An Elusive Target: The EU Perspective of the Western Balkans

1 - Cover [Seite 1]
2 - Review essay: Souvenirs of the post-crisis politicsWith grateful thanks to Thomas Allen for comments on an earlier draft. [Seite 8]
2.1 - Introduction [Seite 8]
2.2 - 'Top-down' and 'bottom-up': accounting for the failures of a vision for 'Europeanisation' [Seite 11]
2.3 - Crises and reactions [Seite 15]
2.4 - Competing priorities [Seite 20]
2.5 - Reform within the EU [Seite 23]
2.6 - The faces of south-east Europe in response to the crises of Europe [Seite 25]
2.7 - Conclusion [Seite 28]
3 - EUROPE - QUO VADIS? [Seite 30]
3.1 - Introduction [Seite 30]
3.2 - The opportunity comes too late [Seite 30]
3.3 - EU agricultural policy under fire [Seite 31]
3.4 - Competition a bottleneck to entry [Seite 32]
3.5 - Administrative reform the Achilles' heel [Seite 33]
3.6 - Euro-scenarios [Seite 34]
3.7 - European Economic Area politically obsolete [Seite 35]
3.8 - Conclusion [Seite 35]
4 - No stability without democracy, economic reform and social progress - Remarks on the policy of the ETUC and the Stability Pact for South-East Europe [Seite 36]
4.1 - Reactions and resolutions of the ETUC regarding the Stability Pact - laying the basis for practical trade union politics [Seite 37]
4.2 - The participation of trade unions in the Stability Pact [Seite 39]
4.3 - Trade unions in the region: improving the responsibility of co-operation [Seite 40]
5 - EU: The costs and benefits of enlargement and accession - some policy responses for before and after [Seite 42]
5.1 - 1. Why this enlargement is special [Seite 42]
5.2 - 2. Costs and benefits, winners and losers [Seite 43]
5.3 - 3. Growth potential and labour markets [Seite 47]
5.4 - 4. The challenges of building social partnership in the run-up to accession [Seite 50]
5.5 - 5. Policy instruments at hand [Seite 55]
6 - South-east Europe's EU integration: Dreams and realities [Seite 60]
6.1 - Introduction [Seite 60]
6.2 - The enlargement process [Seite 61]
6.3 - The advantages of European enlargement [Seite 63]
6.4 - Challenges towards south-eastern enlargement [Seite 64]
6.4.1 - Towards a Stabilisation and Association Agreement [Seite 65]
6.4.2 - Negotiating and implementing the Stabilisation and Association Agreements [Seite 65]
6.4.3 - Assistance [Seite 65]
6.5 - EU-Balkan perceptions [Seite 66]
6.6 - Unresolved political questions - Kosova's status and EU integration [Seite 68]
6.7 - Integration processes within south-east Europe [Seite 69]
6.8 - Regional co-operation [Seite 70]
6.9 - Inter-ethnic reconciliation as a means for European integration [Seite 71]
6.10 - Conclusions [Seite 72]
7 - The next Europe: South-eastern Europe after Thessaloniki [Seite 74]
7.1 - The Balkans 2003 [Seite 74]
7.2 - Thessaloniki, June 2003 [Seite 75]
7.3 - The European agenda [Seite 77]
7.4 - Key recommendations [Seite 79]
7.4.1 - European agenda [Seite 79]
7.4.2 - Macroeconomic deficits and regional instability [Seite 80]
7.4.3 - Functional co-operation [Seite 80]
7.5 - Conclusion [Seite 81]
8 - Rethinking south-eastern Europe through a pan-European perspective [Seite 82]
8.1 - Introduction [Seite 82]
8.2 - South-eastern Europe at a glance [Seite 82]
8.2.1 - Main regional trends [Seite 82]
8.2.2 - European integration process [Seite 84]
8.3 - Perspectives on a pan-European approach [Seite 88]
8.3.1 - The necessity of a comprehensive framework [Seite 88]
8.3.2 - South-eastern Europe's key challenge [Seite 90]
8.4 - The fate of regional initiatives in south-east Europe [Seite 92]
8.5 - Conclusion [Seite 95]
9 - The process of EU enlargement towards south-eastern Europe: current challenges and perspectives [Seite 98]
9.1 - Introduction [Seite 98]
9.2 - The enlargement process [Seite 98]
9.3 - The post-Cold War era [Seite 100]
9.3.1 - Towards a Stabilisation and Association Agreement [Seite 101]
9.3.2 - Negotiating and implementing Stabilisation and Association Agreements [Seite 101]
9.3.3 - Assistance [Seite 101]
9.4 - EU-Balkan perceptions [Seite 102]
9.5 - One of the unresolved political questions [Seite 104]
9.6 - Regional co-operation and the new CEFTA [Seite 105]
10 - The European Union and the western Balkans [Seite 108]
10.1 - Introduction [Seite 108]
10.2 - The dark sides of the Balkans - some western clichés [Seite 109]
10.3 - The destruction of Yugoslavia [Seite 110]
10.4 - European unity progress at war? [Seite 112]
10.5 - The EU between globalisation and fragmentation [Seite 117]
10.6 - The approach of the EU [Seite 118]
10.7 - Stabilising the Balkans - the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe [Seite 120]
10.8 - The Stability Pact at the micro level - the example of Bosnia and Herzegovina [Seite 122]
10.9 - Fighting corruption [Seite 123]
10.10 - Serbia and Montenegro - the EU as honest broker? [Seite 124]
10.11 - Epilogue [Seite 125]
11 - The long and winding road [Seite 130]
11.1 - The broader picture - the SEE levels [Seite 130]
11.2 - From Thessaloniki to Lisbon - the lost momentum [Seite 132]
