Stabilisation and Association process
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In talks with countries who have expressed the wish to join the European Union (EU), the EU typically concludes Association Agreements in exchange for commitments to political, economic, trade, or human rights reform in a country. In exchange, the country may be offered tariff-free access to some or all EU markets (industrial goods, agricultural products, etc), and financial or technical assistance.
[edit] Overview
Stabilisation and Association agreements are part of the EU Stabilisation and Association process (SAp) and European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). At present, the countries of the western Balkans are the focus of the SAp. Specific Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAA) have been implemented with various Balkan countries (see below) which explicitly include provisions for future EU membership of the country involved. SAAs are similar in principle to the Europe Agreements signed with the Central and Eastern European countries in the 1990s and to the Association Agreement with Turkey.
SAAs are based mostly on the EU's Acquis communautaire and predicated on its promulgation in the cooperating states legislation. The depth of the policy harmonisation expected by SAA is less than for EU member states; some policy areas in the Acquis may not be covered by a given SAA.
Association agreements must be ratified by the associating state and all EU member states.
[edit] Stabilisation and Association process
Event |
Croatia | Republic of Macedonia |
Albania | Montenegro 1 | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Serbia 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAA negotiations start | 11.2000 | 2000 | 31.1.2003 | 11.2005 | 25.11.2005 | 11.2005 |
| SAA signature | 29.10.2001 | 9.4.2001 | 12.6.2006 | 15.3.2007 | (2007) | (2007) |
| Ratification by: | ||||||
| SAp state | 30.1.2002 | 27.4.2001 | 9.11.2006 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| European Communities | 21.12.2004 | 25.2.2004 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Austria | 15.3.2002 | 6.9.2002 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Belgium | 17.12.2003 | 29.12.2003 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Bulgaria | entered the EU later | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | ||
| Cyprus | entered the EU later | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| Czech Republic | entered the EU later | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| Germany | 18.10.2002 | 20.6.2002 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Denmark | 8.5.2002 | 10.4.2002 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Estonia | entered the EU later | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| Spain | 4.10.2002 | 4.10.2002 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| France | 4.6.2003 | 4.6.2003 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| United Kingdom | 3.9.2004 | 17.12.2002 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Greece | 27.8.2003 | 27.8.2003 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Hungary | entered the EU later | 3.3.2007 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| Italy | 6.10.2004 | 30.10.2003 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Ireland | 6.5.2002 | 6.5.2002 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Lithuania | entered the EU later | 30.3.2007 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| Luxembourg | 1.8.2003 | 28.7.2003 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Latvia | entered the EU later | 19.12.2006 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| Malta | entered the EU later | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| Netherlands | 30.4.2004 | 9.9.2002 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Portugal | 14.7.2003 | 14.7.2003 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Poland | entered the EU later | 15.3.2007 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| Romania | entered the EU later | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | ||
| Sweden | 27.3.2003 | 25.6.2002 | 21.3.2007 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Finland | 6.1.2004 | 6.1.2004 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Slovenia | entered the EU later | 18.1.2007 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| Slovakia | entered the EU later | 6.12.2006 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| SAA entry into force | 1.2.2005 | 1.4.2004 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
(brackets): earliest possible date
1 For Montenegro, negotiations started in November 2005 while a part of Serbia and Montenegro. Separate technical negotiations were conducted regarding issues sub-state organizational competency. Mandate for direct negotiations with Montenegro established in July 2006. Direct negotiations were initiated on 26 September 2006 and concluded on 1 December 2006.[1]
2 For Serbia, negotiations started in November 2005 (as part of SiM, modified mandate from July 2006), frozen in the Summer of 2006 pending improved cooperation with the ICTY.
- For Kosovo (until its final status is determined), negotiations on a Stabilisation Tracking Mechanism began in 2003 and are still ongoing.
