Balkan Vital Graphics

First page Previous page 22-23 Next page Last page

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.

��

� ��

��

Made with FlippingBook