MYTHS AND LEGENDS ABOUT EURO-UNION INTEGRATION Cover Image

Mitovi i legende o eurounijskim integracijama
MYTHS AND LEGENDS ABOUT EURO-UNION INTEGRATION

Author(s): Nedžma Džananović-Miraščija
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences
Published by: Bošnjačka zajednica kulture "Preporod"
Keywords: Euro-Union integration; enlargement politics; normativity; enlargement towards Western Balkan

Summary/Abstract: Economic restructuring, reinterpreting of its own values and self-understanding of European Union that in a narrative of enlargement should introduce the Balkan region too, with specific problems and history are very important segments of the current enlargement process. Contextualized analysis of the enlargement policy, however, clearly indicates that the motives of enlargement cannot be reduced to any of these segments individually, or even to their combination. The essence of the enlargement process is related to the “export” of norms i.e. a sort of expansion of space on which can be applied EU standards. Although the process of standardizing highly asymmetric, because the EU in the same time prescribes standards and assesses the level of their fulfilment, it is a two-way and assume full responsibility and participation of both sides. Responsibility for the normative part of the process, which lies on the political elites in each country included in the enlargement process, is exactly the reason why in Bosnia and Herzegovina there is less talk about this aspect of the enlargement, while intentionally favour reductionist interpretations related to the economy or valuable narrative as the main Euro-Union motives for enlargement. Consequently, the delays in the process are rather interpreted as a lack of economic or political interests of the Union for B&H, but the lack of responsibility of Bosnian and Herzegovinian authorities in the normative part of the process.

  • Issue Year: 2014
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 228-239
  • Page Count: 12
  • Language: Bosnian