europe's (torn?) identity - Projects - AEGEE Europe

EU: ENLARGEMENT AND DIPLOMATIC
INITIATIVES IN THE BALKANS
“The Balkans are in Europe, but unfortunately Europe is not in the Balkans”
(Janusz Bugajski, Director, East European Studies, CSIS). In the volatile context
of the era of dramatic change in Southeastern Europe, the EU deserves a leading
role in the political and economic reconstruction of the Balkans. The Balkan
Stability Pact and the decisions taken at the EU summit in Helsinki in December
1999 have created a new reality, a framework of principles and a road map for
the Balkans, in their course towards European integration.
It was the European Council in Feira in June 2000 that confirmed the objective
of the EU integration of the Balkan countries into the political and economic
mainstream of the EU and recognized the countries as potential candidates for
the EU membership. The Copenhagen European Council in December 2002 reaffirmed
this perspective by underlying EU's determination to continue to support
them in their efforts towards integration. The EU diplomatic initiatives have
therefore been focusing on the preparation of the Balkan countries for integration
into the EU structures.
The EU meeting in Thessalonica constituted an important step for the Balkan
countries towards reiteration of their expectations concerning their place in
Europe. However, as it was clear in the immediate aftermath of the summit, the
fate of the region and the future of the Southeast Europe are essentially bound
to the political and diplomatic machinery in Brussels. A new form of contractual
relations, namely stabilization and association agreements between EU and
Balkan countries (Albania, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Rep. of Macedonia, and
Serbia and Montenegro) have been initiated for the stabilization and the association
process.
In particular in 2003 many countries – including the USA, the Czech Republic, Italy,
Russia, Turkey, France, Great Britain, Germany and Canada – have sought bilateral
cooperation with the Greek Presidency to implement the Balkan initiatives.
The Thessalonica Summit redefined the nature of the EU engagement in the
Balkans by sending a strong signal about the promise of the 'Europeanization'
for the region. The Summit has provided the EU with the opportunity to make a
commitment to cohesion for the Western Balkans, and begin a process of engaging
a new set of instruments and strategies to help the region in its struggle
towards EU accession.
Since the Kosovo war and in particular since the Helsinki European Council, the
self-definition of the EU has changed. A decisive impulse for these changes was
given by the war in Kosovo, but the consequences reach far beyond the Balkan
region. As a still emerging regional power, the EU increasingly bears responsi-
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