LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Summer 2009

by Bastiaan Belder

RELATED ARTICLES:

---

Sir,
Relations between the European Union and the western Balkans have reached a decisive phase, I was glad to read that Erhard Busek thinks the region is still of great importance to the EU and that the international community did a good job in bringing more stability to these countries. In other respects, though, Busek’s message is confusing. He claims the EU gave the western Balkans a clear European perspective and it is now up to these countries to make the next move. I don’t deny the importance of local initiatives. But I am afraid that Busek is over-optimistic about the part being played both by Europe and the international community.

The region’s official welcome to become EU members is, in my opinion, paper thin. There is growing scepticism towards further enlargement among the EU’s people and political elites. And the figures in Busek’s article show that great swathes of the population in the western Balkans fear the European Commission will not let them in. Personally, I wonder whether the EU really is willing to accept these countries as member states at all. If the door to Europe is genuinely open, then the EU needs to back its official words of welcome with more enthusiastic actions. If entry negotiations are on hold, then I would strongly recommend that the EU institutions say so clearly.

I also reject the idea that Europe shares a common vision on the western Balkans. There was no such unity in the past decade and member states’ various reactions to Kosovo’s declaration of independence show that divisions continue today. Splits over Bosnia’s political future have been plain for years. Thus it is unfair of Busek to say that it’s up to the people of Bosnia to decide whether they want to build a new future for their country. It’s not that simple.

So what is the best way forward? In the first place, there must be a fresh EU commitment to this forgotten region. Second, European leaders should tell their own people that these countries will become EU members in the short or medium term. For too long, politicians have said one thing at home and another in Brussels. Third, Europe must help the western Balkans in concrete, direct and concentrated ways. I support EU membership for the western Balkans, but only when each country meets the Copenhagen criteria in full. They therefore each need a master plan to prepare them for membership within the framework of the Stabilisation and Association Process.