EU Enlargement and its Impact on European Integration

The focus of this article is on the interplay of EU enlargement policy and practice on the one hand and the European integration process on the other. Hence, I will first discuss certain concepts of European integration in order to put the definition of the problem in context. Secondly, I will consider some important dimensions of the enlargement policy pertaining to the Western Balkan countries and show the state of affairs in particular countries in this region. Special attention will be directed at the nature of the enlargement process, its legal regulation and the progress achieved so far. Importantly, a focus will be put on the presentation of the personal attitudes of people in the region, which will enable an evidence-based conceptualization of the accession of Western Balkan countries to the EU. This final section presents attitudes towards European integration emerging from the biographical work of citizens outside the EU.