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European Union’s Policy on the Western Balkans

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European Union’s (EU) Western Balkans policy is evaluated over Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Serbia, and Kosovo. Considering the geographical location of these countries, it is understood that the Western Balkans have been of great importance for Europe from past to present in terms of security, stability, transit routes, and trade. The region, which has high ethnic diversity, has witnessed and is witnessing ethnic conflicts, independence struggles, and minority problems and as a result, the effects of which continue even today with the dissolution of Yugoslavia.

This instability in Europe’s neighbor cause problems such as illegal immigration and organized crime and threatens security of the EU. As a matter of fact, in the Enlargement Strategy Document published by the European Commission in 2014, it was stated that the areas of democracy, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law would be strengthened in the candidate countries of the negotiation process with the Western Balkans, thus reducing the impact of cross-border crimes and making Europe safer.[1]

In addition, based on the principles of preventing conflicts, maintaining peace, and ensuring international security, which are among the main objectives of the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, in 2003 in North Macedonia with the Concordia Operation, in 2004 with the EUFOR Althea Military Operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the EU Law By taking part in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo with its Supremacy Mission, it both wanted to exist in the region. It contributed to ensuring stability by imposing EU norms on the area within the framework of its enlargement policy.

On the other hand, the region is geopolitically valuable for the EU. The Western Balkans, in addition to being a bridge between the southeast and central countries of the EU, has a geographical position that will reduce the cost of transportation between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. However, the geography of the energy transmission lines offers the EU an opportunity to reduce the dependence of EU energy on Russia, which is vital for Europe today and ensures energy security.

As German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated, the Western Balkans is in the heart of Europe, not only geographically but also politically. For this reason, it is not desired that Russia and China create a sphere of influence in the region. Especially with the Ukrainian War, Europe focused on the fight against the Russian threat. Moscow’s emphasis on its historical and cultural ties with the Western Balkan countries caused concerns about the Ukrainianization of countries such as Serbia Kosovo, and Bosnia-Herzegovina and fueled Serbian nationalism.

This situation has increased the discourse of the region’s countries on EU membership. For example, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, said that the EU is at a critical crossroads and that if it excludes the Western Balkans, it will be the EU that loses more.[2]

In fact, the EU membership adventure of the Western Balkans has been highly long: it started in 1999 with the “Stabilization and Association Process”; it was developed at the Thessaloniki Summit on June 19-21, 2003, where the general framework of bilateral relations was drawn. At the summit, it was emphasized that the region is an integral part of the EU and that relations should be deepened.

It was stated that the development of relations with the region’s countries during their EU membership journey would depend on their performance in far-reaching reforms in their economies, democracy standards, human rights, good governance, and respect for the rule of law.[3] The Berlin Process, which started in 2014, aimed to accelerate the integration of the EU and the region’s countries. However, in that process, the EU membership of the Western Balkan countries has not been realized. As a matter of fact, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are potential candidate countries. Also, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Albania have been candidate countries since 2005, 2010, 2012 and 2014 respectively.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz makes statements that the EU should support the Western Balkan countries to accelerate their membership processes[4] within the scope of the regional peacebuilding strategy and that the accession of the Western Balkans before Ukraine is in line with the credibility of the EU.[5] Not only these statements but also the visits of senior German officials to the Western Balkans increased after the Russo-Ukrainian War. Moreover, Manuel Sarrazin was appointed as the Federal Government’s Special Representative for the Western Balkan Countries and aimed to develop directly between Germany and the regional states. Thanks to all these developments, it is understood that Germany has assumed an essential responsibility for developing relations between EU member states and the Western Balkans.

Another issue that brings the Western Balkans and the EU closer is the economic relations. Trade with the EU through Stabilization and Association Agreements signed with each of the countries in the region (2009 with Albania, 2004 with North Macedonia, 2010 with Montenegro, 2013 with Serbia, 2015 with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 2016 with Kosovo) and integration into the EU market is accelerated by harmonizing the region with EU standards.

It is understood that with the implementation of the agreement’s provisions, tariffs and non-tariff barriers are removed, regulations related to trade and investment are made, and institutions are harmonized with the EU.

