About: Balkans

Non-discrimination 13-11-2020

Terrorism and Muslim communities: Europe’s ‘right’ battle

Enlargement 13-02-2020

New membership forms solve EU challenges

Associate membership and other innovations could be used to break the log-jam and the EU's enlargement fatigue, giving the EU a chance to turn a “historic mistake” into a historic opportunity, writes Manfred Kohler.
Azerbaijan 04-04-2019

Mogherini: ‘Inshallah, EU and Azerbaijan will soon finalise their agreement’

EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini expressed hope on Thursday (4 April) that the EU and Azerbaijan would conclude a new trade and political agreement very soon, using the Arabic expression Inshallah (God willing).
Enlargement 28-09-2018

EU energy watchdog urges Bosnia not to accept Chinese loan

The EU energy watchdog urged a Bosnian regional parliament on Thursday (27 September) not to approve a government guarantee for a China Exim Bank loan that is designed to help power utility EPBiH add a new unit at its Tuzla coal-fired power plant.
Global Europe 27-08-2018

Austrian president warns against ‘small-state mentality’

Global Europe 18-05-2018

Erdogan mobilises diaspora, ‘friends’ in Balkans

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan holds a rally in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo to drum up support among the Turkish diaspora. Three days after the EU-Western Balkans summit in Sofia, Bulgaria, the Balkans confirm their strategic position.
Enlargement 20-04-2018


Enlargement 03-04-2018


Politics 09-01-2018

The Brief – EU keeps squaring the vicious Balkan circle

Looking at 14 years of the EU's attempts to determine once and for all what to do with the Balkans (since the first EU-Balkan Summit in Thessaloniki in 2003), one cannot help wondering whether wholehearted commitment on both sides might have been lacking all along.
Cybersecurity 03-11-2017

How the Cold War was replaced with fake news

The Cold War has faded into history but it was replaced by a media war which rages above all on the internet. Fake news play a major role now, argues Herbert Vytiska from EURACTIV Germany.
Informal meeting of Western Balkans countries in Albania
Enlargement 12-10-2017

Balkan citizens doubt they will ever join EU

Citizens of the Balkan region are highly sceptical that their countries will be joining the EU anytime soon, despite shows of support for European integration, while a quarter do not believe their country will ever join the EU, the Balkan Barometer 2017 survey has shown.
Central Europe 15-09-2017

Trans-Europe Express: Pre-war Europe blues

Agrifood 07-08-2017

Balkan trade war brews over huge Croatian import fee rise

The Balkans have become embroiled in a trade war over agricultural health checks after Croatia raised import fees on some farm products by around 220%, triggering countermeasures by Serbia and threats from others.
Politics 29-06-2017

Rasmussen: Europe has to invest more to be secure

The world has changed and there is a long list of things that Europe should do to protect itself. First, we have to increase defence spending, Anders Fogh Rasmussen told EURACTIV Czech Republic.

On 11 June, Kosovo must elect a European future

Kosovo’s up-coming election is a chance for the country to confirm itself as a “bright spot” in the Balkans and choose the path towards European integration, writes Avdullah Hoti.
Future EU 19-05-2017

Croatia at a crossroads

Croatia’s geostrategic position in the Balkans means the rest of Europe should pay attention to this weekend’s elections, writes Tomislav Karamarko.
Central Europe 16-03-2017

Russia targets Slovakia as the weakest link in V4

Enlargement 09-09-2016

Croatia holds snap election but fears more deadlock

Croatia votes on Sunday (September 11) in an early election that seems likely to prolong political uncertainty in the EU's newest member, at a time of strained ties between Balkan neighbours.
Global Europe 15-06-2016

EU willing to pay ‘almost any cost’ to stop refugees

Amnesty International has accused the EU of indirectly supporting attacks on refugees by Libyan security forces because of the bloc's cooperation with the country's authorities. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Global Europe 14-06-2016

Hungary says this is not a refugee crisis, but mass exodus

Global Europe 26-04-2016

Berlin steps up efforts to expand its ‘safe list’

Critics have denounced Germany's intention to put Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia on a list of safe countries of origin in an attempt to reduce the number of asylum seekers coming from those countries. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Energy 12-04-2016

Julian Popov: The future of gas in Europe is uncertain

Gas demand in Europe will most likely continue to decline. This is the reason why the competition for additional gas import infrastructure is so fierce and politicised - there is simply no need for more, Julian Popov told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview.
Enlargement 02-03-2016

Kosovo at the crossroads

Kosovo has made great progress since gaining independence in 2008, but it still has a long way to go to secure a European future and avoid being consumed by its past, writes Hashim Thaçi.
Med & South 20-01-2016

Will the European Parliament defend Kosovo’s democracy?

Kosovo has illegally arrested one third of the parliamentary opposition. On Thursday (21 January) the European Parliament will discuss a draft resolution on Kosovo, which does not even mention the arrests, writes Andrea Lorenzo Capussela.