06/08/2026
BALKAN COUNTRIES ALREADY IN THE EU 🇪🇺
1. Greece - Joined 1981
Currency: € Euro
2. Slovenia - Joined 2004
Currency: € Euro
3. Bulgaria - Joined 2007
Currency: Lev, joining €uro in 2026
4. Romania - Joined 2007
Currency: Leu, joining €uro in 2026
5. Croatia - Joined 2013
Currency: € Euro
Bulgaria and Romania officially joined the Eurozone on Jan 1, 2026.
BALKAN EU CANDIDATE COUNTRIES ON NEGOTIATION - 2026
1. Montenegro - Candidate since 2010
(Furthest along, most chapters open)
2. Serbia - Candidate since 2012 (Negotiations ongoing)
3. Albania - Candidate since 2014 (Negotiations ongoing)
4. North Macedonia - Candidate since 2005 (Negotiations ongoing)
5. Bosnia and Herzegovina - Candidate since 2022 (Early stage)
Other
1. Kosovo - Applied 2022
Not yet recognized as candidate by all EU member states
1. Turkey - Candidate since 1999 with talks frozen
The 2030 Goal
The EU’s official plan is Western Balkans 2030. But it depends on anticorruption reforms, rule of law, economy, and resolving disputes.