Speaking at the ‘Friends of the Western Balkans’ gathering in Rome on 10 July, Austrian State Secretary Sepp Schellhorn urged EU partners to lock in a phased approach that would grant businesses and citizens from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia earlier access to selected parts of the single market before full membership. The Austrian non-paper, co-signed in May by eight other member states, proposes that progress on the rule of law and border-management reforms be rewarded with tangible benefits such as inclusion in EU customs IT systems, mutual recognition of professional qualifications and—critically for global mobility managers—simplified residence and work permit rules modelled on the EU Blue Card. Montenegro, which hopes to close accession talks by year-end, could pilot the model. For multinationals running near-shore IT centres in Podgorica or Skopje, earlier market access would allow staff to rotate into Austrian headquarters on intra-company transfer permits without lengthy labour-market tests. Austrian manufacturing firms in Serbia’s Vojvodina region would likewise benefit from smoother customs clearance under the EU’s Entry/Exit System. Schellhorn stressed that Austria’s domestic labour shortages—in engineering, health care and tourism—make a predictable talent pipeline from the Balkans indispensable. He also linked mobility to security, arguing that legal pathways reduce irregular migration along the Balkan route. The European Commission is expected to reference the proposal in its autumn enlargement package. If endorsed, HR departments should prepare for a gradual alignment of visa fees, social-security coordination and recognition of vocational diplomas as early as 2027.
