The event was jointly organised by the European Policy Centre (CEP), Belgrade, and the European Policy Institute (EPI), Skopje, which over the summer engaged with and polled think tanks across the Western Balkans and the EU on key enlargement-related issues.

Building on three consultation webinars held between June and August 2026, participants discussed the main findings and draft recommendations on three key themes: enlargement-related non-papers and the operationalisation of gradual integration; bilateral disputes, regional cooperation and the role of civil society; and the risk of a renewed enlargement slowdown following the accession of one or two frontrunners.

Following opening remarks by Dušan Šabić (OSF-WB) and a presentation of the strongest survey findings by Strahinja Subotić (CEP), a moderated discussion was held, led by Stefan Ristovski (EPI), with the participation of Andrej Lepavcov (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of North Macedonia), Srđan Majstorović (CEP), Duško Lopandić (European Movement), Jana Juzova (EUCRTA) and Bojana Selaković (NKEU). The panel discussed how consultation findings and poll results could be translated into a concise set of common messages and priorities for the upcoming Berlin Process, rather than reopening each individual debate.

The event concluded with a session on generating concrete recommendations, followed by a Q&A segment in which participants reflected on and discussed the proposed priorities.

Članak “From Polls to Policy: Shaping the Upcoming EU Enlargement Agenda” event held in Belgrade se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.

Dates: 14–16 October 2026
Place: Niš, Hotel Marica

The European Policy Centre (CEP) invites civil society representatives, young professionals and experts, journalists, researchers, and other interested individuals from Serbia and Kosovo to apply for a three-day Winter School dedicated to strengthening knowledge and capacities for monitoring the normalisation process between Belgrade and Pristina.

Building on the first Winter School, held in December 2025 in North (Kosovo) Mitrovica, CEP is continuing this initiative with the aim of bringing together participants from Serbia and Kosovo, encouraging the exchange of perspectives, and deepening their understanding of the dialogue and normalisation process. The second cycle of the Winter School will be organised in Niš, following the plan to alternate hosting between cities in Serbia and on the territory of Kosovo.

This year’s Winter School is organised within the project “Preserving Peace through Normalisation: Kosovo-Serbia Relations in Focus”, implemented by the European Policy Centre (CEP) with financial support from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). The project focuses on contributing to peace preservation and advancing the normalisation process between Serbia and Kosovo, with particular attention to the role of civil society, transparency of the process, monitoring the implementation of agreed commitments, and fostering constructive dialogue.

Sbunker, a civil society organization based in Pristina, will provide support in organising the Winter School, while one of its experts will also contribute to selected project activities.

About the Winter School

The Winter School will bring together up to 12 participants from Serbia and Kosovo for an intensive three-day programme consisting of thematic lectures, discussions, practical exercises, and facilitated group work.

The programme will enable participants to deepen their understanding of the normalisation process between Belgrade and Pristina, peacebuilding, conflict prevention and reconciliation, as well as the role of civil society in monitoring the dialogue and implementation of agreements and in advocating for greater transparency and accountability. This year’s cycle will pay particular attention to the role of the EU and enlargement policy, as well as to the impact of other relevant third actors, such as the United States, Russia and Turkey, on the normalisation process.

Particular attention will be devoted to different perspectives and experiences of stakeholders from Serbia and Kosovo, as well as to exchanging views on the challenges and opportunities for advancing dialogue and regional cooperation.

Building on the previous cycle, this year’s programme will also involve alumni of the first Winter School in an appropriate capacity, with the aim of connecting the two generations of participants and encouraging further exchange and cooperation.

As in the previous cycle, the Winter School will also contribute to the preparation of a new Shadow Report on the state of the normalisation process, to be developed within the project.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

• be residents of Serbia or Kosovo;
• be active in civil society, media, youth initiatives, academia, or public institutions;
• demonstrate an interest in EU integration, security, dialogue processes, and/or related fields;
• be able to attend the full three-day programme from 14 to 16 October 2026;
• have working proficiency in English, which will be the working language of the Winter School.

Application Deadline

15 September 2026

Selection Process

Participants will be selected by the European Policy Centre, and in cooperation with Sbunker, based on:

• motivation letter – clarity of motivation, relevance of interests, and potential to apply the knowledge and skills acquired;
• curriculum vitae (CV);
• demonstrated interest or existing experience in topics related to the Belgrade–Pristina dialogue, EU integration, civil society, peacebuilding, or regional cooperation;
• balance considerations, ensuring representation across gender, ethnic and local communities, sectors, and geographical areas.

