A number of European nations remain in line for EU membership, with a few waiting as candidates for nearly 20 years. Nine countries across the continent are current candidates to join the bloc, yet experts say they are “stuck in the waiting room” due to enlargement fatigue, immigration concerns, and fears that decision-making would slow down. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine and Montenegro have the official status of candidates for EU membership.

The experts claim that the admission of some Balkan nations into the alliance “keeps receding” despite the countries’ leaders participating in EU summits. Analysts Pablo Rasmussen and Robert Benson wrote in a column in the Euractiv portal: “The Western Balkans Six (WB6) remain stuck in the waiting room of EU membership.

“Negotiations have slowed to a crawl, hobbled by enlargement fatigue in European capitals, immigration anxieties, and fears that new members would paralyse already cumbersome decision-making in the bloc.”

Ongoing negotiations on the accession of Moldova and Ukraine to the EU have reignited hope for Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia, according to the experts.

Under current plans, Montenegro and Albania are on track to join the EU in 2028 and 2030, respectively.

North Macedonia has been waiting two decades to be admitted, having been a candidate for EU membership since 2005. Serbia follows closely behind, being granted candidacy in 2009, and Montenegro in 2010.

Albania received the official status of a candidate for EU membership just over a decade ago in 2014, while Bosnia and Herzegovina has only been a candidate for EU membership since December 2022 – the same as Moldova.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago led to Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine submitting applications for EU membership.

In December 2023, EU leaders announced that the bloc would recognise Georgia as a candidate country, while Brussels formally launched accession talks with Moldova and Ukraine in June last year.

A country is only admissible if it meets all the membership criteria. There are then three main stages that are subject to approval by all 27 EU Member States. During the accession process, the bloc helps countries wishing to join the EU to meet the necessary criteria for membership, supporting them to implement the required reforms.