THE EUROPEAN UNION AT LARGE: COULD FLEXIBILITY MODEL WORK BETTER?

Repeatedly, different initiatives and developments in the EU been occasionally challenged and even impeded by certain member states. Meanwhile, as the Union enlarges and diversifies repeatedly, the chances of acting and speaking with one voice become lesser and lesser. One way to deal with this matter safely is to resort to flexible approaches that can accommodate the ever growing diversity of the EU. Along these lines, those countries that are less able or willing to sustain and trace the deepening integration trajectory can still militate within the common framework of the EU, while simultaneously allowing the continuation of the union's widening policy without causing a reasonable stir. Seen from this perspective, the goal of our research is to explore the flexibility puzzle as a consistent and viable model that can enable not only the present, but also the future mixity of EU member states (including the six Western Balkans' aspirants) to face the increasing challenges of the European integration journey as effectively and successfully as possible.