This conference focused on cooperation and bilateral relations between the European non-EU states and the prospective EU member states in the Western Balkans. At the same time, EU policy towards the Western Balkan states was brought up as well, while the positions of the non-EU states on EU enlargement were discussed and scrutinised. The perspective of the Western Balkan states focussed more on cooperation in economy, civil society and crisis management in the region. The third part of the conference dealt with the work of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the Western Balkans region. Finally, the questions raised were summarised in a discussion.

The speakers from Norway, Øyvind Svendsen (Norwegian Institute of International Affairs Norway), Switzerland, Edina Szöcsik (Institute for Federalism, University of Fribourg) and the UK, Matthew Kirlew (UK Embassy in Budapest) presented in the first panel the perspective of the European non-EU states and their positions on the accession of the Western Balkans states to the European Union. They summarised the Norwegian, Swiss and British political and economic relations with the region and how relations with the EU also play into this network of relations. The Swiss presentation focussed on the relationship betwenn Switzerland and the EU, which could serve as a basis for relations between the European non-EU states and the Western Balkans states. In principle, all three states, i.e. Norway, Switzerland and the UK, are in favour of EU integration of the Western Balkan states.

The second panel discussed the perspective of the Western Balkans states and their relations with the European non-EU states. The speaker from Sarajevo, Lejla Ramić Mesihović (Burch University Sarajevo), addressed the need to reconstruct EU-led crisis management, in which greater participation of non-EU countries would be welcome. Miloš Petrović (Centre for Euro-Atlantic Studies, Belgrade) discussed Turkey's influence in the region and mentioned how the European Political Community can make an important contribution to involving non-EU countries in the political developments of the Western Balkans region. The Albanian colleague, Reina Zenelaj (EPOKA University) spoke about the relations between Albania and Switzerland and the UK and discussed the role of Albania in the regional organisations of the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Political Community. 

In the third part of the conference, Eirini Patsea (OSCE, Programme Co-ordinator) gave an overview of the activities of the OSCE in the Western Balkans region. Firstly, the speaker presented the tasks, activities, strategies and procedures of the OSCE. Secondly, she introduced the project ‘Regional Trial Monitoring Project: OSCE engagement in the Western Balkans and the case of the Regional Trial Monitoring Project’ in detail. This was followed by a discussion on the OSCE's activities in the region, its problems, weaknesses and strengths.

The final part of the conference attempted to summarise the most important key points in a concluding discussion with all speakers and the interested audience. The importance of regional organisations in the cooperation between European states was emphasised, and the European Political Community was mentioned again and again. Other topics that would be relevant for cooperation between the non-EU states and the Western Balkans are issues of labour migration, especially brain drain, stronger cooperation between local institutions at the municipal level, exchange in terms of citizen participation, civil society activities and focus on youth projects.

The conference provided a variety of quite different perspectives that fed into the intensive discussions and brought new approaches and considerations to light. This was the first of three conferences on the topic of European non-EU states and their relations with the Western Balkans. 

This event was organised within the framework of the Changing Orders Research Programme, a comprehensive project supported by the Swiss Contribution with the national co-financing of the Hungarian Government.

Christina GRIESSLER