THE EUROPEAN UNION’S INVOLVEMENT IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA AND GEORGIA. A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Maria-Cristina  COLEAȘĂ

Authors

Maria-Cristina COLEAȘĂ BA in International Relations; MA in Political Studies, Faculty of European Studies, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Email: crisa_2010@yahoo.com.

Keywords:

Bosnian fragmentation, secessionism in Georgia, socialization, conflict resolution, leverage

Abstract

The article will present the European Union’s involvement in the two conflict-ridden states of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Georgia. Secondly, it intends to provide a comparative analysis of the two case studies, both in terms of the distinct international status of the two states and of the particularities in the EU’s involvement. The purpose of the article is to analyze the effectiveness of the EU’s use of socialization as a means of tackling the two conflicts, as well as to provide a prognosis of the conflict resolution process. It also aims at analyzing the extent to which the use of socialization on its own is enough for the EU to ensure an effective peacebuilding process in its near abroad and whether other means of conflict resolution are needed to render the EU’s involvement more successful.

References

Books and chapters in books:

Herța, Laura; Sabou, Alexandra (2015), “Frozen conflicts in the South Caucasus and their impact on the Eastern Partnership: The case of Georgia and its break-away Republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia”, in Valentin Naumescu and Dan Dungaciu (eds.), The European Union’s Eastern Neighbourhood Today, Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 116-153.

Gallagher, Tom (2003), The Balkans after the Cold War. From tyranny to tragedy, London: Routledge.

Merlingen, Michael; Ostrauskaite, Rasa (2006), European Union Peacebuilding and Policing, New York: Routledge.

Michalski, Anna (2005), “The EU as a Soft Power: the Force of Persuasionˮ, in Melissen, Jan (ed.), The New Public Diplomacy: Soft Power in International Relations, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 124-144.

Nye, Joseph (2004), Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics, New York: Public Affairs.

Radan, Peter (2002), The Break-up of Yugoslavia and International Law, London, Routledge.

Tocci, Nathalie (2007), The EU and Conflict Resolution. Promoting Peace in the Backyard, New York: Routledge.

Wheeler, Nicholas (2000), Saving Strangers: Humanitarian Intervention in International Society, New York: Oxford University Press.

Studies in periodicals:

Memisevic, Tija (2009), “EU conditionality in Bosnia and Herzegovina: police reform and the legacy of war crimesˮ, in Chaillot Papers, no. 116 (War crimes, conditionality and EU integration in the Western Balkans), 49-66.

Rupnik, Jacques (2011), “The Balkans as a European questionˮ, in Chaillot Papers, no. 126 (The Western Balkans and the EU: ʻThe hour of Europeʼ), 17-30.

Electronic materials:

Diez, Thomas; Stetter, Stephan; Albert, Mathias (2004), The European Union and the Transformation of Border Conflicts. Theorising the Impact of Integration and Association, [http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-social-sciences/government-society/polsis/research/eu-border-conflict/wp01-eu-transformation-of-border-conflicts.pdf], 7 November 2015.

EU/Georgia Action Plan, [http://eeas.europa.eu/enp/pdf/pdf/action_plans/georgia_enp_ap_final_en.pdf], 9 November 2015.

Helly, Damien (2006), “EUJUST Themis in Georgia: an ambitious bet on rule of lawˮ, in Chaillot Papers, no. 90 (Civilian crisis management: the EU way), 2006, [http://www.iss.europa.eu/uploads/media/cp090.pdf], 10 November 2015.

Kirova, Iskra (2012), Public Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution: Russia, Georgia and the EU in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, in CPD Perspectives on Public Diplomacy, Paper 7, [http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/sites/uscpublicdiplomacy.org/files/legacy/publications/perspectives/CPDPerspectivesConflict%20Resolution.pdf], 8 November 2015.

Latal, Srećko (2013), “Has policing changed? And if not, why not? – Local community perception“, in Flessenkemper, Tobias; Helly, Damien (eds.), Ten years after: lessons from the EUPM in Bosnia and Herzegovina 2002-2012 (Joint Report), [http://www.iss.europa.eu/uploads/media/EUPM_report.pdf], 5 November 2015.

Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe, [http://europa.eu/eu-law/decision-making/treaties/pdf/treaty_establishing_a_constitution_for_europe/treaty_establishing_a_constitution_for_europe_en.pdf], 9 November 2015.