Paris, 4 June 2008 – According to a recommendation adopted by the Assembly on Wednesday, the European Union (EU) should change its strategy in the western Balkans and encourage economic independence rather than reliance on subsidies.

“The region has been receiving direct or indirect subsidies from the West since the mid-1990s, but only scant progress has been achieved,” said Rapporteur Pedro Agramunt (Spain, Federated Group) introducing his report: “2008: a decisive year for the western Balkans”, submitted to the Assembly on behalf of the Political Committee. He maintained that the greatest achievement had been an acceptable level of security and stability, but in terms of tangible political, institutional and economic results, the situation remained far from satisfactory.

Mr Agramunt, who is the Political Committee Chairman, noted that the term “Balkan dependency syndrome” had been coined to describe how the West’s role had become that of a “milk-cow” supplying the region with a never-ending source of funds, while officials sent to the region to assist ended up doing the work that governments there should be doing themselves. “This of course does not mean that the EU should give up on the region, but a change of approach, stricter measures and the provision of greater incentives to work independently rather than keeping the economy afloat with handouts has to be considered as a medium- to long-term western strategy”, he explained.

The report prompted lively and sometimes impassioned comments from the floor, ranging from the downright pessimistic to the cautiously optimistic.

Lord Russell-Johnston (United Kingdom, Liberal Group) said the report was realistic, but his assessment was criticised by his compatriot John Austin (United Kingdom, Socialist Group) as excessively pessimistic. “There is a degree of stability that could not have been dreamed of a few years ago,” Mr Austin said. “We must not underestimate the difficulties, but must not be over-pessimistic either”. Kosovo’s acceding to independence did not create a precedent, he said, adding that he believed Bosnia and Herzegovina understood the need for Euro-Atlantic integration.

“Nothing is OK in the Balkans” was the opinion of Zmago Jelincic Plemeniti (Slovenia). Croatia’s borders were contested, but the EU was “doing nothing at all” about it. Noting that the problems in the region were growing, he described it as a time bomb. In Serbia, the radicals were likely to win in future election.

Political Committee Vice-Chairman Mike Hancock (United Kingdom, Liberal Group) said a rerun should be staged of the recent elections in parts of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia because violence and intimidation had vitiated the democratic process. Bosnia and Herzogovina was a “disaster waiting to happen” when foreign troops pulled out and, generally speaking, in the region it was as if one walked “on quicksand.”

Several speakers called for dialogue between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in order to resolve the dispute over the latter’s name. Konstantinos Vrettos (Greece, Socialist Group) said that the future of Kosovo was the future of the Balkans, and there was no need to give in to the “blackest pessimism”.

Marco Zacchera (Italy, Federated Group) condemned Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence. International aid made up half the economy, he declared. Foreign troops were running the country, including the justice and police systems, and illegal trafficking was standard practice. The EU should “stop sweeping the dirt under the carpet,” and recognise Kosovo as a source of instability. He made a “heartfelt appeal to make Kosovo assume responsibility and not live off handouts”. It might then deserve to be a country.

Denis MacShane (United Kingdom, Socialist Group) said that elections in Kosovo and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia were “an international disgrace”, declaring that the “fraud and irregularities are the shame of all Europe”. Kosovo would no more return to Serbia than the other independent states in the region would again merge into Yugoslavia. He deplored the rise of extreme rightwing politicians in Belgrade and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Elsa Papadimitriou (Greece, Federated Group) said that Kosovo had been encouraged by “many of us”, to declare independence but that it was premature. “We should learn the lesson,” she said. “European integration for all Balkan countries is the only frame of reference.”

Summing up the debate, Mr Hancock said that it demonstrated the usefulness of the Assembly. This year might not be decisive for the region, but would mark a number of important decisions that he hoped would be “realistic” and respect the views of the people, who need peace and stability, and want to get on with their lives”. This is possible only by putting an end to petty political point-scoring”.