The eu conditionality and europeanization of policy co-ordination mechanisms in the Western Balkan countries

Almost two decades after start of the Stabilization and Association Process, the Western Balkan candidate and potential candidate countries are still making slow progress in meeting the obligations of EU membership. The main argument of the article is that stronger systems of policy co-ordination functionality in the governments of the Western Balkan countries can foster good governance and the EU accession progress. The article identifies implications of EU conditionality on the national level executives, progress of Europeanization in the Western Balkan countries and the role of policy co-ordination framework and provides comparative success experience from the EU Central and Eastern European member states. The author concludes that the Western Balkans faces combination of higher adjustment costs with lower confidence in EU conditionality and much more far-reaching and uncertain prospects for EU membership comparing to the EU CEE countries, whereas stronger systems of policy co-ordination functionality in the government should facilitate national reform process and the EU accession.