EU reports on EX-YU air transport progress

The European Commission has published its annual progress reports for those aspiring to join the European Union, giving an assessment of what each candidate and potential candidate has achieved over the last year, as well as a set of guidelines on reform priorities, including air transport. Excerpts from the reports that concern aviation are outlined below:

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The 2009 Law on civil aviation needs to be aligned with the requirements of the European Common Aviation Area Agreement (ECAA). The authorities should continue efforts to address the chronic lack of adequately trained and qualified staff within the Bosnia and Herzegovina Directorate of Civil Aviation (BHDCA), which increases the risks of safety oversight. Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted implementing legislation on air traffic flow management, aimed at further alignment with the EU acquis

Montenegro

As regards aviation, Montenegro has made considerable progress with regard to the implementation of the first transitional phase of the European Common Aviation Area Agreement. In April 2026, Montenegro adopted a new law on air transport followed by implementing legislation in May 2026 to align with the technical aspects of air traffic management and the Single European Sky (SES 2+) Regulation. When it comes to the issue of the joint air navigation services provider with Serbia, in March 2026, the government adopted a transition plan for 2026-2030 with the aim of reaching full compliance with the SES2+ and performance and charging schemes. Montenegro is required to establish a fully operational national air navigation service provider in compliance with the EU’s rules on ownership and control. The transition plan requires significant financial resources and a sufficient number of highly trained human resources for its full implementation.

North Macedonia

On aviation, further regulatory alignment following the 2025 European Common Aviation Area assessment visit is still needed. The IT system for certification within the Civil Aviation Agency was upgraded to comply with EU standards, and is expected to be regularly used upon the completion of the testing period. Further action is required to address the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’ s findings on the safety oversight of air navigation services. Independent functioning of the air navigation service provider needs to be maintained on a regular basis.

Serbia

On aviation, Serbia maintains a good level of alignment with the EU acquis. No progress was made in lifting the suspension of articles on the licensing of air carriers or in normalising the lower airspace regime over Kosovo. In March 2026, Serbia’s Civil Aviation Directorate introduced regulatory changes which would negatively impact the traffic rights for EU air carriers flying to and from Serbia and, in the Commission's view, be incompatible with Serbia’s obligations under the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) Agreement. In September 2026, the implementation of the changes was postponed to March 2027. Montenegro’s reform to establish a national air navigation service provider (ANSP), in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2024/2803, is expected to have implications for the current joint Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services (SMATSA) arrangement.

Kosovo

Air transport continues to face many challenges arising from Kosovo’s non-membership in several international civil aviation organisations. The NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) still manages and coordinates the Kosovo airspace. Kosovo took measures to address institutional shortcomings of the Air Navigation Service Agency and the Civil Aviation Authority by recruiting and training specialised staff. Kosovo’s airspace saw an increase in passenger traffic during the reporting period. However, the persistent lack of revenue from airspace management remains a long-standing issue. While two outstanding issues remain to complete the first phase of the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) Agreement requirements, Kosovo has adopted nine additional second-phase aviation safety regulations. In August 2026, Kosovo’s Civil Aviation Authority signed two Working Arrangements with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) under the ECAA framework, strengthening cooperation on aviation safety and data exchange.