Description
In a continuously evolving world system, it is more crucial than ever for the European Union (EU) to work as a cohesive and unified bloc. Yet this is hindered by the EU’s inability to fully integrate member states and futile enlargement objectives. The EU’s ambitions in the Western Balkans include a full implementation of European values within the region by making membership an incentive. This tactic is two-fold; it increases the EU’s influence in the Western Balkans by negating Russia’s power, and it unifies a larger portion of the continent. However, the current enlargement policy is not sufficient enough to withstand Kosovo’s disputed independence. This debate creates a dichotomy between member states that support Kosovo’s independence and those that do not. Thus, this paper aims to answer the question of how much is Serbia willing to compromise in order to become an EU member state, and how much is the EU willing to compromise to strengthen its influence in the Western Balkans. To do so, a case study comparing Serbia and Croatia’s accession processes will be presented. This paper will analyse the effect Kosovo’s status will have on the accession process in terms of member state consensus. Finally, this paper will advance recommendations for ways in which the EU can adjust the accession for the special case of Serbia in order to maintain influence in the Western Balkans.
Chair
Stelios Tsiaras
Discussant
Tamara Popic & Giacomo Tagiuri
Session Type
Panel 1
Topic
Public Policy, Economy & Rights
Enlargement Policy Consensus Among the EU Member States: The Question of Kosovo’s Independence and its Effects on Serbia’s Accession
In a continuously evolving world system, it is more crucial than ever for the European Union (EU) to work as a cohesive and unified bloc. Yet this is hindered by the EU’s inability to fully integrate member states and futile enlargement objectives. The EU’s ambitions in the Western Balkans include a full implementation of European values within the region by making membership an incentive. This tactic is two-fold; it increases the EU’s influence in the Western Balkans by negating Russia’s power, and it unifies a larger portion of the continent. However, the current enlargement policy is not sufficient enough to withstand Kosovo’s disputed independence. This debate creates a dichotomy between member states that support Kosovo’s independence and those that do not. Thus, this paper aims to answer the question of how much is Serbia willing to compromise in order to become an EU member state, and how much is the EU willing to compromise to strengthen its influence in the Western Balkans. To do so, a case study comparing Serbia and Croatia’s accession processes will be presented. This paper will analyse the effect Kosovo’s status will have on the accession process in terms of member state consensus. Finally, this paper will advance recommendations for ways in which the EU can adjust the accession for the special case of Serbia in order to maintain influence in the Western Balkans.
