Institute of Central Europe/Yearbook 17 (2019)/Issue 4/The Western Balkans on its path to the European Union

The Western Balkans on its path to the European Union

Bałkany Zachodnie na drodze do Unii Europejskiej

Silvana Mojsovska

ORCID: Silvana Mojsovska: 0000-0002-5576-6068

Afiliacja: The Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, North Macedonia

Pages: 9-24

Edition: Lublin 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36874/RIESW.2019.4.1

Citation method: Silvana Mojsovska, The Western Balkans on its path to the European Union, „Rocznik Instytutu Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej” 17 (2019), z. 4, s. 9-24, DOI: https://doi.org/10.36874/RIESW.2019.4.1

Keywords: , , ,

Abstract: EU membership has been a compelling goal for the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia), related to the bloc’s stability, economic prosperity and higher standard of living. Each of these countries pursues its own process of EU accession while being also a part of the regional initiatives under the auspices of the EU. This paper provides an overview of the EU accession process of the Western Balkan countries, focusing on their individual achievements and challenges, as well as common features and problems. Also, the content and prospects of regional integration of the Western Balkans through the Regional Economic Area (REA) programme, along with the role of the EU in supporting the regional perspective are discussed. The parallel Western Balkans engagement in both processes supports arguments for the prioritisation of the individual countries’ accession to the EU over Western Balkans regional integration, distinguishing also the challenges of both processes. The methodology for the elaboration of this paper includes methods of analysis and synthesis, based on extensive desk research of available materials.

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The Western Balkans on its path to the European Union

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