Waste Management as a driver of European Integration in the Western Balkans

Doi: https://doi.org/10.58603/AMZP8696

Abstract: This article examines how waste management functions as an overlooked yet consequential driver of European integration in the Western Balkans. Although the region faces chronic deficiencies in waste infrastructure, regulatory enforcement, and public environmental awareness, these challenges intersect directly with EU accession requirements, particularly under Chapter 27 of the acquis. Drawing on neofunctionalism, Europeanisation theory, and environmental-governance perspectives, the article argues that waste management generates functional spillovers, administrative alignment, and cross-border cooperation that advance integration even when political progress stalls. Looking at prjects such as the transboundary cooperation on the Drina river or the Vinča landfil’sl modernisation, waste governance represents a strategic entry point for deepening Europeanisation in the Western Balkans, reinforcing regional cooperation, and supporting the long-term credibility of the EU enlargement process.