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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 (Autonomous Trade Measures), economic and financial assistance (CARDS Programme) and contractual relationships (Stabilisation and Association Agreements). Each country moves forward on the basis of the fulfilment 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 [.pdf, 148 KB] 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 other countries of the Western Balkans are potential candidate countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia including 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.