When we refer to the Western Balkans as a single geographical entity, we are essentially referring to the six countries that make up it. More specifically, they are Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro, and Northern Macedonia.
EU enlargement to the Western Balkans has long been seen as a response to Brexit, in order to strengthen the image of an EU to which various European peoples want to join, seeing it as a guarantee of a better future.
by Thanos S. Chonthrogiannis
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The Western Balkans were hit hard by the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. More specifically, deaths per million inhabitants and for the last seven days (Source: Statista www.Statista.com, 6/12/2020) is North Macedonia 886, Bosnia and Herzegovina 851, Kosovo 572, Albania 298, Serbia 254.
The EU development plan for the Western Balkans
The EU has designed and is promoting the implementation of a truly promising development plan for the countries of the Western Balkans. The aim of this development plan is to prepare these countries as best as possible to achieve their integration into the EU and given that their per capita income so far is well below 50% of the European average.
This development plan is supported by a set of funds comprising €9bn in the form of financial aid but also additional funding appropriations, which can reach a total of €20bn.
The €20bn that make up the total capital of this development plan accounts for a third of their total GDP. The growth everyone expects from its use will cause explosive growth.
The success of this development plan is since it regards the Western Balkans as an economic whole and does not look individually as separate economic units at the countries that make up the Western Balkans.
The emphasis is on the development of infrastructures such as the common road network, the common rail network, energy dependence on the burning of lignite and its replacement by energy production through RES (Renewable Energy Services), the protection of the environment in terms of waste and waste management and the increasing dependence of infrastructure and businesses on digital technology.
In more detail, investments in line with the European Plan for the Western Balkans will be directed to:
1. All capitals and co-capitals of the countries that make up the Western Balkans will be connected by modern motorways and a modernized rail network. Improving European interconnection in the region.
2. There will be a shift in the economies of these countries towards the production of clean energy by making better use of hydropower projects and in the long term the use of hydrogen. In the next 4-5 years greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by 60%, mainly by stopping the use of lignite and replacing it with natural gas.
3. Environmental protection projects are first on the list of development projects with an emphasis on the optimal exploitation of water resources as well as the rational management of waste and waste.
4. Accelerate digital transition with high-speed internet interface.
5. Reorganization of the private sector by making better use of the human capital of the region to stay in their countries and not to seek a better future in other EU member countries.
Photo by the website www.eyropeanwesternbalkans.com
For its part, the EU requires the governments of the Western Balkan countries to abolish any closed border crossings between them, to stop the imposition of deliberate bureaucratic procedures that stop free trade and to impose vengeful tariffs on imports of goods and services.
The EU’s share of foreign trade in the six Western Balkan countries is in the order of 75% as in investment. But at both the political and geopolitical and security levels, it is not the EU but the US. Without missing that both Russia, Turkey and China have a significant influence in the Western Balkans.
The European Council has created a ‘road map’ that the countries of the Western Balkans will have to follow before they can become members of the EU at some point. By the end of 2020, the European Council would approve the accession negotiations for Albania and Northern Macedonia (please read the analysis titled «EU & Western Balkans – Enlargement or Anticipation»)
But this framework will be delayed as Bulgaria’s government to win the national elections to be held in 2021 is trying to rally the ruling party, which is why it is vetoing the accession of Northern Macedonia.
This shows us that the development trajectory to be followed by the Western Balkans will be delayed due to the unforeseen political objectives of other EU member countries.
