Enlargement of the European Union: An Analysis of the Negotiations for Countries of the Western Balkans

The European Union has made it clear on numerous occasions that the future of the Western Balkan nations lies within the Union. After the Balkan wars of the 1990s, accession is seen as a guarantee of peace and stability in the region by both the 27 countries of the Union and by the six Western Balkan countries : Albania, Bosnia and Herzogovina, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.This jointly-held belief is, however, an objective, which can only be reached when the six countries meet the conditions set by the Union for accession. Part of this preparation will take place through the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAAs), which have been or are in the process of being negotiated with these countries. However, the conditions for accession go well beyond the programme of work implied by the SAA...