EU’s divisive next members: Albania and Macedonia set to start accession talks THIS SUMMER

And in a clear signal that the bloc is set on expansion, President Jean-Claude Juncker, High Representative Federica Mogherini, and Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn will embark on a visit to the two countries, as well as Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Kosovo next week.

The move is likely to prove highly divisive within the EU, with some nations, including Germany, reluctant, while others – Hungary for example – keep to see the process speeded up.

Mr Hahn told German daily newspaper Die Welt: “The EU Commission will soon recommend Member States – most likely in the summer – to open accession negotiations with Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

“We believe that both countries have made important reforms in the past, and thus qualified for this step.” Albania had made steps “in the fight against organised crime”, he said.

The Western Balkan region is generally understood to mean the countries of ex-Yugoslavia (minus Slovenia) plus Albania. 

The Commission’s recommendation is a precursor to EU member states opening negotiations. Albania has been a candidate for admission since 2014, and Macedonia since 2005.

Mr Hahn’s comments follow the unveiling of the Commission’s West Balkan strategy, in which it also floated the idea of admitting Serbia and Montenegro in 2025 – although he stressed: “This is a purely indicative date and not a guarantee.

“It forces the Western Balkan countries, but also the EU, to seriously engage in accession. which has been promised for years.”

He added that all political, economic and constitutional prerequisites would need to be met first, with the 2025 date aimed at creating a “positive motivational pressure in the region.

He explained: “The accession negotiations are a process that gives us a strong lever to launch sustainable developments in the Western Balkans towards the rule of law and a competitive economy.”

All six Western Balkan nations were promised admission in 2003 – but their entry has been delayed as a result of concerns that not enough has been done to meet the necessary conditions.

Splits within the EU were revealed during a meeting of foreign ministers in Bulgaria last week.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said afterwards: “I’ve just come from Serbia and in Kosovo the situation is exceptionally difficult. We will speak frankly about this today.” 

However, his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto said: “I think 2025 is very late and they deserve a much quicker way to integration,”

The EU is keen to expand into the region, partly to counteract perceived Russian, Chinese and Turkish influence there.

Mr Juncker, Mrs Mogherini and Mr Hahn will being their trip in Macedonian capital of Skopje and Tirana in Albania on Sunday, before moving on to Belgrade, Podgorica, Sarajevo, and Pristina, before finishing up in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia for a working lunch with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and the leaders of the Western Balkan nations. They will discuss the EU enlargement strategy and present six new initiatives setting out the EU’s support for the transformation process in the region.

The Commission is already planning to increase funding under its Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance until 2020, and this year alone will spend £940million (€1.07 billion) on “pre-accession assistance”.