Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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47. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the EU remains focused on the issues affecting the Western Balkans with particular reference to the need to ensure the future of the democratic process and compliance with the acquis communautaire; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15895/14]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The EU remains fully focused on the issues affecting the Western Balkans, in particular the need to strengthen democracy throughout the region. The Copenhagen political criteria require countries wishing to join the EU to achieve stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy. Strengthening democratic institutions in the Western Balkans, such as national parliaments, Governments and public administrations, is therefore a priority of the EU's enlargement strategy. Ensuring inclusive democratic processes that support these institutions and reinforce core democratic principles and common EU values is at the heart of the EU agenda.

In the European Commission's assessment, as presented in its annual Enlargement Strategy paper last October, democratic institutions remain fragile in a number of countries in the Western Balkans. They noted that in some countries, a culture of consensus building is lacking, with the role of national parliaments underdeveloped.

The EU is actively working to help the countries of the Western Balkans tackle these challenges through the accession process.

The EU is working intensively with international organisations such as the Council of Europe (CoE), the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to support electoral and parliamentary reform.

The EU promotes inter-parliamentary cooperation between national parliaments of the region and those of the EU Member States, including Ireland, and the European Parliament.

The EU has increased the priority attached to public administration reform in the accession process, with particular emphasis on transparency, de-politicisation and meritocratic recruitment processes.

The EU has also increased its focus on civil society, including capacity building and encouraging the creation of an enabling environment for civil society development and greater involvement of stakeholders in reforms, including through greater transparency of government action and spending.

The EU actively promotes broad-based participation in the accession process and encourages maximum transparency in handling of relevant documents.

In the period 2007-2013, over €30 million pre-accession assistance has been provided by the EU to enlargement countries to strengthen democratic institutions. In the same period, civil society organisations have been supported by almost €190 million from the EU's Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA), as well as by over €35 million from the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR).

Through the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) for the period 2014-2020, the EU will support the strengthening of democratic institutions, good governance, including ombudsmen, and public administration reform through the Western Balkans region.