Original scientific paper
The Seventh Eu Enlargement and Beyond: Pre-Accession Policy Vis-À-Vis the Western Balkans Revisited
Mirna Vlašić Feketija
Adam Łazowski
Abstract
The accession of Croatia to the European Union is yet another
milestone in the history of EU enlargements. After seven enlargement
rounds the membership has increased from the original
six founding countries to twenty-eight Member States. Many claim,
quite rightly, that the enlargement policy is the most successful of the
EU’s foreign policy tools. Even those who bring this bold argument into
doubt have to agree that, when contrasted with other external policies,
and the European Neighbourhood Policy in particular, the overall
balance sheet of the enlargement policy is positive. The accession of
Croatia is symbolic in a number of ways. As argued in this article, it
closes one big chapter in the history of EU enlargements but, at the
same time, opens another. Croatia is – most likely – the last country to
join the EU this decade. After a sometimes painful pre-accession process,
it has proved to be a ‘success story’ of the stabilisation and association
process. As the European Commission claims, it is living proof
that the raison d’être and mechanics of the policy employed vis-à-vis
the Western Balkans have their merits. However, a quick look into
the future proves that the next enlargements will be far more complicated
affairs. The current list of candidates and potential candidates
is a mix of a heavyweight (Turkey) and the Western Balkan countries,
all struggling to meet the fundamental prerequisites for a democracy
based on the rule of law. Failure to comply with the Copenhagen criteria,
together with a dwindling appetite for further enlargement among
some Member States, create a rather dangerous mix. This article argues
that following recent enhancements to the pre-accession policy,
further improvements are necessary to make future expansions of the
European Union possible. If only from the geo-political perspective,
this is in the joint interest of the European Union, its Member States
and the countries of the Western Balkans.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
131637
URI
Publication date:
17.12.2014.
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