Publication Name

BALKAN VITAL GRAPHICS

BACKGROUND

MINING

WATER

NATURE

On the road to the EU

In 2003, the European summit in Thessalonica reiterated its

“unequivocal support to the European perspective of the

Western Balkan countries” but did not specify a timeframe

for membership. Slovenia joined the Union in 2004, fol-

lowed by Romania and Bulgaria in 2007, making the west

Balkans a sort of “land-locked” island in the EU.

Two countries (Croatia and Macedonia) have enjoyed of-

ficial candidate status since 2005, whereas all the others

(Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania)

have engaged in the Stabilisation and Association proc-

ess. These countries also benefit from specific European

policies, in particular under the Stability Pact for South East

Europe. Furthermore, the EU is taking on growing civil and

military responsibilities in post-conflict management, pri-

marily in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Serbia is in a particularly delicate position. For several years,

the main obstacle to rapprochement was the lack of Ser-

bian cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for

the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in the Hague. Serbia has since

made progress in this respect but the next step on the road

towards Europe demands settlement of the Kosovo question.

The idea of making any further progress conditional on Serbia

adopting a “cooperative” attitude on Kosovo has frequently

been raised. Come what may, it seems that the status of the

territory currently under UN administration must be settled

before any further advances can be expected. This brings

the question of whether the EU will one day allow Serbia and

Kosovo to join as separate states. Similarly, Brussels con-

siders it impossible to entertain closer ties with Bosnia and

Herzegovina until it undertakes root-and-branch reform of the

institutions inherited from the Dayton Peace Agreement.

The present crisis in Europe’s own institutions rules out any

idea of enlargement to include the Balkan countries in the

immediate future. Yet this seems to be the only prospect

capable of preventing further strife, particularly in the case

of restless Macedonia.

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