Integration and Disintegration of the EU
On the occasion of celebrating its silver jubilee, the Croatian Pan-European Union organised the international conference „Integration and Disintegration of the European Union – Pan-European Answer and Perspectives of European Integration in South-East Europe a Quarter of Century after".
The Conference took place in Zagreb on 21-23 October 2016.
The conference was organised under high auspices of the President of the Republic of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Davor Ivo Stier, the Mayor of the City of Zagreb Milan Bandić and the Prefect of the Karlovac County Ivan Vučić.
The conference was attended by, among others, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Andrej Plenković, Minister Davor Ivo Stier, Minister Pavo Barišić, Members of the European Parliament Dubravka Šuica and Marijana Petir, President of the International Pan-European Union Alain Terrenoire and representatives of several member organisations of the Pan-European Union and Pan-European Youth.
Topic of the Conference
A quarter of century ago, at the end of May 1991, when the Croatian Pan-European Union was being established, Europe witnessed the collapse of the remnants of totalitarian rules of Eastern Bloc and a new dawn of democratisation which hastened the integration process of the European Union. A positive effect of general opening of states and of making various new connections across state borders was felt worldwide. The oldest Pan-European unification movement participated actively in these historical moments of opening of European national borders and integration of their countries: from the famous Pan-European Picnic near Sopron and pleading for the lifting of all the divisions along the Iron Curtain to the formulation of programmatic principles and just political order. This was followed by a hastened and strengthened European integration that led to the introduction of a common currency, establishment of the Schengen area with a common external border and no internal border controls, as well as various other benefits.
Today, however, we are witnesses to a quite different state and procedure of European integration. Under the sway of global financial crisis, solidarity in the European Union is weakened and people's confidence in European institutions, especially in European Monetary Union, is questioned. Not some European constitution, but the Lisbon Treaty is adopted, which only partially enables efficient functioning of the community of European states. One of the EU economic and political giants, the United Kingdom entertains doubt as to whether it should leave the Union or remain its member. Instead of extending the external borders of the Schengen area in the direction of South-East Europe by assuming Croatia's borders, the Schengen border regime is, under the influence of infelicitous events connected with the European migrant crisis, now liable to collapse. Many contries reintroduced border controls. The migration waves of refugees and immigrants from countries of neighbouring continents Asia and Africa brought about dissention and conflicts among European countries concerning the way refugees, immigrants and the crisis in general should be handled. The migrant crisis forces Europe to face two additional challenges: the possible accession of the Republic of Turkey to the European Union and the possible signing of the far-reaching trade agreement between the EU and the USA called the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). This controversial trade agreement is rightly seen as potentially perilous with respect to: 1) the European identity, 2) the sovereignty of European countries vis-à-vis transnational corporations, and 3) the EU social and environmental policy. As the overall result of the migrant crisis in Europe, one can detect the rise of xenophobia, nationalistic and chauvinistic movements, closure of state borders, divisions, mutual distrust and conflict.
On the other hand, in South-East Europe, where the collapse of totalitarian communist rule a quarter of a century ago gave way to the greatest destruction, aggression and ethnic cleansing in Europe since World War II, we witness today a great turn towards and commitment to democratization, stability and European integration. Full membership in the Union was gained by states that enclose South-East Europe both from the south, southeast and east (Greece 1981, Romania and Bulgaria 2007) and from the north-west (Slovenia 2004, Croatia 2013). The remaining South-Eastern countries – all located in between these two sets of countries – have a clear European perspective and are all either candidates or potential candidates for EU membership: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania and Macedonia. The question of the accession of Turkey is handled separately and European politicians are divided with respect to it between those that support the full membership and those that advocate special status. In any case, Turkey remains for the EU an important link to countries of the Islamic World and a needed partner in dealing with the current migrant crisis.
The Conference has the task to shed light on contemporary currents and perspectives and to give a Pan-European answer to two crucial questions. How to stop the disintegration processes in the European Union, and how to foster stability and democratisation and bring EU integration to countries of South-East Europe?
Programme (EN) (PDF)