Significant progress has been made across the Balkans – both east and west – since the early 1990s. The improvements are remarkable yet there remains a substantial distance to cover. This is mainly due to the role of networks, the pervasive nature of informality, the kind of borders that cut across the countries and societies of Southeast Europe, and the still limited scope of regional co-operation.

Title Integrating the Balkans in the European Union: Addressing social capital, the informal economy and regional co-operation challenges in Southeast Europe
Author Ruby Gropas
Edition WP06.002, 2006