The European perspective of the Western Balkans has been given since 2003 and continuously reaffirmed from the European Union. The region today is facing the challenges of the European perspective. In this context, regional cooperation has been used from the European Union as an important instrument to strengthen stability and promote regional integration. In this work the main attempt is to understand the dynamics of the EU approach towards the region; if it fits to a coherent approach, how the bilateral approach of the EU integration process contributes to promoting inter-regional cooperation processes that are paralleled by bilateral relations based on a single state approach, and how regional cooperation policies contribute to the integration process of the region. This work is addressed to scholars and students who are interested in the European integration processes with a specific focus on the Western Balkans.

Autorentext

Elvana Tafilaku, M.P.P.: Studied Master of Public Policy at the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at the University of Erfurt. Her research interest include International Relations and the EU integration process of the Western Balkans. She is a senior fellow at an independent public policy research center in Kosovo.