European integration and the Western Balkans: lessons, prospects and obstacles

European integration is almost universally recognized as the key strategy for achieving the twin goals of peace and prosperity in the Western Balkans. 1 European policy-makers trust that greater European involvement in the Western Balkans can have positive and long-lasting effects on the management of ethno- political conflict. The European Commission identified the prospect of EU membership as ‘the ultimate conflict prevention strategy’ and committed itself to maintain and increase its proactive presence in the region. 2 The academic near-consensus is that the Western Balkans’ greater involvement in European institutions is the necessary condition for stabilization. 3 But whether the focus is placed on Europe’s entry into the Western Balkans, or the Western Balkans’ entry into Europe, most observers agree on the positive effects of increased links these two still quite distinct areas. Perhaps most importantly, these views are also shared by many politicians and citizens in the region, who are for once united in considering access to European political, economic and financial institutions as the long-term answer to fragmentation, conflict and economic backwardness. Opinion polls regularly show levels of popular support for European integration ranging between 75 and 85 per cent.