Zoran Nechev, Visiting Research Fellow (EU Enlargement) of the “Fellowship Programme for Policy Researchers from the Western Balkans Region” of the European Fund for the Balkans and the Think Tank Fund of the Open Society Foundations is the author of the Policy Brief on the EU Enlargement process towards the Western Balkans, which was made in cooperation with the host Institution – The Netherlands Institute for International Relations “Clingendael”.

The Brief analyses the accession process of three Western Balkans countries, namely Croatia, Montenegro and FYR of Macedonia and offers recommendations for the European Commission leading towards a credible accession process as part of the solution to some of the challenges that Europe is facing today.

He argues that the processes of enlargement and deeper European integration are not mutually exclusive and that the limitations of the EU’s capacity to absorb the accession of these countries have already been clearly outlined, while the need to bolster their rule of law is still persistent. An enlargement strategy that focuses on the rule of law is of added value, particularly in these times of crisis of confidence and identity provoked by the economic downturn.