In talks with countries who have expressed the wish to join the European Union (EU), the EU typically concludes Association Agreements in exchange for commitments to political, economic, trade, or human rights reform in a country. In exchange, the country may be offered tariff-free access to some or all EU markets (industrial goods, agricultural products, etc), and financial or technical assistance.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Stabilisation and Association Process 3 See also 4 External links 5 References

[edit] Overview

Stabilisation and Association agreements are part of the EU Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP) and European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). At present, the countries of the western Balkans are the focus of the SAP. Specific Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAA) have been implemented with various Balkan countries (see below) which explicitly include provisions for future EU membership of the country involved. SAAs are similar in principle to the Europe Agreements signed with the Central and Eastern European countries in the 1990s and to the Association Agreement with Turkey.

SAAs are based mostly on the EU's acquis communautaire and predicated on its promulgation in the cooperating states legislation. The depth of the policy harmonisation expected by SAA is less than for EU member states; some policy areas in the Acquis may not be covered by a given SAA.

Association agreements must be ratified by the associating state and all EU member states.

[edit] Stabilisation and Association Process

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Event	Croatia	Republic of Macedonia	Albania	Montenegro 1	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Serbia 2	Kosovo (under UNSCR 1244)3
SAA negotiations start	24.11.2000	5.4.2000	31.1.2003	10.10.2005	25.11.2005	10.10.2005	(?)
SAA initialled	14.5.2001	24.11.2000	28.2.2006	15.3.2007	4.12.2007	7.11.2007	(?)
SAA signature	29.10.2001	9.4.2001	12.6.2006	15.10.2007	16.6.2008	29.4.2008	(?)
Ratification by:
SAP state	30.1.2002	27.4.2001	9.11.2006	13.11.2007	26.2.2009	9.9.2008	(?)
European Communities	21.12.2004	25.2.2004	26.2.2009	(2009)	(2009)	(2009)	(?)
Austria	15.3.2002	6.9.2002	21.5.2008	4.7.2008	4.9.2009	(2009)	(?)
Belgium	17.12.2003	29.12.2003	22.10.2008	(2009)	(2009)	(2009)	(?)
Bulgaria	entered the EU later			30.5.2008	13.3.2009	(2009)	(?)
Cyprus	entered the EU later		30.5.2008	20.11.2008	2.7.2009	(2009)	(?)
Czech Republic	entered the EU later		7.5.2008	19.2.2009	23.7.2009	(2009)	(?)
Denmark	8.5.2002	10.4.2002	24.4.2008	25.6.2008	26.5.2009	(2009)	(?)
Estonia	entered the EU later		17.10.2007	22.11.2007	11.9.2008	(2009)	(?)
Finland	6.1.2004	6.1.2004	29.11.2007	18.3.2009	7.4.2009	(2009)	(?)
France	4.6.2003	4.6.2003	12.2.2009	30.7.2009	(2009)	(2009)	(?)
Germany	18.10.2002	20.6.2002	19.2.2009	15.5.2009	14.8.2009	(2009)	(?)
Greece	27.8.2003	27.8.2003	26.2.2009	(2009)	(2009)	(2009)	(?)
Hungary	entered the EU later		23.4.2007	14.5.2008	22.10.2008	(2009)	(?)
Ireland	6.5.2002	6.5.2002	11.6.2007	4.6.2009	4.6.2009	(2009)	(?)
Italy	6.10.2004	30.10.2003	7.1.2008	(2009)	(2009)	(2009)	(?)
Latvia	entered the EU later		19.12.2006	17.10.2008	(2009)	(2009)	(?)
Lithuania	entered the EU later		17.5.2007	4.3.2009	4.5.2009	(2009)	(?)
Luxembourg	1.8.2003	28.7.2003	4.7.2007	11.6.2009	(2009)	(2009)	(?)
Malta	entered the EU later		21.4.2008	11.12.2008	(2009)	(2009)	(?)
Netherlands	30.4.2004	9.9.2002	10.12.2007	29.1.2009	30.9.2009	(2009)	(?)
Poland	entered the EU later		14.4.2007	6.2.2009	(2009)	(2009)	(?)
Portugal	14.7.2003	14.7.2003	11.7.2008	23.9.2008	29.6.2009	(2009)	(?)
Romania	entered the EU later			15.1.2009	(2009)	(2009)	(?)
Slovakia	entered the EU later		20.7.2007	29.7.2008	17.3.2009	(2009)	(?)
Slovenia	entered the EU later		18.1.2007	7.2.2008	10.3.2009	(2009)	(?)
Spain	4.10.2002	4.10.2002	3.5.2007	12.3.2009	(2009)	(2009)	(?)
Sweden	27.3.2003	25.6.2002	21.3.2007	11.3.2009	14.9.2009	(2009)	(?)
United Kingdom	3.9.2004	17.12.2002	16.10.2007	(2009)	(2009)	(2009)	(?)
SAA entry into force	1.2.2005	1.4.2004	1.4.2009	(2009)	(2009)	(2009)	(?)

(brackets): earliest possible date
¹ For Montenegro, negotiations started in November 2005 while a part of Serbia and Montenegro. Separate technical negotiations were conducted regarding issues sub-state organizational competency. Mandate for direct negotiations with Montenegro established in July 2006. Direct negotiations were initiated on 26 September 2006 and concluded on 1 December 2006.[1]

² For Serbia, negotiations started in November 2005 (as part of SiM, modified mandate from July 2006), implementation of the treaty awaiting the arrest of Ratko Mladić.

³ For Kosovo, a partially recognized breakaway province of Serbia, negotiations on a Stabilisation Tracking Mechanism began in 2003 and are still ongoing. The EU is still divided on how exactly to continue the SAP with Kosovo, as some of its members remain opposed to Kosovo's independence.

[edit] See also

• Future Enlargement of the European Union
• European Neighbourhood Policy
• European Union Association Agreement
• Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe (SP for SEE)

[edit] External links

• European Commission Website

[edit] References

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