The EU and the US agree that the long-term goal for the Western Balkans is European integration. For a variety of reasons, progress on this goal has stalled, despite Transatlantic unity. This series aims at launching a discussion on the hurdles to enlargement in the Western Balkans, the tools available to various international actors in the region, and how these resources might best be applied to reach the goal of integration most efficiently. These meetings, therefore, address issues that are at the core of the making the Transatlantic relationship work.

 

The first meeting focussed on the unique problems of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, where the EU enlargement conditionality seems least effective.  Participants should prepare to actively participate in the discussion, bringing their own perspectives, experiences in the region and expertise to the table.  Several participants will help lead off discussion by giving short presentations on specific topics. The goal of the workshop’s discussion is to lay the groundwork for a policy brief, outlining the ideas and strategies that are brought up at the meeting.

 

  

 

 

Presentations:

 

Ioannis Armakolas: Risks to the EU Enlargement Strategy in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Jens Bastian: The Effect of the Global Economic Crisis on the EU integration policy

 

Marianne Ducasse-Rogier:

 

Florian Bieber: Rethinking the EU’s strategy in the Western Balkans

 

 

 

 

 

                                           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Participants

 

Ioannis Armakolas Hellenic Centre for European Studies	Jens Bastian ELIAMEP
Robert Benjamin National Democratic Institute	Florian Bieber University of Kent
Jason Bruder Senate Foreign Relations Committee	Christopher Chivvis Rand Corporation
Marianne Ducasse-Rogier Netherlands Institute of International Relations	Laurie Dundon Bertelsmann Foundation
Marios-Panagiotis Efthymiopoulos Wilson Center, Southeast Europe Policy Scholar	Eric Gaudiosi Policy Planning, US Department of State
Nida Gelazis Wilson Center	Panos Giotopoulos Greek Embassy
Dillon Guthrie Senate Foreign Relations Committee	Bruce Hitchner Tufts University
Masa Javanovic Soros Foundation	Adna Kahamehic-Oats Soros Foundation
Gerald Knaus European Stability Initiative	John Lampe Wilson Center, Senior Scholar
Panagiota Manoli Wilson Center, Southeast Europe Policy Scholar	Marta Mucznik EU Delegation
Jim O’Brien Albright Stonebridge Group	Christian Ostermann Wilson Center
Catherine Messina Pajic Deputy Director, Central and Eastern Europe, NDI	Tsveta Petrova Wilson Center, Summer Research Scholar
Sofia Sebastian Embassy of Spain to BiH	Elton Skendaj Wilson Center, Summer Research Scholar
Martin Sletzinger Wilson Center Senior Scholar	Amanda Sloat House Foreign Relations Committee
Gerard Toal Virginia Tech	Marianne Toussaint Kosovo Desk Officer, State Department
Helga Flores Trejo Brookings Institution	Michael Van Dusen Wilson Center
Kurt Volker SAIS	Samuel Wells Wilson Center Senior Scholar