BELGRADE – Ministers and senior officials from the Western Balkans, observing participants (Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine), and the European Commission gathered in Belgrade on 16 May 2025 for the 8th Ministerial Council Meeting of the Transport Community, reaffirming their commitment to EU transport integration.
The meeting took stock of the EU transport integration by endorsing two annual reports of the Transport Community as well as the organisation’s plans for the upcoming years. The meeting reaffirmed the commitment to EU integration of the transport markets of the Western Balkans and the observing participants.
For the Presidency of the Ministerial Council, Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure of Serbia, Ms Aleksandra Sofronijević, the Transport Community has for years been a pillar of connectivity between the region and the European Union – not only through infrastructure projects, but also through reforms that enhance the safety, sustainability, and interoperability of our transport systems. “Serbia is strongly committed to the process of European integration, as well as to regional cooperation, sustainable connectivity, and integration into the EU transport network, thereby supporting economic growth and mobility across the Western Balkans,” she underlined.
Ms Magda Kopczyńska, Director-General for Mobility and Transport at the European Commission said that the EU enlargement process has clearly regained momentum, as reaffirmed in the declaration of the recent EU–Western Balkans Summit. “We must now turn this political dynamism into concrete progress in the transport sector. I urge all our partners to fully commit to implementing the newly endorsed action plans for acquis alignment,” she pointed out.
Welcoming the officials and thanking Minister Sofronijević for hosting the meeting, Mr Matej Zakonjšek, Director of the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community, underlined the importance of taking the stock of EU transport integration by highlighting the upcoming plans and stressing the need for continued commitment to reforming the local transport markets in line with the EU standards.
The ministers endorsed the 2024 Progress Report on the Implementation of the TCT Action Plans and EU Acquis, reviewing how well the regional partners and observing participants are implementing the agreed EU transport rules and the Transport Community’s Action Plans. It was highlighted that the progress on the implementation of the Action Plans has only gradually moved forward and that there is a strong need to increase the pace of legislative alignment to progress on the commitments contained in the Transport Community Treaty. To access the Progress Report for the Western Balkans, please click here, and for the observing participants, please click here.
Looking ahead, they adopted the New Generation Action Plans for 2025–2027, aimed at addressing the region’s evolving transport needs. The Next Generation Action Plans also directly support and are in line with the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans by accelerating transport reforms and infrastructure development necessary for regional integration and faster convergence with the EU. To access the Next Generation Action Plans for the Western Balkans, please click here. The action plans for the observing participants are available for your read here.
The development of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) in the Western Balkans through implementation of infrastructure projects was also in the meeting’s focus. The Ministers endorsed the latest annual report on the TEN-T development and a five-year work plan that outlines strategic infrastructure priorities. Special attention was given to the Western Balkans–Eastern Mediterranean Corridor, a key route for regional and European connectivity. To access the TEN-T Report, please click here, while the Five-Year Rolling Work Plans is available here. The 2024 report on the Development of indicative TEN-T extension of the Comprehensive and Core Networks in the Observing Participants is available here.
The meeting also reflected on the outcomes of the 5th Social Forum of the Transport Community, held in Sarajevo in June 2024, which highlighted the engagement of social partners and civil society in green mobility transition.
The meeting closed with the formal endorsement of the conclusions and commitment to a shared vision – the Western Balkans’ and observing participants’ transport systems which are safer, more sustainable, and better connected both within the region and with the European Union. The Transport Community continues to play a key role in coordinating these efforts and ensuring progress benefits all people and businesses across the region.
