The Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) is an international legal agreement between signatory country and the European Union and is based mostly on the EU's acquis communautaire and predicated on its promulgation in the cooperating States legislation. Stabilisation and Association Agreements have been implemented with  various Western Balkan countries which explicitly include provisions for future EU membership of the country involved.. The SAA are based on a progressive partnership, in which the EU offers a mixture of trade concessions, economic and financial assistance (IPA Programme) and contractual relationships (Stabilization and Association Agreements).

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1. Belgium
2. Germany
3. Greece
4. Hungary
5. Italy
6. Slovenia
7. Switzerland
8. Netherlands and Luxembourg (thorugh the Belgian Office)
9. Austria (through the Swiss Office)
10. Norway
11. Slovakia

The main goal of the EU is the progressive integration of Member States' economic and political systems and the establishment of a single market based on the free movement of goods, people, money and services. To this end, its Member States cede part of their sovereignty under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union which empowers the EU institutions to adopt laws. These laws (regulations, directives and decisions) take precedence over national law and are binding on national authorities. The EU also issues non-binding instruments, such as recommendations and opinions, as well as rules governing how EU institutions and programmes work, etc.

The single market is one of the European Union’s greatest achievements. The enabling instrument for the single market was the Single European Act, which came into force in July 1987.

Restrictions between member countries on trade and free competition have gradually been eliminated, with the result that standards of living have increased. The single market is supported by a number of related policies put in place by the EU over the years. They help ensure that market liberalisation benefits as many businesses and consumers as possible.

1979

It is a French term that represents a body of principles, regulations, political guidelines, practices and obligations that have been accepted through the consent of EU member states. The expression therefore denotes the entire legislation of European communities. Generally, it preserves its French form in all languages of the European Union, and is often abbreviated to ‘acquis'.

Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland and Turkey and Montenegro. Negotiations on the chapters of the 'acquis' can already be opened with candidate countries. The rest of the Western Balkan countries are potential candidate countries.