Small and Medium Sized States in the European Union - Between Possible EU Fragmentation and the New Forms of Sub-Regional Cooperation

Abstract

In addition to continental regional organizations in Europe, other forms of multilateral sub regional cooperation between States in smaller geographical areas have long been noticeable. These geographically smaller organizations have become increasingly numerous with the appearance of the so-called "neoregionalism" in the period following the collapse of the bipolar system in Europe around 1990-1991. With the expected further development and transformation of the European Union, fallowing the euro-crises and the Brexit, the cooperation of its member States in smaller groups, such as the Visegrad Group, the Council of Ministers of Baltic States, the Benelux and others, have been in the rise. The European sub regions are mainly natural geopolitical and economic areas. Therefore, the development of sub regional cooperation naturally takes place alongside a parallel process of European integration. Further progress on sub regional co-operation is likely to be linked to the evolution of the possible "multispeed European Union". If there is a further weakening or failure of European integration, the result would be the fragmentation of European (political and economic) space and the establishment of some kind of mini, multilateral coalitions that would be formed along lines of existing sub regional cooperation. This kind of activity does not stop with access to the Union, which is a message that is also significant for the countries of the Western Balkans. Serbia has traditionally been very active in many forms of regional cooperation in the Balkans. Various forms of sub regional cooperation with neighbors as a whole facilitate the realization of the main strategic goal of Serbia - membership in the European Union.