'What does the Western Balkans cost me?'

• Florence School of Transnational Governance

The EUI's Florence School of Transnational Governance, in collaboration with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and the European Policy Centre, cordially invite you to a conference where Jakov Devčić and Milena Mihajlovic Denic will present the key findings of their new study 'What Does the Western Balkans Cost Me?'

The study moves beyond abstract discussions of EU integration and offers a detailed, data-driven analysis of the budgetary effects of EU enlargement.

At the initiative of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, the study was conducted by the European Policy Centre Belgrade (CEP) and focuses not only on the implications for the overall EU budget and its individual headings, but also on the new expenditures that will be required from current member states and the mandatory contributions of candidate countries upon their potential membership.

The aim is to foster a strategic dialogue on the cohesion of an enlarged EU, based on data rather than assumptions. Through a simulation of the actual budgetary effects of enlargement, the study provides data and recommendations for the further shaping of enlargement policy. Moreover, the findings can serve as a guide for member states in the upcoming negotiations on the EU’s long-term budget for 2028-2034, supporting evidence-based decision-making.