The Important Question: Why and How Croatia Got Acceptance Whilst Serbia and Bosnia Denied By EU

Year 2020, Volume: 4 Issue: 1, 89 - 104, 30.06.2020

Furkan Durmaz

Abstract

As it known, Balkan countries have always been in an important position for the EU. Especially with the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the EU has introduced its policies to these countries and provided economic and social assistance for them. Thanks to these aids, most countries have converged to the EU. However, at this point, the different policies pursued by the countries and the countries that support or do not support the countries have played an important role in the EU membership process. The point that is especially taken into consideration here is that although most of the Western Balkan countries have started their EU membership processes in the same period, some of them became successful at this point while others have failed. Particularly in this process, the concept of Europeanization and European identity become effective. This situation is examined in this study in terms of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia.

Keywords

: European Union, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europeanization, European Identity

References

• Ağca, F. (2010). Batı Balkanların geleceğinde Avrupa Birliği ve Türkiye'nin rolü. Girişimcilik ve Kalkınma Dergisi, 5(1), 45-65.
• Akçay, E. Y. (2016). Sırbistan'ın AB Serüveni. Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 18(1), 73-80.
• Akçay, E. Y. (2017). AB Entegrasyon Sürecinde Potansiyel Aday Olarak Bosna Hersek. Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University Journal of Social Sciences Institute, 2(1), 50-64.
• Alijevic, L. V. (2012). European Integration of Western Balkans: From Reconciliation to European Future. Brussels: Center for European Studies.
• Altun, Ö. (2013, July). Avrupa Birliği Genişleme Politikası Bağlamında Hırvatistan Üyeliği. Retrieved December 13, 2018, from T.C Maliye Bakanlığı Avrupa Birliği ve Dış İlişkiler Dairesi Başkanlığı: http://www.abmaliye.gov.tr/ABDID%20Raporlar/Ara%C5%9Ft%C4%B1rma%20ve%20%C4%B0nceleme%20Serisi/AB%20Geni%C5%9Fleme%20Politikas%C4%B1%20Ba%C4%9Flam%C4%B1nda%20H%C4%B1rvatistan%20%C3%9Cyeli%C4%9Fi.pdf
• BBC News. (2011, May 26). Ratko Mladic arrested: Bosnia war crimes suspect held. Retrieved December 17, 2018, from BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-13561407
• Commission, E. (2003). EU-Western Balkans Summit Thessaloniki. Retrieved December 18 2018, from European Commission: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_PRES-03-163_en.htm
• Council of The European Union. (2014, January 21). European Council Council of the European Union. Retrieved December 16, 2018, from First Accession Conference with Serbia: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/genaff/140676.pdf
• Delegation of The European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina. (2012, June 28). Joint Conclusions from the High Level Dialogue on the Accession Process of 27 June 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2018, from Delegation of The European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina: http://europa.ba/?p=12369
• Economides, S., & James, K.-L. (2015). Pre-Accession Europeanization: The Case of Serbia and Kosovo. Journal of Common Market Studies, 53(5), 1027-1044. European Commission. (2011). EU Closes Accession Negotiations with Croatia. Retrieved December 16, 2018, from European Commission: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-11-824_en.htm
• European Commission. (2013, June 28). Croatia's Accession to the European Union - Q&A. Retrieved December 15, 2018, from European Union: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-629_en.pdf
• European Commission. (2016). Bosnia and Herzegovina 2016 Report . Brussels: European Commission.
• European Commission. (2018). Bosnia and Herzegovina 2018 Report. Strasbourg: European Commission.
