Dear chair and members, thank you for this opportunity to share with you my take on the security situation in the Balkans.
I work for the Centre for European Security Studies in the Netherlands. We are an NGO that was established in 1993 with the initial aim of assisting central and east European countries with their democratic transition in the field of defence and security governance, work that is ongoing today. Our focus in the western Balkans has been to build capacity and foster co-operation in the security sector among oversight actors. Foremost are parliaments in the Balkans but also audits and ombudsman institutions and civil society.
By way of introduction, I would like to raise three points, moving from broad to detailed. The first point is with regard to the European Union and the Balkans. Last Friday the EU and western Balkan leaders met in Montenegro to discuss enlargement, a process that has been stuck since Croatia joined in 2013. EU and Balkan leaders seem to accept a status quo. The EU member states value stability in the Balkans and are averse to explaining to their constituents why North Macedonia or Serbia should become an EU member. At the same time, Balkan leaders value a grip on power and want to keep managing their clientelist networks. However, the western Balkan population at large remains without benefits. Young people leave to seek work elsewhere, most often in the European Union.
The summit produced two results. First, people in the western Balkans and the EU will stop paying extra roaming costs over calls and data when visiting each other. That is a tangible result for all those families with children living abroad. Second, maybe more in the long term, Germany and France presented a non-paper that opens a debate among EU member states to revise the current enlargement policy into a staged process in which associate members reap benefits and gain influence at an earlier stage. Such a process is long overdue, as enlargement is not solely a benefactor-recipient relationship anymore. EU member states will need to think strategically. The EU needs the western Balkans and vice versa.
My second point relates directly to security in the Balkans. The EU, together with Canada, should think about how to include the western Balkans in new security co-operation initiatives next to, or as part of, the EU and NATO. One proposal here is the security and defence partnership, for instance, that the EU and Canada concluded one year ago. What impact will increased defence spending and militarization in the EU have on the western Balkans? How can the region be an asset instead of a burden? These questions should, in my view, dominate the security agenda with the western Balkans. Also, the broader region should be considered; this includes Bulgaria and Romania with the Black Sea, as well as Croatia and Greece with the Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina remain the focal points of potential instability. Both countries have had their share of incursions and incidents in recent years. In travelling to these countries, I ask civil society representatives if they see an imminent threat of an incident turning into a broader crisis. The responses go both ways—that violence could easily erupt and that the vivid memory of war averts a new one. Both views hold truth. For this reason, an international presence in Kosovo and Bosnia remains imperative.
Finally, to conclude on a positive note regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina, CESS has been working in Bosnia and Herzegovina over the last few years, together with NGOs from Sarajevo and Banja Luka. We work with members of Parliament, civil servants, civil society actors and students. Most are keen to travel between the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska to exchange experiences and build networks of co-operation.
For too long, international donors have regarded Bosnia and Herzegovina as a place not worth investing in because of its problematic governance system and a lack of political will. Nonetheless, bringing people together, especially youth, creates security and progress.
Thank you for your attention. I look forward to your questions.