11.3 - Imbalance between the technical and political levels [Seite 136]
11.4 - From Lisbon onwards [Seite 138]
11.5 - What should be done need not wait [Seite 140]
12 - When the EU met the western Balkans: Ready for the wedding? [Seite 144]
12.1 - Introduction [Seite 144]
12.2 - Europeanisation hand-in-hand with enlargement: a literature review [Seite 144]
12.3 - Case study: western Balkans [Seite 148]
12.3.1 - Albania (COM(2010)680 [Seite 149]
12.3.2 - Bosnia and Herzegovina (SEC(2010)1331 [Seite 150]
12.3.3 - Croatia (COM(2010)660 final [Seite 151]
12.3.4 - Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYRoM) (COM(2010)660 final [Seite 152]
12.3.5 - Montenegro (COM(2010)670 [Seite 153]
12.3.6 - Kosovo (COM(2010)660 final [Seite 155]
12.3.7 - Serbia (COM(2010)660 final [Seite 156]
12.3.8 - Sub-case study: Croatia vs. Kosovo [Seite 157]
12.4 - Conclusions [Seite 158]
13 - The global financial crisis and the post-Lisbon prospects of enlargement [Seite 166]
13.1 - 1. Introduction [Seite 166]
13.2 - 2. The broader context [Seite 166]
13.3 - 3. Principal challenges and prospects of further enlargement [Seite 167]
13.4 - 4. Economic growth and unemployment rates [Seite 168]
13.5 - 5. Areas to be revived: enterprise reforms and foreign investment [Seite 174]
13.6 - 6. Challenges related to the rule of law: corruption and organised crime [Seite 175]
13.6.1 - 6.1 Corruption [Seite 175]
13.6.2 - 6.2 Organised crime [Seite 179]
13.6.3 - 6.3 Recommended policy directions [Seite 181]
13.7 - 7. Solutions and recommendations [Seite 183]
14 - Lobbying for a faster integration track for the western Balkans region [Seite 188]
14.1 - Introduction [Seite 188]
14.2 - Western Balkans region and the enlargement dynamic [Seite 189]
14.3 - The regional picture: lobbying for a faster integration track for the region as a whole [Seite 193]
14.4 - The 'regatta': lobbying for a faster integration track based on the 'own-merit' approach [Seite 194]
14.5 - The importance of lobbying [Seite 195]
14.6 - Concluding remarks [Seite 196]
15 - The EU: Breaking the chains of weariness [Seite 200]
15.1 - The EU: with divides or flexibility? [Seite 200]
15.2 - Breaking the chains of weariness: a new EU in a new world order [Seite 203]
15.3 - Enlargement: wider or/and deeper? [Seite 206]
15.4 - Enlargement: who, when and how [Seite 208]
15.4.1 - Who [Seite 208]
15.4.2 - When [Seite 209]
15.4.3 - How not [Seite 210]
15.4.4 - So how? [Seite 211]
16 - The common challenges of south-east European countries in the process of European integration [Seite 214]
16.1 - Introduction [Seite 214]
16.2 - Background [Seite 215]
16.3 - Major issues and challenges [Seite 217]
16.3.1 - Civil and political instability [Seite 217]
16.3.2 - Low levels of economic development [Seite 217]
16.3.3 - Shifts in the priorities of foreign policy as well as shrinking aid [Seite 218]
16.3.4 - The debate on enlargement [Seite 218]
16.4 - The importance of collaboration and co-ordination within the Balkans region for countries' futures in the European Union [Seite 218]
16.5 - Conclusion [Seite 219]
17 - A 'Europe of multiple speed' in a downward spiral [Seite 222]
17.1 - Introduction [Seite 222]
17.2 - Divergent developments in pre-crisis Europe [Seite 223]
17.2.1 - Wage developments in central and eastern Europe prior to the crisis [Seite 224]
17.2.1.1 - The main trends in wage developments in CEE of the past decade [Seite 224]
17.2.2 - The 2009 crisis and central and east European economies [Seite 226]
17.2.3 - The 2010-2012 crisis in the Eurozone [Seite 227]
17.2.4 - Why central and east European countries are different to the Mediterranean countries most hit by the Eurozone crisis [Seite 228]
17.2.5 - Lessons from the Eurozone crisis for central and eastern Europe [Seite 228]
17.3 - Conclusions [Seite 231]
18 - An end to the lies and self-deception: Scenarios for the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina [Seite 234]
18.1 - Introduction [Seite 234]
18.2 - The breaking away of Republika Srpska [Seite 234]
18.3 - Two subsequent scenarios [Seite 238]
19 - Trade unions and the fall of Yugoslavia - the potential and the limitations [Seite 244]
19.1 - At the start of the war - no chance of stopping it [Seite 244]
19.2 - Dialogue and relations during the war [Seite 247]
19.3 - Promoting bilateral relations between ETUC affiliates and Yugoslav trade unions [Seite 248]
19.4 - Democracy - a precondition for a lasting peace [Seite 248]
19.5 - 1995: 'Trade union bridge in Mostar' [Seite 249]
19.6 - Meeting with Jacques Delors and Tadeusz Mazowiecki [Seite 250]
19.7 - After Dayton: establishing new relations and promoting dialogue [Seite 250]
19.8 - KSBiH: One confederation for Bosnia-Herzegovina [Seite 252]
19.9 - Serbia: trade unions at the heart of the conflict [Seite 253]
19.10 - Kosovo - the other war [Seite 255]
19.11 - Solidarnost - a regional platform of trade union co-operation [Seite 256]
19.12 - Regional reconnection [Seite 256]
19.13 - What is urgent now? [Seite 257]
20 - About the Authors [Seite 258]