As the EU prepares its next long-term budget (MFF 2028–2034), the Western Balkans stand at a critical crossroads. With the European Commission launching public consultations and laying the groundwork for a new “investment-oriented” budget, enlargement must not remain a rhetorical priority it must be embedded as a core financial and political commitment.

This study calls for a bold, united regional voice in shaping an EU budget that genuinely reflects Europe’s strategic future, one that recognizes enlargement as both a geopolitical necessity and a shared investment in stability and prosperity.

Through evidence-based analysis, this analysis highlights the gaps and lessons from previous pre-accession support, the economic convergence trajectory of the Western Balkans, and concrete proposals for the next MFF, including the continuation of a dedicated pre-accession instrument, a larger financial envelope, and the creation of a “pre-accession transition” mechanism for acceding countries.

The message is clear: the time to influence the EU’s future-fit budget is now through collective advocacy, credible proposals, and a forward-looking vision for Europe’s next phase of enlargement.