Brussels, 10 November 2015
Each year, the European Commission adopts a set of reports tracking the progress of the candidates and potential candidates on their paths towards joining the European Union. Earlier today, the EC has published the 2015 Progress Reports for the 6 Western Balkans states – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and for Turkey, as a candidate country since 1999.
The 2015 Progress Reports contain significant changes both in terms of content and form. Named as 2015 Enlargement Package, the reports this year focus more on the state of play in the countries where they stand in terms of actual preparedness for taking on the obligations of membership, as well as on providing clearer guidance for what the countries are expected to do in both the short and long term. Unlike in previous years when a new strategy paper was adopted each year, the Commission has adopted an overarching strategy on enlargement policy covering the period of its mandate. 
What this means in the context of increased regional approach addressing and tackling LGBTI issues and needs, can be described in few points:

The existing legal frameworks for protection of and prevention from discrimination of the LGBTI persons in Turkey and Macedonia are not fully in alignment with the EU standards, meaning they have to explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity
There is a consistent need of more effective and improved implementation of the anti-discrimination legislation present in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia
Proper investigation, prosecution and sanctioning of hate-motivated offences based on sexual orientation and gender identity remains essential in all countries
Training for the prosecutors, judges, police, health care, media, and education professionals needs to either take place or be continued in all countries
Greater political commitment to raising awareness of and promoting a culture of respect for the LGBTI persons is still lacking to a varying degree in all countries

The details of the 2015 Enlargement Packages can be found here: http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/countries/package/index_en.htm