The EU’s realisation of the need to develop more cogent external relations, foreign andsecurity policies towards the Western Balkans can be attributable to the failure of Europeansto end conflicts on their doorstep in Bosnia, Croatia, Albania and Kosovo throughout the1990s. It is argued that the EU’s network of external relations traditionally consists of threemain elements: trade, foreign and security policy and development co-operation. Therefore,this paper will dwell upon the EU’s international role through its external relations elementswhich are also considered to be the main tools of bringing stability and prosperity into theWestern Balkans. Moreover, it will be argued that the EU has an extensive network of foreignrelations, but no ‘real’ foreign policy. This article will specifically examine the experiences ofthe EU’s CFSP by highlighting the success and failures of the ESDP in the region.Key words: security, defense, Balkans, EU