European Enlargement at a Crossroads - Proceedings from the Political Seminar held in Rome on July, 17th 2015

MERCATOR publication 2015

The Mercator European Dialogue project aims to offer a space for dialogue for members of national parliaments to exchange ideas on the future of Europe, and the participation in a network of parliamentarians providing the opportunity for networking, channeling national concerns at the European level and for dialogue across parliamentary actors of different member states. The topic of enlargement was chosen for this first meeting as the EU continues to have a distinct advantage and responsibility in the Western Balkans and yet Enlargement is a policy whose sense of direction is openly contested. Trust in enlargement policy is declining in the EU and candidate countries alike yet at the same time, there is no alternative to a credible enlargement policy for the EU in the Balkans today. South-eastern Europe is a region where the EU retains substantial influence and is capable of bringing about real change. Yet the EU’s advantage in the region cannot be taken for granted. The challenge is twofold. On the one hand, finding ways to empower reformers in the Western Balkans in order to promote economic integration and development in the region. On the other, to help rethink method enlargement policy making pre-accession policy more credible, and restoring trust within the EU and the candidate countries that enlargement can indeed be a win-win for all. Elites and publics in the region risk otherwise turning away from the EU, looking for inspiration and support elsewhere.