Series:Centar za Evropske Politike - POGLEDI

Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU

Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU

Author(s): Miloš Pavković,Strahinja Subotić / Language(s): English

Judging by the Presidency slogan, which is Europe as a Task: Rethink, rebuild, repower, it can be anticipated that rethinking European geopolitical position, rebuilding Ukraine after the bloody war, and repowering the Euro-pean defence structures will be the focus of the Coun-cil’s work in the upcoming six months and longer. While some Council presidencies aim to finalise long-running legislative priorities, Prague largely sees its job over the next six months as a crisis responder. Czechia will have its hands full forging common positions on finan-cial and political support for Ukraine, and reducing the bloc’s continued reliance on Russian energy. Having in mind the presidency programme and volatile geopo-litical developments, this paper also aims to uncover whether the Council will have enough time and energy to dedicate to the enlargement policy and the Western Balkans region under the Czech baton.

The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans

The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans

Author(s): Sava Mitrović / Language(s): English

Keywords: environment in Western Balkans;

By signing the Sofia Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans in October 2020, leaders from the region rec­ognised the importance of the European Green Deal (EGD), which is the EU's new growth strategy towards a modern, cli­mate neutral, resource-efficient and competitive economy. In order for this acknowledgement to materialise in practice, the leaders of the Western Balkans (WB) also agreed to incorporate elements of the EGD into all interrelated sectors and policies, based on the European Commission's Guidelines, with the com­mon goal of developing carbon-neutral and sustainable econo­mies in the region. Given that it has been a year and a half since the Sofia Summit, it is warranted to break down the complex no­tion of the Green Agenda and analyse whether and to what ex­tent it has the potential to truly induce changes in the Western Balkans. Therefore, the paper presents key issues identified in the five pillars of the Green Agenda, examines certain cross-cut­ting aspects of the green transition that could be essential for achieving a climate-neutral Western Balkans, and provides con­crete measures and proposals for effective Green Agenda imple­mentation.

The French Presidency of Council of the EU

The French Presidency of Council of the EU

Author(s): Miloš Pavković / Language(s): English

In January 2022, France – one of the founding member states of the EU – embarked on 6-months long journey for the second time since the Lisbon Treaty adoption, and the 13th time in total. French Presidency comes at a time of a power vacuum in the EU, particularly after the UK had left the EU and in the aftermath of the retirement of the long-serving German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Moreover, the Ukrainian-Russian border is facing increasing tensions, while the Conference on the Future of Europe (CotFoE) is expected to end with concrete results. As Europe is faced with times of change, expectations are high from France that it will take the lead and steer the Union in the right direction in the upcoming six months. Having in mind the Presidency slogan - Recovery (relance), Power (puissance), and Belonging (appartenance) – this Insight analyses how France will navigate Europe in this increasingly complex context.

Serbia and Civilian CSDP Missions

Serbia and Civilian CSDP Missions

Author(s): Kristina Velimirović / Language(s): English

Keywords: CSDP-missions;

the aim of this INSIGHT-issue is to examine the prospects for closer cooperation between third countries and the EU when it comes to civilian CSDP missions, while shining a spotlight on the untapped potential within Serbia’s accession negotiations and Chapter 31. At the same time, this Insight provides a critical review of the existing legislative framework in Serbia and in this regard, analyses the latest initiative on drafting a law that should regulate the given topic in the future. Finally, this Insight lays out further recommendations for the improvement of the Draft Law on the participation of civilians in peacekeeping missions and argues Serbia finally needs to break the deadlock and take part in the EU civilian missions.

The Slovenian Presidency of Council of the EU

The Slovenian Presidency of Council of the EU

Author(s): Strahinja Subotić / Language(s): English

Keywords: pandemic European Union;

After Portugal, the presidency of the Council of the EU moved from the Iberian Peninsula to the Balkan Peninsula as Slovenia took it over on 1 July 2021. Its presiding over the Union will round off the work of its co-members of the Trio, Germany and Portugal, whose key task was to better facilitate efforts to fght the COVID-19 pandemic. As both Germany and Portugal have achieved positive results in putting Europe back on its feet, Slovenia’s presidency will concentrate on setting the ground for the development of a post-pandemic Europe. However, it does not mean that Slovenia will have an easy job; on the contrary, there are many pressing issues that the Council will need to deal with. This Insight aims to uncover what lies behind its motto “Together. Resilient. Europe”, while analysing how its presidency will shape the EU, as well as the enlargement policy, inthe second half of 2021.

