enlargement process. She underscored the principle that candidate countries should progress toward membership based on merit and fulfillment of the required reforms and conditions.
"For the first time in a decade, there is a realistic opportunity to bring one or two countries to the final stages of negotiation," Kos stated. "It may be possible to conclude negotiations with Montenegro and close all chapters by the end of 2026, and with Albania by 2027."
Montenegro has opened all negotiation chapters and provisionally closed three. After a period of stagnation, Montenegro restarted its negotiations in June and is now working towards completing them. Albania, on the other hand, opened its first negotiation chapter with the EU on October 15.
Kos also addressed the contentious issue of territory exchange between Kosovo and Serbia, which some speculate could resurface with a potential re-election of Donald Trump as U.S. President. "As for the territory exchange, no. No. The European Commission and I, if confirmed, will not pursue this approach," she stated firmly.
If confirmed as Enlargement Commissioner, Kos pledged to uphold the EU’s commitments to candidate countries. However, her nomination remains uncertain, with sources in the EP suggesting she might face opposition in the final vote.
Proposed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in September, Kos would replace the current Commissioner, Oliver Varhelyi. She also expressed willingness to support the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, potentially collaborating with Kaja Kallas, expected to assume the role of EU foreign policy representative, in mediating talks between the neighboring countries.