EU lays out plans to keep Balkans onside

By David Brunnstrom

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union will set out proposals on Wednesday to try to maintain public support in the Balkans for eventual EU membership and ensure stability after Serbia's loss of Kosovo.

A European Commission paper analysing progress towards the European Union of the six Western Balkans countries and newly independent Kosovo, will restate the whole region's EU future and call on Serbia to reaffirm its commitment to that.

A draft seen by Reuters proposes agreeing step-by-step plans for each country for the eventual scrapping of EU visa requirements, doubling the number of scholarships to the bloc and better coordination of help for modernisation.

The paper also stresses the need for political and economic reforms and re-states full cooperation with the U.N. war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia as a condition for progress towards the 27-member EU.

"The current year is a crucial one for the Western Balkans," said the draft drawn up by Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn.

"Ultimately, it is the democratically elected leaders of the region who will determine whether their countries will move decisively forwards towards stability and a European future."

The paper said Kosovo's February 17 independence declaration had focused attention on the Balkans. "It is important ... to maintain the peace and stability of the region. This can be best achieved by further enhancing the EU perspective and by making it as visible and tangible as possible ... "

PROGRESS