While reaffirming its open-door policy for the Balkans, the EU has made it clear that progress depends on meeting the Copenhagen criteria and the conditions of the Stabilisation and Association Process, as well as on other key factors such as democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights, the rights of minorities, and full co-operation with the UN war crimes tribunal.
Iako stalno ponavlja da su njena vrata Balkanu otvorena, EU je jasno stavila do znanja da napredak zavisi od ispunjavanja kriterijuma iz Kopenhagena i uslova procesa stablizacije i pridruživanja, kao i od drugih ključnih faktora poput demokratije, vladavine prava, poštovanja ljudskih prava i pune saradnje sa Haškim tribunalom.