Integrations eu crisis and the impact on the western balkans

Abstract

The EU crisis is considerated to be a global circle of crisis that affects all the EU countries as well as the 
countries that are in transition (South Eastern Europe) and continents such as America, Asia, and others in many 
aspects. 
EU crisis has affected the Balkan countries to various extends. Since the integration of the Western Balkan is in 
progress, this kind of crisis may also affect the further integration of the Balkan with the EU, in fact it will slow it at 
least for several years. Western Balkan countries heavely depend on EU, especially on export. There is a 
reduction in export, and this will be affecting negatively  a reduction in GDP, because Europe is one of the largest 
export markets for many countries, even for many continents. 
The Greece crisis has a direct impact on several countries in Balkan. For some of them Greece is a significant 
trade partner and one of the key foreign investors. Greece problem of stagnation will slow down the economic 
development of the entire region. The slower economic recovery in the Balkans as a consequence of the Greek 
crisis may make it more difficult for the candidate states to implement the reforms required by the EU. 
Considering this, there are many dilemmas that leads the Balkan countries think:  if the EU membership is still an 
attractive prospect or whether they still want to be part of the European family? Somehow this notion ’’EU crisis’’ 
is affecting directly the EU as a global leader. In the eyes of others it makes losing its exsisting image, especially 
it reducise its economic power.  
Key words: EU, Western Balkans, economic and financial crisis, macroeconomic indicators.