On 8 November 2023, the European Commission adopted a new Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, with the aim of bringing the Western Balkan partners closer to the EU through offering some of the benefits of EU membership to the region in advance of accession, boosting economic growth and accelerating socio-economic convergence.
The lack of convergence is a major issue for the Western Balkan region; it is currently at around 35% of EU average level. This translates in limited revenue base to fund the accession process and related reforms, and it also contributes to large-scale outward migration.
Economic convergence is an essential element…
