Cross-Border Experience - Cross-Border Experience: The Interfaces of the EU and the SEE Countries Enhancing a Successful Enlargement Process

The cross-border activities and intercultural dialogue established within the project will provide an informed public debate about the EU enlargement, and therefore, it entails a significant potential in shaping the public opinion on the future EU enlargements and in making short- and long-term objectives and effects. Slovenia represents an ideal meeting point for the citizens of the candidate countries and the potential candidates in SEE and for the EU citizens. As Slovenia is the EU member since 1st May 2004, with a recent experience of the EU enlargement and accession processes, and also with the EU Presidency in 2008. At the same time, Slovenia is one of the former Yugoslav countries and is closely linked with the SEE region geographically, economically and culturally. Moreover, it is geographically situated between the EU and the SEE non-EU region, and with a considerable share of its ethnic groups originating from other parts of the former Yugoslavia (Albanians, Bosniaks, Croats, Macedonians, Montenegrins, Serbs, Roma etc.). These experiences and the specific geo-political positioning, accompanied with the highest level of public support for the future enlargement of the EU (73%), make Slovenia an exceptional environment where a lively discussion on the future EU enlargements, a fruitful exchange of ideas and intercultural dialogue may take place. Therefore, the project will draw from the past experiences and the social capital generated from the formal and informal institutional and social networks.