Chairpersons:
Stefan Hadžović (RS) Mateu Tomi (ES) |
Journalist:
Sara Octenjak (HR) |
Introduction and Explanation
In order to understand this topic, two main concepts should be taken into account.
One of them is the current situation of the Balkan countries: After a series of wars and violent conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, which held the entire region under the same country, collapsed between 1990 and 1992. Despite the fact that the different regions became independent countries, huge ethnic tensions are still present nowadays. They are the cause of the instability that still haunts the Balkans to this day. In addition, there is also a tension created by the political crisis many Balkan countries seem to currently have; an example of this is the Macedonian government, which is under threat of wiretapping and covering murder.
The other aspect that one should be aware of is the length of the accession process these Balkan countries are undergoing if they want to become an EU Member State. and requirements even to be recognised as a potential candidate are strict and hard to meet by the potential candidates.
This committee should focus on discussing the degree of involvement the EU should have in the Western Balkans countries’ stabilisation and growth, especially in neutralising the tensions and qualms in the region.
One of them is the current situation of the Balkan countries: After a series of wars and violent conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, which held the entire region under the same country, collapsed between 1990 and 1992. Despite the fact that the different regions became independent countries, huge ethnic tensions are still present nowadays. They are the cause of the instability that still haunts the Balkans to this day. In addition, there is also a tension created by the political crisis many Balkan countries seem to currently have; an example of this is the Macedonian government, which is under threat of wiretapping and covering murder.
The other aspect that one should be aware of is the length of the accession process these Balkan countries are undergoing if they want to become an EU Member State. and requirements even to be recognised as a potential candidate are strict and hard to meet by the potential candidates.
This committee should focus on discussing the degree of involvement the EU should have in the Western Balkans countries’ stabilisation and growth, especially in neutralising the tensions and qualms in the region.
Key Terms
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Outline
1 - Accession Process of the WB6 (Western Balkans 6 countries):
The Western Balkans have joined the enlargement process with a view to their future accession to the European Union (EU). Several steps in the move towards European integration still need to be taken. The EU is committed to working with the countries of this region to set a suitable policy framework following the stabilisation and association process and the Thessaloniki Agenda. However, the implementation of this policy framework requires further efforts in the last stages needed to achieve stability and prosperity in the region.
The accession process that the Balkan countries are following in order to become Member States is divided in different steps. Firstly, the country interested in joining the EU applies for membership. The candidacy is then discussed by the European Commission and the European Council. Before applying, though, the country is required to meet what is known as the Copenhagen Criteria.
Once all the criteria reach a satisfactory level, accession negotiations begin to take place. These talks are meant to prepare the country for its status as a Member State. The negotiations take place in a bilateral fashion, in which all the Member States are included. Unless the negotiations are suspended due to criteria not being followed or violation of EU principles, a Treaty of Accession is signed, in which a date is fixed for the applicant to become a Member State in its own right.
2 - Historical context and its consequences
At the beginning of the 1990s, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was one of the largest, most developed and diverse countries in the Balkans. Yugoslavia was a mix of ethnic groups and religions, with Orthodox Christianity, Catholicism and Islam being the main religions. After the collapse of communism, Yugoslavia experienced intense political and economic crisis, resulting into weakening of the Government, while militant nationalism grew apace.
The Yugoslav wars took place from 1991 until 2001. The wars were ethnic conflicts, that facilitated the breakup of the country and they are one of the major causes of instability in Western Balkans region nowadays. These wars have become infamous for the war crimes involved, including ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and rape. These were the first conflicts since World War II to be formally judged genocidal in character and many key individual participants were subsequently charged with war crimes.
The Western Balkans have joined the enlargement process with a view to their future accession to the European Union (EU). Several steps in the move towards European integration still need to be taken. The EU is committed to working with the countries of this region to set a suitable policy framework following the stabilisation and association process and the Thessaloniki Agenda. However, the implementation of this policy framework requires further efforts in the last stages needed to achieve stability and prosperity in the region.
The accession process that the Balkan countries are following in order to become Member States is divided in different steps. Firstly, the country interested in joining the EU applies for membership. The candidacy is then discussed by the European Commission and the European Council. Before applying, though, the country is required to meet what is known as the Copenhagen Criteria.
