ABSTRACT

This chapter summarises the central argument of the book, that the European Union’s approach to conflict resolution in the Western Balkans is better characterised as one of conflict regulation than one of conflict transformation. In doing so, it challenges the assumptions of much of the existing literature on the EU’s role in conflict resolution. The chapter reflects on the limitations of the research, and on opportunities for further research into the EU’s conflict resolution activities and the role of ideas and learning in international policy-making towards conflicts.