The Council of the European Union on the Western Balkans:
Budgeting and the Great Question of Kosovo
The delegates from the European Union member states put the size of the budget and the presence of Kosovo in the packages during the at the core of their discussion on the instrument for pre-accession assistance (IPA).
The member states’ proposals were focused mainly on improving the stability of the countries in the EU, as well as the Western Balkans. The delegates stated that the center of their attention is the ever growing problem with illegal immigration, improving human rights and protecting the values of the EU from foreign influence. The influence of Russia was a central point of тхе debate as the delegates showed their concern that former communist countries need the support of the EUin their further development and protection of the values of the Union.
The budget of the IPA III programme was set to be 14.5billion Euros taking Brexit as well as the main benefactors of the budget’s concerns of how the money will be distributed in the Western Balkan countries into consideration. The representative from Germany argued that the less attention the EU pays to the Western Balkan countries, the lower the power European institutions will have in the area, thus leading to increased interest by Russia and China.
Although the countries argued whether to lower the budget, the delegates reached the conclusion that enough financial resources are to be allocated between the Western Balkan countries. The reason behind the argument of lowering the budget was the high corruption rates in Kosovo, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, no consensus has been reached as to how exactly the budget should be spent and what percentage of it should go to the Western Balkans.
However, the budget was not the only focus of the discussions. The place of Kosovo in the IPA III was strongly disputed, with countries like Cyprus, Slovenia and Romania approving of Kosovo’s inclusion in the programme, whereas countries like Spain being against it. The representative of Cyprus stated that Kosovo should be included in the IPA III instrument, with the argument that the country should not be neglected by EU projects. According to the delegate, “this will lead to external influence from Russia or China, who have already stepped up their investments in the region to extend their area of influence”. The reason behind the exclusion of Kosovo in such programmes like the IPA III is mainly due to the high corruption rates, as stated by the delegate, as well as the misuse of funds.
However, other countries disagree that Kosovo should be included in the package. Spain has clearly shown disapproval of the inclusion of Kosovo in the IPA III programme with the main reason being that such approval is similar to the recognition of Catalonia, which might result in unrest and further instability in the country. The delegate from Portugal stated that the position of Spain is of paramount importance and for that reason they encourage a peaceful dialogue about the issue regarding Kosovo. The delegate further emphasisedon the importance of accession of the Western Balkans and a clear understanding of the significance of their integration in the EU.
