[ Western Balkans and EU ]

On Monday, the EU foreign ministers also agreed on the order of future EU presidencies for the coming 13 years (!). The presidencies of Austria, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary will probably be the most focused on the Western Balkans. The Greek presidency in 2014 could be a good moment to sign the accession treaties of the Western Balkan states. During the last Greek Presidency in 2003 the EU was joined by 10 new members and the European Council adopted the Thessaloniki Agenda for the Western Balkans as well as a Joint Declaration between the EU and the Western Balkans countries at the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Thessaloniki on June 21.

Here is the list of EU Presidencies until 2018:

• Austria: January – June 2006
• Finland: July – December 2006
• Germany: January – June 2007
• Portugal: July – December 2007
• Slovenia: January – June 2008
• France: July – December 2008
• Czech Republic: January – June 2009
• Sweden: July – December 2009
• Spain: January – June 2010
• Belgium: July – December 2010
• Hungary: January – June 2011
• Poland: July – December 2011
• Denmark: January – June 2012
• Cyprus: July – December 2012
• Ireland: January – June 2013
• Lithuania: July – December 2013
• Greece: January – June 2014
• Italy: July – December 2014
• Latvia: January – June 2015
• Luxembourg: July – December 2015
• Netherlands: January – June 2016
• Slovakia: July – December 2016
• Malta: January – June 2017
• UK: July – December 2017
• Estonia: January – June 2018