Report highlights EU failures in Balkans

Date: 23/03/2000

By Simon Taylor

THE EU is failing to do itself justice in the Balkans because of poor coordination, bureaucratic hurdles and inadequate communications, warns a report from the Union's top foreign policy makers.

The report drawn up by High Representative Javier Solana and External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten states that although the EU is the single largest donor to the Balkans and has the biggest military presence in the region, it is not working as effectively as it could to restore peace and stability.

In their joint paper, which was due to be presented to Union leaders at their summit in Lisbon today (23 March), the two men suggest a range of measures to foster lasting prosperity and security in the Balkans, including greater support for forces opposed to President Slobodan Milosevic, rapid help for the Yugoslav republic of Montenegro and a special free-trade deal for countries in the region to speed up economic recovery.

The report focuses on the need for the EU to do a better job in guaranteeing peace in its own backyard at a time when it is trying to play a bigger role in world diplomacy. European Commission President Romano Prodi admitted this week that he shared the "concern" of US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright about the "lack of authority and consistency in the West's handling of the Balkans".

The paper points out that the Union, together with individual member states, has donated by far the largest amount of money to Balkan countries - more than €9 billion since 1991 - and that 36,000 troops and 800 civilian police from EU countries are deployed in the region.

But it questions whether the Union is making the best use of the policy instruments at its disposal and is communicating its message to countries in the region effectively.

It says the key focus of EU policy should be to bring a democratic Yugoslavia back into the European mainstream, arguing that if the Union can be seen to bring democracy and prosperity to countries in the Balkans, it will act as a force for change within Serbia.

The report recommends that contacts with those opposed to Milosevic should be widened to include church groups, non-governmental organisations and grass-roots bodies as well as the independent media. It also warns that urgent financial and political support is needed to help the reformist government in Montenegro survive Belgrade's attempts to destabilise it.

It also argues that Balkan countries need to be told more clearly that the Union is serious about eventually granting them membership of the bloc provided they fulfil the conditions for a stability and association agreement.

To boost economic recovery in the region, the paper recommends scrapping the Union's restrictions on imports of farm goods and steel products which the countries can export competitively.

To improve effectiveness of EU policy in the region, the Solana-Patten paper calls for "radical streamlining" of decision-making, with a single budget line for funding for the region, better coordination of Union and member-state actions, and greater exchange of information.

Lastly, it says, the EU needs to improve the presentation of its efforts on the ground. "Despite massive contributions, both in human and financial resources, the majority of the populations of the countries receiving aid are hardly aware of its origin," it warns.

The EU is failing to do itself justice in the Balkans because of poor coordination, bureaucratic hurdles and inadequate communications, warns a report from the Union's top foreign policy makers.