Schengen Before Full Membership: A Real Option for the Western Balkans, or Another Promise?
Five EU member states — Austria, Italy, Czechia, Slovakia and Slovenia — propose giving candidate countries access to the single market before full membership, opening the door to earlier Schengen entry as well.
Five European Union member states — Austria, Italy, Czechia, Slovakia and Slovenia — have sent a non-paper to Brussels proposing that Western Balkan candidate countries receive merit-based, gradual access to the EU single market ahead of full membership. The document also references possible mobility agreements, similar to EU-UK youth mobility frameworks, raising the question of whether a faster path to the Schengen area before full accession is realistic.
The approach is described as "merit-based" — integration would be reversible and conditioned on each candidate country's compliance with EU legislation in specific areas. The European Commission has already released €158.9 million for Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia through the Growth Plan, with North Macedonia receiving €65.7 million following positive assessments of its education and digitalization reforms.
While the document sets no concrete date for Schengen entry, analysts view the proposal as a signal that Brussels is looking for ways to offer candidates tangible benefits before full membership — rather than promises tied to a distant future, where North Macedonia has remained stuck for years.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · September 29, 2026
