The criteria of regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations are among the most important criteria that the countries of the Western Balkans (WB) have to fulfill in order to become the EU Member States. The aim of the Master’s thesis was to analyze the impact of the EU on Serbia and North Macedonia in fulfilling the criteria of regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations, using the concept of Europeanisation of the European Commission's (EC's) annual reports. An essential aspect of meeting these criteria is participation in regional initiatives and organizations, as well as bilateral cooperation and good neighbourly relations with EU Member States and countries from the WB region. In both countries, I find that the EU's influence and role in the regional cooperation criterion have changed over the course of the enlargement process. In the beginning, the criterion played an essential role in stabilizing the region, whereas today it serves mainly as a forum for cooperation between the WB countries. In the case of the good neighbourly relations criterion, the EU is more involved than in the past in resolving disputes or outstanding issues in both countries, irrespective of whether the country has a dispute with an EU Member State or a non-EU Member State from the region.
|