The selection process will be completed by 25 September, and the list of selected participants will be published on the CEP and Sbunker websites on the same day.

Costs

The costs of participation in the programme are fully covered, including: accommodation, meals and travel expenses.

Details regarding travel arrangements will be communicated to selected participants.

How to Apply

Please submit your application through the following online form: https://forms.gle/AVPLn2Zyip5MxcmJA

Applicants are required to submit a curriculum vitae (CV) and a motivation letter as part of the application.

Contact

CEP: ljubica.kovacevic@cep.org.rs
Sbunker: info@sbunker.net

Članak Public Call for Participation in the Winter School: Bridging the Gap between Serbia and Kosovo -Normalisation of Relations in Challenging Times se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.

The event brought together officials from the European External Action Service (EEAS) directly involved in the Kosovo–Serbia dialogue, representatives of the European Commission, NATO, diplomats, as well as experts from civil society organizations and research institutes from across the region and Europe.

The central focus of the discussion was the presentation of the joint report, “Shadow Report on the Kosovo-Serbia Normalisation Process: Between Agreement Implementation and Managing Tensions,” authored by Miloš Pavković (CEP) and Fitim Gashi (Sbunker).

The report provides a joint assessment of the implementation of the Brussels Agreement and the Ohrid Annex through a methodology applied for the first time, known as the “Normalisation Index.”

The findings show that, three years after the Brussels Agreement, the overall level of implementation remains at 21.1 percent.

The setbacks in the process are not only related to the lack of political will from the parties, but also to structural challenges in the architecture of the dialogue itself.

Participants in the roundtable noted that the lack of political commitment, ambiguities in the formulation of agreements, the absence of effective implementation mechanisms, and recurring crises on the ground have often transformed the dialogue from a process of normalization into a process of crisis management.

It was emphasized that future progress will depend not only on the commitment of Kosovo and Serbia, but also on the ability of international mediators to ensure greater implementation of existing agreements.

Participants assessed that the formation of new institutions in Kosovo and ongoing efforts to reactivate the process create opportunities for the resumption of substantive discussions. However, it was stressed that success should not be measured by the conclusion of new agreements, but by the concrete implementation of those already in place.

The report on the dialogue was published within the framework of the project “Supporting the EU Enlargement Through the Normalisation Process Between Serbia and Kosovo: Civil Society as a Driver of Progress,” supported by the Open Society Institute – Sofia Foundation (OSIS) through the Think Tanks for the Future of EU Enlargement Program (TFEP).

Read the full report here.

Članak Shadow Report on the Kosovo-Serbia Normalisation Process presented in Brussels se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.

The European Policy Centre (CEP), with the support of the Irish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hosted a panel discussion entitled “Serbia and the European Union: Geopolitics and Values – In Conflict or in Tandem?”, which took place on June 1, 2026 at the European House in Belgrade.

The event was dedicated to presenting the findings of a comprehensive research project on the attitudes of Serbian citizens toward the European Union at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty. The research was conducted by the Ninamedia agency on behalf of CEP, using the face-to-face interview method (TAPI), on a representative sample of 1,000 respondents across the territory of the Republic of Serbia, excluding Kosovo*. Data was collected between January 19 and February 2, 2026, with post-stratification controls applied for gender, age, education, settlement type, and region, as well as validity checks on 20% of the sample.

Building on the quantitative research and statistical modeling of factors influencing citizens’ support for Serbia’s EU membership, CEP researchers also conducted two focus groups that provided qualitative interpretation of the statistical findings.

The panel discussion addressed questions of key importance for understanding the current state of public opinion in Serbia: whether a social consensus exists on the country’s European path, how much citizens trust the EU as a partner, and to what extent their attitudes are driven by the perception of interests rather than values.

The panel featured the following speakers:

• H.E. Kevin Colgan, Ambassador of Ireland to the Republic of Serbia
• H.E. Andreas von Beckerath, Head of Delegation and EU Ambassador to Serbia
• Marko Todorović, Senior Researcher, Center for European Policies (CEP)
• Ana Milinković, Senior Researcher, Center for European Policies (CEP)
• Milena Mihajlović Denić, Program Director, Center for European Policies (CEP)

Find the research results here.

Find the livestream recording of the event here.

Članak European Policy Centre Hosted Panel Discussion on Serbian Citizens’ Attitudes Toward the EU se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.

Članak Second Plenary Session of the Intersectoral Working Group for Monitoring the Implementation of Reform Agenda of the Republic of Serbia (IWG) was held in Belgrade se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.

