The project is funded by the German Federal
Foreign Office. Led by Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Herbert Küpper from the
The Western Balkans consists of six countries, each aspiring to join the EU and having progressed to varying degrees on this path. A crucial prerequisite for EU membership is a functioning rule of law. However, the region is not without traditions in this regard. Except for Albania, all states in the Western Balkans are successor states of Yugoslavia. Before 1989/90, Yugoslavia was the only socialist state to systematically incorporate elements of the rule of law into its legal practice, even if these elements were not central. The legal heritage of Yugoslavia still resonates among all successor states, from Slovenia to North Macedonia. Given these common elements, it is reasonable—albeit cautiously—to speak of a „post-Yugoslav legal space.“
Our project is based on the understanding that the commonalities within the legal systems and legal cultures of the Yugoslav successor states remain robust enough to facilitate meaningful mutual learning. Due to the ongoing structural similarities among post-Yugoslav legal systems, it is particularly beneficial for these countries to learn more intensively from one another’s successes and failures as they develop legal frameworks oriented towards stability, rule of law, and EU accession readiness.
This exchange of experiences will also involve the two Yugoslav successor states that are already EU members, namely Slovenia and Croatia. Having already achieved what other Western Balkan states strive for, their experiences are especially valuable.
Organized by the Institut für Ostrecht, financed with funds from the German Federal Foreign Office:
