EU enlargement to the Western Balkans. Between continuity and adjustment

The European Union's (EU) enlargement to the Western Balkans is following the same procedure as that which applied in previous enlargements.

Despite growing in scope and in detail, the basis of this enlargement procedure, the acceptance of the acquis communitaire and conditionality, remains unchanged.

However, following experiences gained in previous enlargements, there is a stronger focus on implementation prior to accession, with the introduction of benchmarks at all stages of the procedure.