Balkans to Europe

The European Union's carrot and stick approach to the Balkans has left many people unhappy, warns Hido Biscevic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council, an organisation partly funded by the EU with a mandate to promote development of the region. In an interview with Volkskrant, the ex-editor in chief of the daily Vjesnik, who is also a former secretary of state and ambassador, emphasised "the frustration experienced by Western Balkan countries at the slow process of EU enlargement." And the carrot is losing its attraction. Biscevic cites the example of Croatia, whose entry into the EU has been blocked by a conflict over territorial waters with Slovenia: "I regret that the European Commission has not done more to establish an agreement between Slovenia and Croatia. I also believe that it is not very respectable of the EU to allow its members to oppose the accession of states joining the Union on the basis of bilateral issues." Biscevic worries that some countries will tire of waiting for EU membership: "If the EU is going to be a source of frustration, political leaders [in the Balkans] will concentrate on other issues."