Balkans progress: Battling to overcome the impact of crisis - Montesquieu Instituut

Since 1999, Friends of Europe’s annual European Policy Summit on the Balkans has brought together Prime Ministers and other high-level decision-makers, policy experts and business leaders from Southeast Europe and the EU to discuss accession negotiations, continuing political and judicial reforms, and the economic realities facing the region.

This year’s summit will go to the heart of the major challenges that still face the region as it moves ever closer to European integration. With Croatia preparing to join the EU on 1 July 2013, Serbia having gained candidate status earlier this year and accession negotiations opened with Montenegro on 29 June 2012, much progress still needs to be made with regard to strengthening democracy and the rule of law, boosting the business environment, and improving the energy sector.

In previous years, speakers from the region have included Igor Lukšić, Prime Minister of Montenegro, Nikola Gruevski, Prime Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Sali Berisha, Prime Minister of Albania, Stjepan Mesić, former President of Croatia, Boris Tadić, former President of Serbia, Hido Biščević, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), and Bakir Izetbegović, Bosniak Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Visit the programme page to learn more about this year's programme and speakers.

Watch some Debating Europe on these topics:

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  Franco Frattini, Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, responds to a question on EU enlargement
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  Franco Frattini responds to a question on the aborted constitutional treaty
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  Eduard Kukan, Member of the European Parliament, responds to a question on the Western Balkans
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  Eduard Kukan responds to a comment on Balkans integration
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  Eduard Kukan responds to a question on EU enlargement