Once all the criteria reach a satisfactory level, accession negotiations begin to take place. These talks are meant to prepare the country for its status as a Member State. The negotiations take place in a bilateral fashion, in which all the Member States are included. Unless the negotiations are suspended due to criteria not being followed or violation of EU principles, a Treaty of Accession is signed, in which a date is fixed for the applicant to become a Member State in its own right.
2 - Historical context and its consequences
At the beginning of the 1990s, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was one of the largest, most developed and diverse countries in the Balkans. Yugoslavia was a mix of ethnic groups and religions, with Orthodox Christianity, Catholicism and Islam being the main religions. After the collapse of communism, Yugoslavia experienced intense political and economic crisis, resulting into weakening of the Government, while militant nationalism grew apace.
The Yugoslav wars took place from 1991 until 2001. The wars were ethnic conflicts, that facilitated the breakup of the country and they are one of the major causes of instability in Western Balkans region nowadays. These wars have become infamous for the war crimes involved, including ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and rape. These were the first conflicts since World War II to be formally judged genocidal in character and many key individual participants were subsequently charged with war crimes.
Key Conflicts
The major conflicts stem from the war that ravaged the Western Balkans in the 90s. After the war, there was a huge growth in nationalism and tension between the breakaway countries increased. This resulted in conflicts - some of them armed - mostly in border areas. An example of this is the Kumanovo shootings earlier in 2015, where an Albanian paramilitary group allegedly assaulted Macedonian forces in a town near Kosovo.
Essentially, the biggest problems the Western Balkans face is extremist nationalism and tension between countries, between various ethnies. There have been troubling conflicts between Serbs and Bosnians, as well as with Albanians or Muslims. If the WB6 want to make it into the EU, most of them should see to ameliorate their economic and political situation; some of the Balkan countries, as stated before, suffer profound internal problems due to economical decadence or political struggles. |
Key Actors
- European Institutions
European institutions play a key role in the accession process, because all negotiations and the accession process pass through its three main bodies: the European Council (the Council), the European Commission (EC) and the European Parliament (EP). Applications for accession are submitted to the Council, which then consults the EC and the EP, before making a decision on whether or not to grant candidate status. The Council and the EC are responsible for all the formal steps on behalf of the EU during the accession talks, from the initial evaluation to negotiations, and finally ratifying the accession treaty.
- Directorate General (DG) for Enlargement
As a part of the European Commission (EC), it directly implements the EU's enlargement policy.
- Community Programmes
Following the perspective of the Thessaloniki agenda, they enable the candidate countries to fulfil the admission criteria in order to become Member States of the EU.
- Regional Cooperation Council
It promotes mutual cooperation and EU integration of South Eastern Europe. The areas of cooperation are economic and social development, energy and infrastructure, justice and home affairs, security cooperation, and the development of good governance and democratic values.
Key Questions
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Measures Already in Place
- The Energy Community Treaty, aka. Energy Community of South East Europe(ECSEE) entered into force on July 1st 2006, creates an internal market in electricity and natural gas bringing together the 28 Member States of the European Union (EU) and 6 European states and territories in the Balkans.
- Regulation (EC) No 1339/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council; this regulation establishes the European Training Foundation (ETF). ETF is an agency of the European Union, established in 1990, that helps improve vocational training systems in non-EU countries, it offers insight, know-how and experience in training people for new jobs and in developing lifelong learning programmes.
- Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance (IPA)
- Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) is a major element of the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union (EU) and is the domain of EU policy covering defence and military aspects, as well as civilian crisis management.
- The Stabilisation and Association Agreement(SAA) constitutes the framework of relations between the European Union and the Western Balkan countries for implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Process(SAP).
- Stabilisation and Association Process(SAP) is the EU’s policy towards the Western Balkans. The SAP sets out common political and economic goals. The SAP was launched in June 1999 and strengthened at the Thessaloniki Summit in 2003.
Links for Further Research
- Progress reports: http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/countries/strategy-and-progress-report/index_en.htm
- EU – WB6 countries relations: http://eeas.europa.eu/western_balkans/index_en.htm
- Brief summary on the state of the accession process in different WB6 countries: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-11283616
- “The Western Balkans": http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2014/02/western-balkans-are-danger-sliding-backwards
- Accession proccess: https://euobserver.com/institutional/120685
- EU approach to Western Balkans: http://www.economist.com/blogs/easternapproaches/2012/09/balkans-and-eu