Common Regional Market and European Perspective

Common Regional Market and European Perspective

Author(s): Dušan Ristić / Language(s): English

Keywords: Western Balkans development;

At the latest Berlin Process Summit, held on November 10, 2020 in Sofia, the Western Balkan leaders (WB6) agreed upon an ambitious plan to create a Common Regional Market (CRM). Aside from the Political Declaration reiterating their commitment to intensified regional cooperation, WB6 adopted a detailed Action Plan sketching out concrete steps along the way. The initiative was heralded by the European Commission as a stepping stone towards EU membershipand its complementarity with the long-awaited Economic and Investment Plan was praised. Taking into account that the initiative has become a flagship project of the Berlin Process, and in the light of the upcoming Summit to be organised in Berlin by the outgoing Chancellor Merkel, it is worthwhile analysing the state of this potentially very fruitful endeavour. Therefore, this Insight aims at breaking down the complex notion of a Common Regional Market and the envisaged benefits of the initiative, whilst analysing the compliance with the adopted Action Plan, bearing in mind the European perspective of the region.

The German Presidency of the Council of the EU

The German Presidency of the Council of the EU

Author(s): Sena Marić,Strahinja Subotić,Aleksa Ilić / Language(s): English

The German Presidency of the Council of the EU takes place against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the EU, along with the rest of the world, needs quick and bold action to adapt to the resulting tectonic changes. These circumstances have pushed Germany to lead the Union across the Rubicon in regard to the future of the European project. In fact, Germany's ambitious Presidency program reflects its renewed strategic outlook by instigating the EU's recovery and ushering a path towards further integration. For this reason, the decisions made during Germany's term have the potential to become a critical juncture for Union's further evolution. With the aim of uncovering what may lie ahead for Europe in the following period, this Insight examines Germany's long-term vision for Europe, analysing its Presidency program and scrutinising Germany's positions on the pressing questions of the EU recovery fund and Multi-annual Financial Framework, climate and the environment, rule of law conditionality, and EU common foreign and security policy. At the same time, it analyses the place of the Western Balkans in such a complex network of priorities.

Finland's Presidency of the Council of the EU

Finland's Presidency of the Council of the EU

Author(s): Strahinja Subotić / Language(s): English

Keywords: EU and Western Balkans;

While the Council of the EU has been headed by the countries from the Western Balkan's neighbourhood (Austria, Bulgaria, and Romania) in the last 18 months, the time has come for Finland - a country geographically distant from the region - to take over. The saying “out of sight, out of mind” implies that things can be dismissed as unimportant when not in direct view of the subject. Will this be the case with Finland vis-a-vis the Western Balkans? What can the countries of the region do to get closer to Finland? What are Finland's priorities? This CEP Insight hopes to provide answers to thesequestions.

From the Bulgarian to the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU

From the Bulgarian to the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU

Author(s): Strahinja Subotić / Language(s): English

On 1 July 2018, Bulgaria handed over the presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) to Austria. Both enlargement-friendly presidencies came at a time of uneasiness and external and internal unpredictability for the Union. As the ongoing trade war and the disagreement on military spending show, EU-US relations have become tense in areas which constitute the backbone of the transatlantic alliance, such as trade and defence. Meanwhile, populist governments, like the one recently established in Italy, as well as those of Poland and Hungary, have been causing concerns with their divisive rhetoric and Euroscepticism. Finally, as the EU's ‘key leader' Angela Merkel continues to face instability at home, and the2019 EP elections are approaching, the EU has found itself in a limbo of ‘soul searching' due to its inability to find common solutions on the most pressing issues such as migration.

Is the EU on the move again? The development of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and “Multi-speed” EU

Is the EU on the move again? The development of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and “Multi-speed” EU

Author(s): Duško Lopandić / Language(s): English

The decision of the European Council, made on the 22nd of June in 2017, to establish the so-called "Permanent Structured Cooperation" (PESCO) in the area of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) of the Union, represents, in a way, one of first indirect consequences of Brexit on the EU progress. This decision suggests the possible outlines of the development of the "Multi-speed" European Union, which is a possibility widely spoken about in EU circles after the British referendum. After a series of crises, institutional paralysis and the shock of the Brexit, followed by more positive results of elections in France, Austria and the Netherlands, a touch of optimism has returned to Brussels."Europe is on the move again" (Europe is in a new movement) ,would be the comment by one of its "fathers"- Jean Monnet.

Tajani's Presidency. New EP President, Mini Political Earthquake and Why it Matters for Serbia

Tajani's Presidency. New EP President, Mini Political Earthquake and Why it Matters for Serbia

Author(s): Sena Marić,Strahinja Subotić / Language(s): English

Keywords: Serbia's EU Accession;

On 17 January 2017 Antonio Tajani became President of the European Parliament, succeeding Martin Schultz in this position. He underwent four rounds of voting - a practice rather unseen in the EP, which indicates how firm different political groups were in supporting their candidates. This CEP Insight takes a closer look into Tajani's profile and ambitions as EP President; analyses the new shifts in balance of power that came as a result of Tajani's election; examines its implications on Serbia's EU membership aspirations and finally suggests how the Serbian authorities should position themselves vis-a-vis the new circumstances.

The Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU. Unbreakable ties with the candidate countries

The Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU. Unbreakable ties with the candidate countries

Author(s): Sena Marić / Language(s): English

2016 will be remembered as a year that brought unexpected political outcomes and outrages in the Western hemisphere. Nevertheless, 2017 is promising to be more intense than the previous year. During the first half of this year, the Netherlands will have parliamentary elections, while both parliamentary and presidential elections will be held in France. Furthermore, the United Kingdom will have only local elections,and possibly Italy. The national elections and glooming political uncertainty will have a great impact on the EU and its institutions, especially on the election of the new president of the European Parliament who will replace Martin Schultz. It is also expected that the question regarding Brexit and whether it should be initiated by the UK parliament or government will be solved. On the other hand, the agreement between the EU and Turkey regarding the migrant crisis and its containment remainson shaky ground. Terrorist attacks in Europe have never been more frequent and the last attack in Turkey on New Year's Eve showed that security problems will still be Europe's main issue. The smallest EU member - Malta, finds itself in the midst of the upcoming events while holding the EU's rotating Council Presidency. Malta together with the Netherlands and Slovakia, is a part of the current governing 'trio', which means that its governing priorities will be reflecting the strategic program of the 'trio'. Thus, Malta will continue initiatives that were alreadyput in place such as migration, security, internal marketand the EU's neighbourhood. However, as a small Mediterranean country, one of its main national interests will be further development of the EU's maritime policies. This CEP Insight will be focusing on the priorities of the Maltese presidency which should be considered by Serbian authorities, since they will be affecting the issues in which Serbia is directly involved.

(Un)success of Public Administration Reform in Serbia

(Un)success of Public Administration Reform in Serbia

Author(s): Vladimir V. Mihajlović,Milena Lazarević / Language(s): English

Keywords: Serbia's EU-perspective; administration-reform;

This year, as was the case in the previous years, the expert and political public were anticipating the European Commission annual report on the Serbia's EU accession process. Each year, the EC adopts a set of documents composed primarily of the candidate country reports, which include the state of play analysis, reports on conducted reforms, achieved progress in their path to EU membership and recommendations for priority areas that need further reform, as well as measures that ought to be taken. A recent issue of CEP insight provides an in depth analysis of the Serbia 2016 Report. In this document, we analyse the EC's assessment of Serbia in the field of public administration reform (PAR), one of the pillars of the Enlargement Strategy alongside the rule of law and economic governance.

Visegrad Bloc and the EU’s Future. Grand Aspirations behind Anti-Immigration Stances

Visegrad Bloc and the EU’s Future. Grand Aspirations behind Anti-Immigration Stances

Author(s): Sena Marić,Katarina Kosmina / Language(s): English

Keywords: migration; populism;

Despite a considerably assertive and costly media campaign, the Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán did not manage to convince the majority of Hungary's citizens that the issue of migrants/refugees is the most critical “for their own future and the future of Europe”. The 43,4% turnout (out of which 6% of votes were blank/invalid) at the infamous “quota referendum”, point to the fact that exploiting the topic of migrants in a populist manner is not sufficient to mobilise the general electorate, worried about everyday issues, such aseconomic conditions.

Slovak Presidency of the EU

Slovak Presidency of the EU

Author(s): Sena Marić,Katarina Tadić,Dušan Protić / Language(s): English

Keywords: migration-policy,

From 1 July to 31 December 2016, Slovakia holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Slovak Presidency begins at a time when the Union faces unprecedented challenges: the outcome of the UK Referendum necessitates discussion regarding the future of the Union; the migration crisis raises questions about the functioning of the Schengen area; the recent terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels have exposed weaknesses in the area of internal security; the consequences of the economic and financial crisis are still rippling through the economies of the EU Member States. Nevertheless, the Slovak Presidency puts forward a positive agenda which seeks to promote solutions that take into account the long-term perspective of the EU. This INSIGHT-issue explores the programme of the Slovak Presidency in the light of Brexit, assessing its immediate ramification for the enlargement process. The insight also sets forth a comprehensive overview of what to expect in the next six months within other priority areas, particularly regarding the market and migration policy.

Brexit or Not? What Consequences for the Enlargement Policy?

Brexit or Not? What Consequences for the Enlargement Policy?

