How Serbia loses from its frosty relationship with the European Union
Unnoticed by the world, Montenegro has taken a big step in its relations with the European Union. On March 15th it signed a stabilisation and association agreement (SAA), usually the first step to EU membership. Informally, it is a stamp of approval from Brussels.
Serbia too should have an SAA by now but, because it has not arrested such war-crimes suspects as Ratko Mladic, talks were broken off last year. By contrast, Macedonia signed an SAA in 2001, before graduating to candidate status in 2005. A new study by the European Stability Initiative, a Berlin-based think-tank, shows how much difference being on the EU ladder makes.
Consider the textile industry. In Romania and Bulgaria, which joined the EU in January, textiles are booming. In part this is down to low labour costs, but it is also because they are close to the huge EU market.
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