Stabilisation and Association process
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In talks with countries who have expressed the wish to join the European Union (EU), the EU typically concludes Association Agreements in exchange for commitments to political, economic, trade, or human rights reform in a country. In exchange, the country may be offered tariff-free access to some or all EU markets (industrial goods, agricultural products, etc), and financial or technical assistance.
[edit] Overview
In recent history, such agreements are signed as part of two EU policies: Stabilisation and Association process (SAp) and European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The countries of the western Balkans are covered by SAp and the EU signs with them Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAA) that explicitly include provisions for future EU membership of the country involved (these countries are covered by the Enlargement directorate-general of the European Commission instead of the External Relations directorate-general that covers relations with all states in the world except candidates and potential candidates for membership [1]). SAAs are similar to the Europe Agreements signed with the CEECs in the 1990s and to the AA with Turkey.
Both the SAA and ENP AP are based mostly on the EU's Acquis communautaire and its promulgation in the cooperating states legislation. Of course the depth of the harmonisation is less than for full EU members and some policy areas may not be covered (depending on the particular state).
Most recently signed SAAs also include a Free Trade Agreement between the EU and the third country.
Association Agreements have to be ratified by all the EU member states.
[edit] Stabilisation and Association process
Event |
Croatia | Republic of Macedonia |
Albania | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Serbia 1 | Montenegro 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAA negotiations start | 11.2000 | 2000 | 31.1.2003 | 25.11.2005 | 11.2005 | 11.2005 |
| SAA signature | 29.10.2001 | 9.4.2001 | 12.6.2006 | (2006) | (2006) | (2006) |
| Ratification by: | ||||||
| SAp state | 30.1.2002 | 27.4.2001 | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| European Communities | 21.12.2004 | 25.2.2004 | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Austria | 15.3.2002 | 6.9.2002 | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Belgium | 17.12.2003 | 29.12.2003 | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Cyprus | entered the EU later | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| Czech Republic | entered the EU later | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| Germany | 18.10.2002 | 20.6.2002 | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Denmark | 8.5.2002 | 10.4.2002 | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Estonia | entered the EU later | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| Spain | 4.10.2002 | 4.10.2002 | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| France | 4.6.2003 | 4.6.2003 | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| United Kingdom | 3.9.2004 | 17.12.2002 | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Greece | 27.8.2003 | 27.8.2003 | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Hungary | entered the EU later | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| Italy | 6.10.2004 | 30.10.2003 | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Ireland | 6.5.2002 | 6.5.2002 | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Lithuania | entered the EU later | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| Luxembourg | 1.8.2003 | 28.7.2003 | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Latvia | entered the EU later | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| Malta | entered the EU later | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| Netherlands | 30.4.2004 | 9.9.2002 | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Portugal | 14.7.2003 | 14.7.2003 | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Poland | entered the EU later | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| Sweden | 27.3.2003 | 25.6.2002 | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Finland | 6.1.2004 | 6.1.2004 | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
| Slovenia | entered the EU later | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| Slovakia | entered the EU later | (2006) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | |
| SAA entry into force | 1.2.2005 | 1.4.2004 | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) | (2007) |
(brackets): expected date
1 For Serbia, negotiations started in November 2005 (as part of SiM, modifyied mandate from July 2006), freezed in Summer 2006 until cooperation with the ICTY is improved.
- For Kosovo (until its final status is determined), negotiations on a Stabilisation Tracking Mechanism have started in 2003, still ongoing.
2 For Montenegro, negotiations started in November 2005 (as part of SiM; twin-track approach - separate technical negotiations with Montenegro over issues of sub-state entity competency; entierly separated mandate from July 2006; factual resumption of negotiations from 26.9.2006), finished 1.12.2006.[2]