Author(s): Milena Lazarević,Sena Marić / Language(s): English

Keywords: Brexit vs enlargement;

In the early hours of the 24th of June, the results of the British EU membership referendum were announced. Against the betting odds, against the predictions of market actors, and against the last minute polls, with a turnout of 72.2% and with a margin of 3.8%, the voters decided that the UK should leave the European Union. This unprecedented event has ushered in a period of political and economic turmoil in the UK: David Cameron resigned and the Conservative Party will hold a leadership election; the Labour shadow ministers resigned en masse and the Labour MPs held a no confidence vote against their leader; the second Scottish independence referendum is on the agenda; Northern Ireland’s status is under question; economic forecasts are grim. Economic spillover effects are expected across the EU, its neighbours and beyond, and potential political instability within the EU looms ... The Brexit referendum has left the continent with a number of uncertainties. This issue of INSIGHT develops three possible outcomes of the current situation, based on which it discusses potential consequences of the leave vote on the EU enlargement policy. It argues that as long as the Brexit issue remains unresolved, the EU enlargement policy will suffer.

The 2015 Enlargement Package: What is New and How it Helps the Enlargement Countries?

The 2015 Enlargement Package: What is New and How it Helps the Enlargement Countries?

Author(s): Milena Lazarević,Sena Marić,Dragana Bajić / Language(s): English

Keywords: EU-enlargement;

The Enlargement Package, annually issued by the European Commission and comprising a strategy for the EU enlargement, including a set of country reports, has been impatiently awaited this year due to the long-announced improvements compared to the previous years. This particularly concerns the new approach to assessments in country-specific progress re-ports, i.e. the introduction of a number of changes in the reporting style in order to increase quality, reliability and transparency of reports. The new approach in the annual country re-ports, along with five-tier assessment scales, is also intended to increase comparability be-tween the countries as well as to provide the stakeholders with the possibility to scrutinise the process and the enlargement countries’ progress towards the EU. It places emphasis on the state of play in countries regarding their preparedness for membership and provides guid-ance for what should be done so as to meet the accession requirements. Although this novel-ty brings greater clarity and understanding about what needs to be done by a candidate coun-try, it is impossible to guess whether those recommendations represent a benchmark for the opening of a given negotiating chapter or merely a referral to the most relevant issue, which is to be dealt with in the following year. In other words, what is the connection between the Progress Reports’ recommendations and the opening and other benchmarks?

Lessons Not Learned. Commentary on the EU's 17-points Plan and its Alternative

Lessons Not Learned. Commentary on the EU's 17-points Plan and its Alternative

Author(s): Katarina Kosmina,Lana Radovanović / Language(s): English

Keywords: EU migration policy; refugees;

As the massive refugee influx continues to grow, the European Union is attempting and failing to find effective solutions. The most recent such attempt was the meeting in Brussels at the end of October, which gathered leaders from Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. The result of this meeting was the 17-points plan of action (the Plan). This CEP Insight deconstructs the Plan and provides critique of its most controversial measures. Furthermore, the Temporary Protection Directive is presented, explained, and advocated for as an alternative solution to the current crisis. Finally, the article considers the repercussions of the Plan in the context of Serbia.

Handling the Refugee Influx. Between the Lwas, Borders and Political Discourses

Handling the Refugee Influx. Between the Lwas, Borders and Political Discourses

Author(s): Lana Radovanović,Katarina Kosmina / Language(s): English

Keywords: refugees;

When speaking about the refugees currently arriving in Europe, it is rather difficult to focus on one relevant dimension: the legal framework, border policy, and political discourse - all converge to affect both how we speak and act on the issues arising from the mass influx of refugees on the territory of the European Union. This article attempts to deconstruct the EU’s response to the current ‘crisis’ and outline its relevance for Serbia’s asylum strategy. The focus will be on relevant EU legislation, such as the Dublin III Regulation, and ensuing issues, as well as the response taken regarding border policies and political discourse.

Better Regulation Package: Regulating More or Regulating Less?

Better Regulation Package: Regulating More or Regulating Less?

Author(s): Amanda Orza,Milena Lazarević / Language(s): English

Better regulation is not a novelty, but a continuation of previous efforts through different means. This time around, there were great expectations from the package and its influence on policy formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. From the onset, Commission President Juncker showed unequivocal political support for the better regulation agenda. A clear indication was the fact that within the ‘two-tier’ College of Commissioners, the senior strand was to be led by Frans Timmermans, the First Vice-President responsible for inter alia the better regulation portfolio. Suchan action spurred a lot of hope of the magnitude of reforms aiming at the simplification and streamlining of superfluous EU legislation. According to Juncker’s mission letter to Timmermans, every new initiative will have to go through and receive the green light from the VP in order to assure the respect of subsidiarity and proportionality, and to reduce the activity of the Commission to merely those which genuinely represent added value if acting on the EU level.This article will go through the main changes that the packages bring to conclude on their feasibility in the near future, and relevance to Serbia.