“ EU AND THE WESTERN BALKANS: CHALLENGES AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE ENLARGEMENT ”

1. “EU AND THE WESTERN BALKANS: CHALLENGES AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE ENLARGEMENT” Irina Žarin Department for the EU Ministry of Foreign Affairs Serbia and Montenegro

2. THE EU OF 25 Basic facts: • New physical shape, content, tasks and role • New perceptions and strategies • New relations with “closer” and “distant” neighbors (CFSP) • New activities and aims

4. THE CONSEQUENCES • Essential: registrator, motivator, and activator • Different criteria for differentiation (positive/negative, individual/collective, political/economic/social etc., direct/indirect, as changes, as action, etc.) • Primary concern: direct political consequences and their significance for the Western Balkan countries

5. DIRECT POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES As registrator (documents): • Communications form the EU Commission: Wider Europe, New Neighborhood and Instruments for Pre-Accession • European Partnership • Stabilization and Association Agreement • Launch of Negotiations for full membership

6. DIRECT POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES As motivator (initiatives): • Providing political and economic support for the ongoing process of harmonization with the acquis • Providing financial aid via different developmental programs • Providing and enhancing exchange of oppinion and best practices on the same path of European integration among the WB countries

7. DIRECT POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES As activator (concrete different actions): • Feasibility study • Boosting up budgets for financial aid • Inclusion in several community programs • Stabilization and Association Agreement • Launch of negotiations

8. POLITICS, CULTURE AND CONFLICTS • Hans Morgentau “Politics among nations” and Samuel Huntigton“Clash of civilizations” • Multilateral, regional and bilateral dimension • Connection presented in individual direct political consequences

9. MULTILATERAL DIMENSION • International governmental and non-governmental organizations: OESC, Council of Europe, EU Commission, UNDP, etc. • Documents: Conventions of the Council of Europe, Communications of the EU Commission, Resolutions of the UN General Assembly, etc.

10. REGIONAL DIMENSION • “Natural way for the countries in the region to tackle joint problems and accomplish further progress in important sectoral issues” • 1999. Stability Pact for the SEE • Regional approach of the EU towards the WB countries • Documents: The Thessaloniki Agenda 2003, EC Communication “The WB and European integration”, Annual report of the EU Commission for the WB 2004, Report of the International Commission for the WB 2004, Conventions of the Council of Europe – respecting human rights, etc.

11. REGIONAL DIMENSION • Agreements: on trade liberalization, on transport infrastructure corridors V, VII and X,regional energy market, etc. • Community programs (25) for WB • Neighborhood programs (INTERREG), 3 ongoing, 2 in pipeline (cross-border effect)

12. BILATERAL DIMENSION • Political dialogue in the past 3 yrs. Intensified in the field of repatriation, border crossings, visa regimes, fight against terrorism, organized crime and trafficking • Further inclusion of freedom of speech and media

13. THANK YOU FOR ATTENTION