Three decades after the Yugoslav wars, the Western Balkans are gradually shifting from a stabilisation target to emerging contributors to Europe’s security. This transition accelerated after the adoption of the European Union’s (EU) Global Strategy (2016), signalling the bloc’s geo-political aspirations. The region has expanded both institutionalised and ad hoc cooperation with the EU in the areas of migration and combatting organised crime, violent extremism, and radicalisation. The Western Balkans are now increasingly embedded in Europe’s wider security framework.