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Abstract

This article evaluates the European Union (EU)’s border strategy for the Western Balkans. It identifies an increasing tension between, on the one hand, the Union’s use of its border strategy to foster the long-term stabilization of the countries of the Western Balkans and their future integration into the EU and, on the other hand, the use of border management as an instrument to ensure its own internal security. This tension can be broken down into a threefold contradiction inbuilt into the EU’s strategy: short-term vs. long-term objectives; a security vs. development focus and interventionism vs. local ownership approaches. These contradictions, aggravated by local and regional political, economic and security challenges, can explain existing shortcomings in the EU’s border interventions in the Western Balkans.

Publication Type:	Article
Publisher Keywords:	This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Southeast European and Black Sea Studies on 24/5/2012, available online: http://wwww.tandfonline.com/10.1080/14683857.2012.686250
Subjects:	J Political Science > JZ International relations
Departments:	School of Policy & Global Affairs > International Politics
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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