Wilton Park Conference, 10 June 2004 - RECOMMENDATIONS
Wilton Park Conference, 10 June 2004 - RECOMMENDATIONS

Author(s): Author Not Specified
Subject(s): Government/Political systems, International relations/trade, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010)
Published by: ESI – European Stability Initiative
Keywords: Western Balkan perspectives; 2003 Thessaloniki;
Summary/Abstract: As the political and economic map of South Eastern Europe is redrawn through successive European enlargements, a number of countries of the Western Balkans risk being left on the margins of the new and integrated Europe.In 1998, the only country in South Eastern Europe which was a member of the European Union was Greece. By 2007, Romania, Bulgaria and possibly Croatia are likely to join, while Macedonia and Turkey are likely to be engaged in membership negotiations. As the experience of the last enlargement has shown, being a full candidate already brings many of the benefits that in previous Mediterranean enlargements only came with membership. Most of these benefits are crucial to potential investors: a stable macroeconomic environment, a predictable regulatory environment, an expectation that every year the physical and administrative infrastructure will improve, access to increased assistance. … This discussion paper sets out an alternative scenario. The starting point for a new European approach is the reflection on the needs of the Western Balkans which was set out in advance of the 2003 Thessaloniki summit by the Greek EU Presidency.

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