The Border Dispute Between Croatia and Slovenia: the Stages of a Protracted Conflict and Its Implications for EU Enlargement

This book re-constructs the evolution of the border conflict between Croatia and Slovenia. The aim is to reveal the processes at work, the historical and contemporary circumstances, and the strategies and motives of the actors involved. The book highlights the roles of the European Union and of judicial third parties in the management of the conflict. Further, it considers the precedent-setting value of the Slovenian-Croatian conflict, the attempts at its resolution, and what they mean for the ongoing and prospective EU enlargement in South East Europe. Internal documents and interviews are at the heart of this process-tracing analysis, which discusses the third-party roles of the European Commission and the EU Council Presidency in 2008/2009 as a mediator-facilitator in the drafting stages of the arbitration agreement, and the judicial work of the arbitration tribunal and the EU Court of Justice. Lastly, the book offers policy recommendations on how to strengthen dispute resolution and solve current bilateral issues in the EU accession process.--

Intro -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- About the Author -- Abbreviations -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- 1 Introduction to the Border Dispute Between Croatia and Slovenia -- 1.1 Main Argument of This Book -- 1.2 Research Gap and Contribution to the Debate -- 1.3 Analytical Framework: Conflict Resolution and EU Enlargement -- 1.3.1 Conflict Resolution -- 1.3.2 EU Enlargement -- 1.3.3 Research Questions -- 1.4 Research Design -- 1.4.1 Case Selection -- 1.4.2 Method and Data Collection -- 1.5 Map of the Book -- Interviews -- References -- 2 History of Territorial, Political, and Violent Conflict in the Region -- 2.1 Border Changes Between the Republic of Venice and World War I -- 2.1.1 Late Venice Empire and Napoleon's Interregnum -- 2.1.2 Return of Habsburg Rule -- 2.1.3 Treaty of London -- 2.2 Yugoslavia I -- 2.2.1 Founding a New State -- 2.2.2 Paris Peace Conference and Treaty of Rapallo -- 2.2.3 Italian Rule in Istria -- 2.3 Yugoslavia and World War II -- 2.3.1 Partition of Yugoslavia -- 2.3.2 Resistance Movement -- 2.3.3 Liberation of Yugoslavia -- 2.3.4 Founding of Yugoslavia II -- 2.4 Free Territory of Trieste (FTT) -- 2.4.1 Liberation of Trieste -- 2.4.2 Workings of the Free Territory of Trieste (FTT) -- 2.4.3 Osimo Treaty 1975 -- 2.5 Dissolution of Yugoslavia -- 2.5.1 Badinter Commission -- 2.5.2 Homeland War in Croatia -- 2.5.3 Agreement on Succession Issues (ASI) -- 2.6 Conclusion -- Interviews -- References -- 3 Marine Spaces and Maritime Delimitation -- 3.1 Marine Spaces -- 3.1.1 Baselines, Bays, and Islands -- 3.1.2 Internal Waters -- 3.1.3 Territorial Sea -- 3.1.4 Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) -- 3.1.5 Continental Shelf -- 3.1.6 High Seas -- 3.2 Maritime Delimitation -- 3.2.1 Delimitation Provisions of UNCLOS -- 3.2.2 Development of Case Law -- 3.3 Conclusion -- Interviews -- References.