EVROPSKA UNIJA I JUGOISTOČNA EVROPA
EUROPEAN UNION AND SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

Summary/Abstract: In everything that happened between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the European Union during the 1990s, it remains indisputable that the FRY adapts to EU regulations and standards and strives to preserve trade and economic relations with partners from member states. That fact, along with the other fact that the intention expressed in the Declaration of the SFRY Assembly has never been officially abandoned, what is more, that the intention to realize the goals outlined in the Declaration has been expressed on several occasions from official positions speaks about the economic and political inevitability of cooperating with the European Union. Substitution of trade partners is possible, but substitution of the most important trade partner is far more difficult. It takes more than a decade, which is confirmed by the example of FRY-EU relations. The problem of FR Yugoslavia in the context of subregional cooperation and its inclusion in European integration remains open. A 'stalemate' has been created between the authorities in the FRY and the European Union. The European Union has set the conditions, but it does not expect the authorities in the FRY to achieve them, considering the declared assessment of the character of that authority and EU’s attitude towards its holders. At the same time, the government in the FRY, even if it is ready to fulfil some of those conditions, does nothing officially in that direction. In this situation, the citizens of FR Yugoslavia are hostages of the current policy in relation between FR Yugoslavia and the European Union. The same can be said for the citizens of the subregion of the Western Balkans, who suffer the consequences of the policies of their national political elites, which keep them all together in the furthest position from the centre of European development - the European Union - even though they are geographically between the EU member states themselves and accordingly see their place within its borders.

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