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The countries of the Western Balkans are moving on: from postwar reconstruction and stabilisation to consolidating democratic states, implementing economic reform, and preparing for EU accession. The EU has confirmed that ‘The future of the Balkans is within the European Union’, and all the states of the region now share that vision. Much can be learned from the Central and East European experiences of transition and integration, and the EU itself is better prepared than it was in the early 1990s. All the countries of the region have made progress in the past five years, and Croatia, for one, is ready to start accession negotiations. But an easy and straightforward replication of the CEE ‘success story’ is by no means guaranteed. The unresolved issue of Kosovo’s final status looms over the region. Tackling the ‘unfinished business’ on the Western Balkans agenda is inseparable from accelerating the region’s integration into the EU. The EU must respond with strategic political vision and long-term policies to support state-building and promote faster economic development. Judy Batt speaks in this interview about the challenges of the Western Balkan countries EU integration The Institute for Security Studies flagship publication is its series of Chaillot Papers. The issue of October 2004 deals with the Western Balkans integration to the EU. « Western Balkans : moving on » is a collective work edited by Judy Batt. The publication is available on : http://www.iss-eu.org/chaillot/chai70.pdf Judy Batt is a Doctorate in East-Central European politics from the University of Birmingham. Professor of Central and South East European Politics at CREES, the University of Birmingham (on leave 2003-2006), and Jean Monnet Chair Ad Personam in the European Integration of South-Eastern Europe. Former research fellow in the Soviet Programme at the Royal Institute for International Affairs (Chatham House); seconded to the UK Foreign Office Policy Planning Staff 1992-93. At the Institute, Judy Batt deals with the new Central and East European EU member states and their contribution to CFSP/ESDP; Balkan security issues and the EU's role in the Balkans.
The European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) was created by a Council Joint Action on 20 July 2001 and act as a think-tank organisation for the EU. Having an autonomous status and intellectual freedom, the EUISS does not represent or defend any particular national interest. Its aim is to help create a common European security culture, to enrich the strategic debate, and systematically to promote the interests of the EU. SHOTLIST:
00.15 On the process of accession in the EU and the differencies between Balkan states and Central and Eastern Europe EU inetgration
02.49 On the differencies between Croatian and Macedonian arguments for EU application
04.39 On the final status of Kosovo an dits consequences for the region
06.48 On Serbia and Kosovo issue
11.40 On the union between Serbia and Montenegro
13.45 On Kosovo and the possibilities of an settlement internationa community os reflecting on
19.03 Cutaways : Judy Batt in the EC press room
19.41 End of transmission | 
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