It prepares positions, carries out analyses and draws up other materials to coordinate activities with regard to the Western Balkans within the EU, and coordinates positions on the situation in the Western Balkans considered by different working bodies of the Council with other competent departments at the Ministry. It prepares Slovenia's positions on EU enlargement with regard to Western Balkan countries and Turkey and coordinates such with other ministries.

It monitors political, social and other movements in these countries that affect their foreign policy and the relations between them. It collects, processes and produces materials, information and analyses and draws up proposals for Slovenia's foreign policy positions. It prepares materials for high-level international and intergovernmental meetings and visits. It puts forward initiatives for the contractual arrangement of individual issues and participates in the expert and analytical processing of the materials that the Ministry sends to other state authorities.  It performs tasks related to the coordination of activities in the preparation of umbrella intergovernmental agreements.

It monitors tasks related to Slovenia's activities in regional organisations and initiatives regarding the region of the Western Balkans, coordinates activities within individual regional initiatives, is responsible for inter-ministerial coordination, and coordinates the preparation of materials, and maintains contact with Slovenian experts, members of working groups within regional initiatives and secretariats of national initiatives.

It is responsible for monitoring the functioning of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA). The Department also acts as the national focal point for projects of close interinstitutional cooperation (Twinning) and EU technical assistance programmes (TAIEX).