European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement

Currently there are eight candidate countries, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine.

[3] Neighbourhood Policy is directed towards the western Balkans, those countries on the EU's eastern borders, often referred to as the Eastern Partnership or the accession trio, and on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, referred to as the Southern Neighbourhood and often engaged with in the format of the Union for the Mediterranean.

In 2007 he welcomed the United Nations proposal on Kosovo by Martti Ahtisaari which advocated for near-independence to the region and separate accession negotiations with the European Union.

In particular the Santer Commission post for relations with central and eastern Europe as those countries began applying to join.

When that portfolio was absorbed by the High Representative in 2009, Neighbourhood Policy was transferred to Trade and then to Enlargement in 2010 under the Second Barroso Commission.