VIENNA, Austria / EuroWire.IO / – Austria will chair the Berlin Process in 2027, aiming to bring the countries of the Western Balkans closer to European Union membership. The chairmanship is intended to strengthen regional economic, political and security cooperation. The Austrian government formally took note of the plan on November 4, based on a proposal by Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger. Austria takes over from Montenegro, which chaired the process in 2026.
Meinl-Reisinger said a credible prospect of EU accession for the Western Balkan countries was both a security policy necessity and an economic opportunity for Austria. By chairing the Berlin Process, Austria was reaffirming that it was a reliable partner for the region on its path towards the EU, she said. Austria has long argued that the region is vital to the EU’s future. Austria’s current government took office in March 2025.
Meinl-Reisinger said Austria would promote a gradual accession model. Under this approach, Western Balkan countries would gain greater access to the EU single market in exchange for progress on required reforms and on strengthening the rule of law. Austria will also focus on closer cooperation in the economy, energy, infrastructure and security. Chancellor Christian Stocker said youth, reconciliation and regional cooperation would also be priorities.
Montenegro hosted 2026 summit
Montenegro chaired the Berlin Process in 2026 and concluded its term with a Leaders’ Summit on October 22 in Miločer, near Budva. Its chairmanship focused on strong and inclusive economic growth, competitiveness, security and resilience, and the green and sustainable transition. Montenegrin officials had said all Western Balkan leaders would attend the summit. The leaders’ summit is the main annual meeting of the Berlin Process. Austria will now prepare its own programme of meetings for 2027.
Launched in 2014 at Germany’s initiative, the Berlin Process aims to bring the six Western Balkan countries closer to the EU step by step. These are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. The initiative promotes regional cooperation and closer integration in key areas. Several EU member states, the United Kingdom and EU institutions also take part. Each year a different country chairs the process.
Austria returns as host after 2015
Austria previously hosted a Berlin Process summit in Vienna in 2015, the second year of the initiative. Other hosts have included France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Poland, Bulgaria, Albania and Germany. The process complements the EU’s formal accession negotiations with the region. The 2025 chairmanship was held by the United Kingdom, which hosted a summit in London. International lenders have also stepped up support for the region’s businesses, including a €15 million OPEC Fund loan for small firms in Kosovo.
Five of the six Western Balkan countries, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, are official EU candidates. Kosovo applied for membership in 2022. Montenegro and Albania have made the most progress in accession negotiations. Croatia, a former Yugoslav republic, became the most recent EU member state in 2013. Austria said its chairmanship would show it remains a reliable partner for the region.