The paradox of the Europeanisation of intrastate conflicts

It has been argued that the European Union can have a positive impact on intrastate conflicts by linking the final outcome of the conflict to a certain degree of integration of the parties involved into European structures. According to this argument, it is the impact of conditionality and socialisation that might have a ‘catalytic’ effect on conflict transformation. The paper does not dispute that the closer the form of association with the EU, the stronger the potential to achieve the respective conflict resolution goal. It highlights, however, that after the accession of any candidate State, the Union tends to accommodate the conflict within its political and legal order rather than mobilise its resources to resolve it. This is largely due to its very limited legal toolbox that does not allow the EU to undertake a more active role in conflict resolution within its borders.