ECA: EU's Support for Rule of Law in Western Balkans Has Little Effect

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In a recently published special report, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) has stated that actions by the European Union have had little impact on advancing fundamental rule of law reforms in the Western Balkans.

The document elaborates that while certain technical and operational reforms have been enacted in the region, there remains an overall lack of political will and engagement. In such a context, EU support is, as a rule, insufficient to resolve issues in areas such as the independence of the judiciary, the concentration of power, political interference and corruption, the report maintains.

According to the ECA, all six economies of the Western Balkans have trouble with the rule of law and basic human rights, despite over two-decades-worth of effort which the EU has invested in helping implement a reform plan in the region.

The Union's priorities with regards to the rule of law in the Western Balkans are clear and have been generally translated into specific action under the instrument for pre-accession, the auditors explain, but its impact remains at risk due to certain key factors that remain unmitigated.

The report concludes that the current measures for resolving the inadequate administrative capacities and lack of political will -- both crucial -- are few and often unproductive, while the pre-conditions for project funding and implementation are not being consistently applied.