The central part of the adjustments of EU's regional policy towards the Western Balkans is to reform the accession mechanism oriented to gradualism and reversibility since the promulgation of Strategy for the Western Balkans in 2008.The EU enhanced its regional input supported by economic and investment projects aimed at boosting the accession reform and develop EU's influence in the region.The escalation of the Ukraine crisis in 2022 further expedited the formation of EU's policy towards the Western Balkans.EU's policy adjustments manifest an impassive response under geopolitical pressure.It is expected that the accession process of the Western Balkan countries will be time-consuming and arduous owing to the lack of consensus among EU member states and the difficulties in resolving their interior conflict.
EU's regional policythe Western Balkansthe geopolitical turn