• European Commission. (2018). Serbia 2018 Report. Strasbourg: European Commission.
• European Council Council of The European Union. (n.d.). Serbia. Retrieved December 17, 2018, from European Council Council of The European Union: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/enlargement/serbia/
• European Court of Auditors. (2014). EU Pre Accession Asistance to Serbia. Luxembourg: European Court of Auditors.
• Finnemore, M., & Sikkink, K. (1998). International Norm Dynamics and Political Change. International Organization, 52(4), 87-917.
• Gyamfi, S. A., Brenya, E., & Gariba, S. (2016). The Balkans and The European Union. Journal of Transdisciplinary Studies, 9(2), 91-105.
• Hahn, J. (2013). Panorama Inforegio. The EU Welcomes Croatia. Belgium. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/panorama/pdf/mag46/mag46_en.pdf
• Karluk, R. (2015). Avrupa Birliği’nin Balkanlara Genişlemesi: Balkan Ülkelerine Üyelik Perspektifi. International Confererence Euroasian Economies 2014 (pp. 1-9). Skopje: Beykent University .
• Koeth, W. (2012). Bosnia, Kosovo and the EU: Is Accession Possible without Full Sovereignty? EIPAScope, 1(1), 31-36.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Republic of Serbia. (n.d.). Chronology of Relations Between The Republic of Serbia And The European Union. Retrieved December 15, 2018, from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Republic of Serbia: http://www.mfa.gov.rs/en/foreign-policy/eu/political-relations-between-the-republic-of-serbia-and-the-european-union/12452-chronology-of-relations-between-the-republic-of-serbia-and-the-european-union
• Munter, A. D. (2018, October). The Western Balkans. Retrieved December 16, 2018, from European Parliament: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/ftu/pdf/en/FTU_5.5.2.pdf
• Ott, K. (2006). Croatian Accession to The European Union: The Challenges of Participation. In K. Ott, Croatian Accession to The European Union: The Challenges of Participation (pp. 1-28). Zagreb: Institute of Public Finance.
• Republic of Croatia Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. (n.d.). Negotiation Process. Retrieved December 16, 2018, from Republic of Croatia Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs: www.mvep.hr/en/croatia-and-the-european-union/negotiation-process/
• Russell, M. (2018). Serbia: 2018 country report. Brussels: European Parliament .
• Sağıroğlu, A. (2017). Bosna Hersek ve Sırbistan'da Euroseptisizm: Batı Balkanlarda Avrupa Birliği'ne Bakış. Ekonomi, Politika & Finans Araştırmaları Dergisi(2), 20-35.
• Schimmelfennig, F. (2011). EU Political Accession Conditionality After The 2004 Enlargement: Consistency and Effectiveness. Journal of European Public Policy, 15(6), 918-937.
• Subotic, J. (2011). Europe is a State of Mind: Identity and Europeanization in the Balkans. International Studies Quarterly, 55(2), 309-330.
• Şahin, Y. (2013). Batı Balkanlar AB Yolunda. İstanbul: İktisadi Kalkınma Vakfı Yayınları.
• The Delegation of the European Union to The Republic of Serbia. (n.d.). Historical Background. Retrieved December 16, 2018, from The Delegation of the European Union to The Republic of Serbia: http://europa.rs/historical-background/?lang=en
• The Guardian. (2011, July 20). Serbia Arrests Goran Hadzic, The Last Yugoslav War Fugitive. Retrieved December 17, 2018, from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/20/goran-hadzic-arrest-serbia-war
• Toygür, İ., & Atak, K. (2009). Hırvatistan'ın AB Müzakere Süreci. Retrieved December 13, 2018, from İktisadi Kalkınma Vakfı: https://www.ikv.org.tr/images/upload/data/files/hirvatistanin_ab_muzakere_sureci.pdf
• Turčilo, L. (2013). Bosnia-Herzegovina and the European Union: Strong European Identity in Spite of Scepticism. Retrieved from https://eu.boell.org/sites/default/files/uploads/2013/12/lejla-turcilo-bosnia-herzegovina-and-the-eu.pdf
• Uğurkan, E. (2015). Avrupa Birliği’ne Katılım Yolunda Bosna Hersek. Ankara: Sentez Yayınları.