Why the EU should use the potential of the Western Balkans for its strategic autonomy

Frauke Seebass (Research Fellow, South-East Europe Programme – ELIAMEP & think nea – New Narratives of EU Integration) authored a timely piece entitled “Why the EU should use the potential of the Western Balkans for its strategic autonomy”, which was published on the Table.Briefings. The article is based on the think nea report “Europe’s Overlooked Allies: Why the Western Balkans Matter for EU Defence Readiness”. ELIAMEP’s “think nea – New Narratives of EU Integration” initiative is supported by OSF-WB.

This article argues that the Western Balkans are an underutilized but strategically essential asset for the European Union’s ambition to achieve defense readiness and strategic autonomy by 2030. It highlights how Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia have evolved from recipients of stabilization assistance to active contributors to European and transatlantic security—through defense spending, military production capacities, geographic advantages, and support to Ukraine and international missions. Drawing on findings from the think nea study, the piece emphasizes the region’s potential in terms of ammunition, armoured vehicles, drones, and logistics, as well as its strategic transport corridors. It calls for the deeper integration of Western Balkan candidates into EU defense initiatives, arguing that their contributions should incentivize accelerated accession processes, provided alignment is achieved with EU foreign and security policy and rule-of-law reforms. Germany’s role is singled out as pivotal in shaping this shift. The article concludes that incorporating the Western Balkans into EU defense frameworks would strengthen Europe’s resilience, supply chains, military mobility, and geopolitical autonomy—while promoting deeper political integration and stability across the continent.

You can read the article (in German) here.