The European Commission outlined next steps for EU enlargement in the annual Enlargement Package presented by Commissioner Stefan Füle. The Commission recommends to open accession negotiations with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; granting EU candidate status to Albania; proposes negotiating a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Kosovo; and it also confirmed that Croatia is on track in its membership preparations. In a set of annual reports, the Commission also assesses the progress towards EU accession made elsewhere in the Western Balkans, Turkey, and Iceland over the past year.

The annual Enlargement Package presented by the European Commission includes recommendations on Albania, Kosovo and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as well as confirmed the imminent accession of Croatia. The recent start of accession negotiations with Montenegro in July 2012 and candidate status for Serbia – on the basis of clear indications of what is needed to open accession negotiations - show that once reforms are made, the EU delivers on its commitments. According to the Commission, these positive developments in the Western Balkans send a strong signal of the transformative power of EU enlargement.

In the package, the Commission proposes to increase focus on a number of areas. Firstly, strengthening democratic governance by starting to address rule of law issues well before accession negotiations begin. Secondly, strengthening freedom of expression and independence of the media. Thirdly, tackling economic issues early in the process to consolidate economic and financial stability and help recovery. Finally, the Commission underlines that bilateral issues should be addressed as soon as possible; they should not hold up the accession process.

The positive agenda, launched to reinvigorate relations with Turkey, is already delivering its first results, says the Commission. Turkey's active support to the positive agenda and its European perspective remains essential. However, concerns are growing regarding Turkey's lack of substantial progress towards fully meeting the political criteria and the situation regarding fundamental rights on the ground remains a serious concern. Full implementation of the obligations under the Customs Union and progress towards normalisation of relations with Cyprus are urgent and could provide new momentum to accession negotiations. On the other hand, common interests between the EU and Iceland, including in the field of renewable energy and climate change, are growing, as is the strategic importance of the EU's Arctic policy. The Commission confirms that accession negotiations are progressing well.