The EU Enlargement to the Western Balkans, the implementation of “green” policies, and integration through the law

Current political and legal debates in Europe are quite concerned about two matters: the socioecological crisis deriving from anthropogenic climate change and environmental degradation, and the will – or even the need – of a “fast-track” enlargement process, especially towards South-Eastern Europe’s countries. The first issue can be considered as a spin-off of a global matter, while the second one represents a more pervasive and long-lasting topic within EU political debates. The article addresses the aforementioned issues, and firstly propose a quick overview on the EU enlargement towards South-East, recalling the extension of the Green Deal and the efforts in implementing the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans. The third paragraph deals with the concept of ‘environmental constitutionalism’, also recalling its transformative features, different theoretical appraisals, and methodological assets. The fourth paragraph’s topic proposes a primary quantitative analyses on direct constitutional references (and mentions) to the concept “environment” within the Western Balkan constitutions. Conclusion aims at classifying Western Balkan’s environmental constitutional provisions under a synchronic taxonomy, to highlight further critical approaches.