The conference was organized as a follow-up on the conclusions of the Greek EU Presidency's Porto Carras Summit. Recognizing the importance for the EU of keeping the Balkans high on its agenda, the Greek EU Presidency set six priorities with regard to the process of integrating the Western Balkans into the EU. The goals of this conference, which took place two weeks after the summit and just as the Italian EU Presidency began its tenure, were to:
- Evaluate the outcomes of the Greek Presidency's Balkan agenda, especially in light of the accomplishments of the Thessaloniki summit
- Gauge the Italian Presidency's strategies and goals for the Western Balkans;
- Obtain an assessment from the affected countries perspectives on the EU's approach to integration as it moves forward.
The conference results were published as a book: Integrating the Western Balkans Into Europe: The Aftermath of the Greek EU Presidency, David A. Stone & Despina Syrri (eds.)
