The EU and the Western Balkans: Challenges for the Pre-Accession Process in 2013

The year 2013 will herald a new era in the relations between the European Union (EU) and the states of the so-called Western Balkans. With Croatia most probably joining the Union in July, the membership perspective that was given to the states of the region ten years earlier finally materializes for one of the countries. Pre-supposed that there is political will for integration in the applicant country, Croatia’s accession demonstrates that the EU’s pre-accession process, the Stabilization and Association process (SAP), can be effective. However, as of January 2013, the pre-accession process with the other states seems to stagnate. This raises the question about the SAP’s effectiveness in overcoming the remaining challenges in the region. This paper looks at the current state of affairs in the relations between the EU and the Western Balkans and examines ways to “revive” the pre-accession process.