Balkans in the European Union
In 2003, in Salonica, Balkan countries were told that “their future lies in the EU”. The Berlin process in 2014 provided a framework for a period of four years. In 2017, President Juncker, speaking of all non-EU Balkan countries except Turkey, estimated the first accessions would potentially take...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University American College Skopje
2018-12-01
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| Series: | AICEI Proceedings |
| Online Access: | http://www.aicei.uacs.edu.mk/document/789ad7cd-0559-2f96-1202-6e669311d013 |
| Summary: | In 2003, in Salonica, Balkan countries were told that “their future lies in the EU”. The Berlin
process in 2014 provided a framework for a period of four years. In 2017, President Juncker,
speaking of all non-EU Balkan countries except Turkey, estimated the first accessions would
potentially take place in 2025! The Berlin process seeks to restore stability in the Balkans
by leading to reconciliation. It includes new fact-finding commissions to establish the real
facts in order to restore friendly relations, efforts to build economic links in transport and
communication and new roads, establishment of a Western Balkan Common Market as a new
partner for the EU, EFTA, and the EEA, and a new partnership among its member countries.
The European Council will meet the Balkan heads of state in Sofia, Bulgaria, in April 2018.
Without stability in the Balkans, there cannot be a stable Europe. In this paper we look at how
to keep the Berlin process open and successful, possibly to accelerate it, and how to overcome
current challenges. Notably, we look at the “deterioration of democratic standards” in some
countries, which will have to be stopped and reversed. The conclusions support positive
decision-making outcomes at all levels |
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| ISSN: | 2671-3713 2671-3713 |