In commercial relations, integration has been achieved between the EU and the region’s countries. When the data for 2021 are examined, it is seen that the export rate of the EU to the Western Balkans is 75%, and the import rate is 76% for manufactured goods. While Germany is in first place in the import and export of the Western Balkan states, Italy is in the second place.[6] In addition to being the largest trading partner of the Western Balkan countries, the EU also creates a source of foreign investors and supports the economies of the countries in the region with financial aid. Therefore, economic integration benefits both parties.

In summary, the EU approaches the Western Balkans within the framework of its enlargement policy. The enlargement policy aims to ensure European security, make maximum use of the geopolitical feature of the Western Balkans, develop economic relations, and reduce Russia’s influence in the Balkans.

When it comes to membership, the EU has a basic approach: realization of new members to the EU occurs when the benefits of the candidate country outweigh the costs. Looking at the balance of benefits and costs, it is understood that the EU has some reservations about the Western Balkan countries that will destabilize the EU. First, it is believed that the Western Balkans should do more to remove internal political obstacles to EU membership, resolve disputes with neighbors and accelerate reforms.

On the other hand, the member countries Spain, Romania, Slovakia, the Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus, and Greece do not recognize Kosovo. Although it seems to have softened today, Bulgaria has a language problem with North Macedonia. Because of this problem, Sofia has an attitude that prevents North Macedonia’s membership in the EU.

Looking at the countries in the region, it cannot be said that they genuinely fulfill their responsibilities towards the realization of membership conditions. Many problems, such as unresolved problems between Serbia and Kosovo and separatist and nationalist structures in Bosnia and Herzegovina, continue.

In addition to all these, it is not a realistic expectation the EU membership of the Western Balkan countries will take place in the short term, assuming that the Western Balkans are given secondary importance because of the economic crisis, the refugee problem, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Ukraine War are priority issues that occupy the agenda of the EU at all times. Nevertheless, developing relations with the EU motivates the region’s countries to carry out reforms. As a result, every reform in the political, economic, and legal fields is an essential step for the democratization of the regional states; It is also precious for the EU in terms of preserving the Western image of the region against Russia and China.

[1]“Enlargement Strategy and Main Challenges”, European Commission, https://abdigm.meb.gov.tr/projeler/ois/008.pdf, (Date of Accession: 15.08.2022).

[2]“AB’yi Uyardı: Batı Balkanlar’ın İstikrarı Buna Bağlı”, Star, https://www.star.com.tr/dunya/abyi-uyardi-bati-balkanlarin-istikrari-buna-bagli-haber-1718864/, (Date of Accession: 15.08.2022).

[3]“The Thessaloniki Summit: A Milestone İn The European Union’s Relations With The Western Balkans”, European Commission, https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_03_860, (Date of Accession: 15.08.2022).

[4]“Scholz: Bölgenin Güvenliği İçin Batı Balkan Ülkelerinin AB Üyeliğini Desteklemeliyiz”, Euronews, https://tr.euronews.com/2022/03/23/scholz-bolgenin-guvenligi-icin-bat-balkan-ulkelerinin-ab-uyeligini-desteklemeliyiz, (Date of Accession: 15.08.2022).

[5]“Almanya Başbakanı Scholz: Ukrayna’dan Önce Batı Balkan Ülkelerini AB’de Görmek İstiyoruz”, Euronews, https://tr.euronews.com/2022/05/19/almanya-basbakan-scholz-ukrayna-dan-once-bat-balkan-ulkelerini-ab-de-gormek-istiyoruz, (Date of Accession: 15.08.2022).

[6]“Western Balkans-EU İnternational Trade İn Goods Statistics”, Eurostat, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Western_Balkans-EU_international_trade_in_goods_statistics&oldid=526493#Serbia_is_the_largest_trade_partner_of_the_EU_in_the_Western_Balkans, (Date of Accession: 15.08.2022).

Gamze BAL
Gamze BAL
Gamze BAL has completed her undergraduated education at Sakarya University, Department of International Relations. Afterward, she has completed his master in Sakarya University with a dissertation titled “The European Union’s Policy on Palestine-Israel Issue in Post 1992”. Between 2021 and 2022, she studied doctoral program in European Union at Institute of Social Sciences, Istanbul University. At the present time, Bal pursuing a PhD in international relations at Instıtute of Graduate Program, Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University. Having advenced level in English, her main research areas are European Union, security, ethnic conflicts, means of conflict resolution.