EU, Western Balkans: Membership Bid Stalled, Only Aid, Investments in Return

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The Western Balkans' bid to join the European Union is currently "on hold," but it is necessary to find something to offer the region in return, EU officials in charge of the Western Balkans, and analysts of European institutes have said.

The Brussels-based European Policy Centre has said that "with no real progress in EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, or effective solutions to deal with the region’s fundamental problems, the Union’s promises of support and a shared future are starting to ring hollow. It is unclear where enlargement policy goes from here."

Diplomatic sources in Brussels have said that the current situation across the region is very poor, "very disappointing" in terms of the adoption of European standards and legislation. These sources also note that the region's regimes are mostly autocratic, often caught up in corruption, even crime, and inclined to demagogy, nationalism, and chauvinism which they use to stay in power.

Through mostly a protracted bureaucratic and technical process with regard to membership talks and the implementation of stabilization deals and by turning a blind eye to declining democracy for the sake of regional stability, the EU is itself partly to blame for the unfavorable developments. It is true, however, officials and analysts in Brussels believe, that the only tangible weapon at this time may be stronger financial support and targeted investments, but with unifying the budding regional market.