SECURITY OF WESTERN BALKAN COUNTRIES, A CONDITION FOR JOINING THE EUROPEAN UNION

Abstract

In the paper, the author indicates the key achievements and weaknesses of the security sector in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, and also what kind of effect so called democratic transition had on systems of those countries. The European security and defense policy represents a component part of common commercial and security policy. For the European Union it should ensure the development of its own civil and military capacities for managing crises and preventing conflicts on international level. In that way, this security policy should assist to maintain peace and international security. It is stressed in the paper that official cooperation and exchange among the Western Balkan countries are significantly improved in the last several years, but that this transparency of managing security business is still insufficient in the entire region. Development of mutual trust and enabling national monitoring of security sector are necessary for regional cooperation in this sector, which is however quite delayed, for the reason of transparency, just mentioned above. Also, the author pays significant attention to the problem of Kosovo and Metohija, as to a significant factor of maintaining peace and stability in the Balkans. The security in the Western Balkan countries and their preparation for joining the European Union can only be ensured by applying the unique policy and by avoiding double standards for the same problem. Special reforms of the security sector directed towards citizens will especially contribute to this and will enable participation of citizens and organizations of civil societies in monitoring security policies, which will contribute to legitimization of the security institutions.