DW: Expected by Western Balkan Conference in Poznan

The aim of the initiative is to, with the help of several EU member states, accompany the six Western Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and Northern Macedonia on the road to EU membership.

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In a video message before the summit, the Chancellor described this path not so easy: “still has many tensions and conflicts that must be overcome and many conditions that must be met until Western Balkan countries are ready to enter the EU. Therefore, the road is still on track”, she said, DW reports.

Above all, the conflict between Serbia and Kosovo is burdening further integration. The Merkel-Macron initiative of April 2019 so far has failed to show expected success. The Paris summit, scheduled for 1 July, was postponed, because Kosovo was unwilling to suspend customs duties on Serbian products, imposed in protest of Serbia's diplomatic shares against Kosovo.

Human Links

The Berlin process tries to focus on practical co-operation between the six Western Balkan countries and the European Union, despite major political conflicts. So for example, under the term “Connection” The European Union invests a lot of money to create and strengthen social, economic and government ties between countries in the region, but also between the region and EU member states.

One of the proudest Berlin Process projects is the establishment of the Tirana-based Regional Youth Co-operation Office (RYCO). The idea for it was born in 2016, at the Western Balkans Conference in Paris, and since then 1.9m euros have been made available for projects promoting direct links between young people in the region with each other, but also with young EU countries. With the first 900 000 euros thus created over 1,300 partnerships.

But even this project has suffered recently due to increased tensions between Serbia and Kosovo. Thus, this year's first meeting in March, which was meant to take place in Pristina, failed after Serbia refused to send its representative, with the argument that this would actually be an act of recognition of Kosovo.

Infrastructure and Energy

Another important element of the Berlin Process is economic co-operation. Since 2015, The EU has spent nearly 700m euros to make it easier, with projects in the field of infrastructure and energy. These are added 2.4 billion euros in credit form. These projects bring tangible benefits to people in the region”, notes Ardian Hackaj, from Cooperation & Development Institute in Tirana. “Given the expansion that is characterized as the elite process, the Berlin Process, which highlights the consistency, is the missing approach from the bottom-up”, Hackaj points out for the DW.

One of the recent major achievements has been the reduction of roting tariffs since 1 July this year. Knowledge of diplomas is now hoped to be achieved. Still, there are many problems that need to be solved. For example, removing double customs controls, which take a long time to transport goods, a German government economic expert tells DW. And for that the right political will is lacking, he reproves.

litmus test for the enlargement process

Given the fact that all are now in expectation of reshaping the EU Commission, which is expected to take place in autumn, the Poznan conference is not expected to make any major progress. The “is expected to be more of a primary cycle assessment (2015-2018), whose conclusions can serve as orientation for the new Commission's access to the Western Balkans”, says Hakkaj.

The Berlin conference was scheduled to last only four years, from 2014 to 2018. But it will continue because of the growing interest coming from below, even though support at high political levels recently is not so obvious. It is the scepticism to the expansion that rules in some countries, especially France. Shortly before the Western Balkan Conference, President Emmanuel Macron, who himself will not attend the Poznan Conference, stressed that “would fight that there would be no expansion of the EU without complete internal consolidation”.

The German Chancellor will strongly support her project by the end of its term in office, said by the Berlin government circles. If this commitment continues thereafter, it cannot be stated with certainty.

Ardian Hackaj says the Berlin Process is the most important instrument of the EU to keep the Western Balkans on the road towards the EU and prepare the countries for enlargement so, even if it delays: “The latest list of Berlin Process projects is litmus' evidence that even show how ready these countries are for EU membership”, Hackaj concludes.