Kosovo's EU IP *

Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP)

The Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP) is the EU’s policy framework for the Western Balkan countries, all the way to their eventual accession.

The partnership between the EU and the Western Balkans is in the interest of all partners: peace, stability, freedom, security and justice, prosperity, quality of life, for the EU and the Western Balkan countries.

The SAP pursues three aims, namely stabilisation and a swift transition to a market economy, the promotion of regional cooperation and the prospect of EU accession. It helps the countries of the region to build their capacity to adopt and implement European standards, including the Community acquis, as well as international standards.

The SAP is based on a progressive partnership, in which the EU offers a mixture of trade concessions, economic and financial assistance (CARDS, IPA) and contractual relationships (Stabilisation and Association Agreements). Each country moves forward on the basis of the fulfillment of its commitments in the framework of the SAP. Annual Progress Reports assess the readiness of the Western Balkan countries to move closer to the European Union.

Following the EU Regional Approach for the Western Balkans of 1997, the European Commission set out, in 1999, the rationale for moving to a more ambitious vision for the region’s development – the Stabilisation and Association Process. Its instruments were formulated at the Zagreb summit in November 2000.

The Thessaloniki Summit in June 2003 enriched the SAP with elements inspired by the enlargement process, so that it can better meet the new challenges. The Thessaloniki Agenda introduced an array of new instruments to support the reform process in the Western Balkan countries and to bring them closer to the European Union.

The most far-reaching of these new instruments are the European Partnerships, inspired by the Accession Partnerships. The first set of European Partnerships was approved in 2004: by identifying short and medium-term priorities which the countries need to address, the European Partnerships will help the Western Balkans countries with their reforms and preparations for future membership.

All the countries of the Western Balkans have the prospect of future membership of the European Union, an objective endorsed by the European Council in Feira in June 2000 and confirmed by the European Council in Thessaloniki in June 2003. The European Council in June 2005 clearly re-confirmed these existing commitments.

Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, which have been granted candidate country status, remain part of the SAP.

The rest of the Western Balkans are potential candidates: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo (under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244).

In January 2006, the European Commission adopted a Communication on “The Western Balkans on the road to the EU: consolidating stability and raising prosperity”. The Communication assesses progress made since the Thessaloniki Summit and sets out concrete measures to reinforce the EU policy for the Western Balkans and its instruments.

In its March 2008 communication on the Western Balkans Enhancing the European Perspective, the Commission adopted new enhanced existing initiatives to support the political and economic development in the Western Balkans, thus helping to accelerate their progress on the road towards EU membership.

 EU - Kosovo Relations - Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP) Dialogue

From March 2003 until October 2009, the main instrument for political dialogue between the government of Kosovo and the European Commission in the framework of the EU's Stabilisation and Association Process was called "Stabilization and Association Tracking Mechanism – STM". The communication "Kosovo - Fulfilling its European Perspective", adopted by the Commission in October 2009 launched an intensified political dialogue, the Stabilisation and Association Process Dialogue (SAP Dialogue).
 
The main purpose of the SAP Dialogue political and technical meetings is to accompany and monitor Kosovo's reforms and the EU approximation process, in particular with regard to the priorities defined in the European Partnership adopted by the European Council on 18 February 2008.

SAP Dialogue meetings are co-chaired by the European Commission and the government of Kosovo. Each meeting results in jointly agreed follow up actions to be taken by the Kosovo authorities.

Plenary SAP Dialogue meetings will be held once a year before the summer break. Seven sectoral SAPD meetings have been set up to deepen technical discussions in the areas of Justice, Freedom and Security; Innovation, Information Society and Social Policy; Trade; Internal Market and Competition; Agriculture and Fisheries; Transport, Environment, Energy and Regional Development; Economic Development. The SAPD sectoral meetings take place once a year, alternating between Pristina and Brussels.          

The dialogue with Kosovo continues between and after meetings. The time between the meetings allows for the implementation of the recommendations and agreed follow up actions.