Solidarity with Candidate States: The Case of the Western Balkans

The principle of solidarity, as a basic principle of Community construction, is one of the values referred to in art. 2 TEU, as well as a principle that the Union promotes in its internal and external action. With specific reference to the enlargement policy, solidarity could be traced back to the obligation of the acceding States to respect the principles set out in art. 2 TEU, as required by art. 49 of the TEU, as well as to the “favorable conditions” that the Union promotes to comply with the criteria for EU membership. This work intends to investigate the principle of solidarity in the context of the enlargement policy towards the Western Balkans. After some introductory considerations, it will investigate how and in what way solidarity, as value and principle of the internal and external action of the EU, can be also seen in the EU enlargement policy and specifically in the process of stabilization and accession of the Western Balkans which are an area to be secured, but also an “outpost” for the security of the European Union itself. This is evident after the migration crisis on the Balkan route that, started in 2015, continues to raise concerns, not only for respect for migrants’ rights, but also for EU law and its values.