EU ENLARGEMENT: WHY HAS EU OFFERED THE PROSPECT OF MEMBERSHIP TO THE WESTERN BALKANS

Abstract

The European Union has grown in the number of its Member States since its creation some 60 years ago, from six to the current 28 member states, a process which has happened in different waves of enlargement. Enlargement continues to be an ongoing and open process. The European Union states that “enlargement policy applies to countries currently aspiring to join the EU and potential candidates”. EU has offered the prospect of membership to the six countries of the Western Balkans, initially in year 2000 and has confirmed it as lately as 2020. This European perspective was first offered during the Feira European Council in 2000, then it was confirmed by the Thessaloniki European Council in 2003. The prospect of membership has been confirmed by the EU on other more recent occasions.
EU has offered the prospect of membership to the six countries of Western Balkans: Macedonia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Serbia and Kosovo (with a footnote that refers to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244).
The Western Balkans is a neighboring region with historic ties to the EU, however the cost of funding the aspirations of the poorer states and the possibility that these additional Member States weaken the coherence of the decision-making process within EU – due to increased number of positions and veto votes – make EU enlargement in the Western Balkans an interesting and important case study. The main hypothesis in this research is that EU hasn’t offered membership to the countries of the Western Balkans because of economic interests, but because of security or political interests. The hypotheses are within the theory of rationalism (the role of states, national interests, benefits, costs and bargains). The research used the official EU trade statistics data and reports of different international governmental and non-governmental organizations. The research found that although EU trade with Western Balkans has grown over the years, with EU exports to the Western Balkans doubled in the last 10 years, it still is not a significant element in EU total trade ith other trade partners as it is only . percent of EU’s total global trade. On the other hand, EU has recorded significant gains in the security and stability of the region, pressuring the Western Balkans countries into agreements using the carrot of EU accession.