Meandering Limits: The Danube Border Dispute Between Croatia and Serbia and Ways to Its Resolution

Abstract

This single-case study seeks to provide an in-depth analysis of the territorial dispute between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Serbia over the State border along the Danube. The research article will look into the historical roots of the conflict and its current context of the EU accession process of Serbia addressing (i) the dispute in substance, e.g. the positions of Serbia and Croatia, (ii) available dispute settlement tools – bilateral (with or without third-party mediation) or third-party judicial, and (iii) delimitation scenarios of the Danube border both in the bilateral mode and in the light of the jurisprudence of international courts and tribunals. The study demonstrates that it does indeed take some political will to overcome the protracted conflict, and addresses the related focal points. The article is based on interviews, internal documents, decisions of international courts and tribunals, and secondary literature.