European Integration and Transformation in the Western Balkans: Europeanization or business as usual?

The Thessaloniki Summit of 2003 offered perspective to all countries of the Western Balkans to become members of the European Union once they meet necessary conditions. To facilitate the Western Balkans’ accession, the EU has devised specific instruments in addition to those already part of the enlargement strategy. The reason for tailor-making efforts stems from concerns over stability in the region as a result of the violent break-up of the former Yugoslavia, as well as from the fact that Western Balkans countries are overwhelmingly economically poor and democratically weak. Unlike former communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, in the Western Balkans one finds unfinished, fragile, or contested states. This makes the enlargement approach and Europeization efforts more volatile, less comprehensive and generally exceptionally challenging.