The training was led by CEP’s Lead Researcher, Marko Todorović, who presented the project methodology and codebook to research teams from the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) Montenegro and the Foreign Policy Initiative (FPI) Bosnia and Herzegovina. The session focused on the practical application of the methodology, including hands-on coding, standardised data collection, and ensuring consistent quality control across the three participating countries.

The RADAR project aims to provide a systematic and comparable overview of radicalising content on TikTok encountered by young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia. Rather than measuring the overall prevalence of extremist content, the research focuses on mapping narratives and trajectories that may contribute to the early stages of radicalisation among youth, using a structured analytical framework and protocol.

The training marks an important step in ensuring a harmonised research approach and high-quality data collection across the region.

The project “Radicalisation Analytics in Digital Algorithmic Realms (RADAR)” (December 2025 – November 2026) is funded by the Directorate General for Europe and International Trade Policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy.

Članak CEP organises RADAR methodology training for regional research teams se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.

The info-session will take place on 31 March 2026 at 12:00h via Zoom.

You can find the call and more info about the Small Grants Facility “Re-from for Growth” on the link. You can register for the info-session on the link.

Članak Info-session for the ”Re-form for Growth” Small Grant Facility se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.

The objective of this Call is to empower civil society organisations to provide independent monitoring, advocacy, and sector-specific perspectives on the implementation of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans (GPWB).

A total amount of EUR 314,620 is allocated to the SGF to support up to 20 grants, with an implementation period of 10 to 12 months per action. The financial framework for the grants is as follows:

• Maximum Grant Amount: EUR 16,000
• Indicative Average Grant: EUR 15,730

The indicative regional distribution is planned as follows:

In order to be eligible for a grant, the applicant must:

• Be a legal entity;
• Be non-profit making;
• Be a civil society organisation whose activities are implemented at national and/or local level (i.e. within one or more local self-government units);
• Demonstrate active engagement and relevant experience in one or more thematic areas relevant to this Call for Proposals, through its mandate, previous or ongoing activities, research, monitoring or advocacy work;
• Be registered in one of the following countries: North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, or Kosovo, at least six (6) months prior to the publication of this Call for Proposals;
• Be directly responsible for the preparation and management of the action, and not acting as an intermediary;
• Have sufficient operational and financial capacity to carry out the proposed action;

Not be a beneficiary of funding under the EU Civil Society Facility (CSF) and Media Programme (Reference No. EuropeAid/179703/DH/ACT/Multi) for the same implementation period of the proposed action.

Thematic Priorities of the CfP 

1. Integration with the EU Single Market;
2. Regional integration through the Common Regional Market;
3. Priority Areas of the Reform Agendas;
4. Implementation of the Reform and Growth Facility;

For more details about this call, please read carefully the GUIDELINES FOR APPLICANTS.

Submission and Deadline

Applications must be submitted electronically with the following completed documents:

• Annex 1: Application Form
• Annex 2: Project Budget (Excel)
• Annex 3: Summary of the Proposal in English

Submission Deadline: 06.05.2026 until 17:00h CET

Applications shall be sent to: 

reform-monitor@epi.org.mk; 

cc: angela.delevska@epi.org.mk 

with the subject: “CfP: Re-form for Growth – (Country)_Application”.

Application package

Information Sessions

Information sessions for interested applicants will be organised online (via Google Meet or Zoom) during the week of 25 March-1 April 2026. 

The sessions will be organised by the respective implementing partner in each country:

• North Macedonia – European Policy Institute (EPI), Skopje
• Serbia – European Policy Centre (CEP), Belgrade
• Montenegro – Institute Alternativa (IA), Podgorica
• Albania – Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM), Tirana
• Kosovo – Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS), Prishtina
• Bosnia and Herzegovina – Transparency International in Bosnia and Herzegovina (TI BiH)

The sessions will provide guidance on the thematic priorities, eligibility criteria, application requirements and evaluation process.

Detailed information on the exact dates, time slots and registration process will be published in due time on:  www.reform-monitor.org

If needed, further information can be obtained by sending the question to: reform-monitor@epi.org.mk; cc: angela.delevska@epi.org.mk, no later than 6 April 2026.

Članak Re-form for Growth: Small Grant Facility se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.

On Tuesday, 23 December 2025, in Podgorica, an Inter-Municipal Cooperation Agreement was signed to ensure joint access to the Unified System for Electronic Data Exchange (JSERP), enabling access to Montenegro’s state electronic data exchange service (Government Service Bus – GSB) through a shared access point. As electronic data exchange between public authorities is one of the key prerequisites for performing the responsibilities of local self-government units through information and communication technologies, the purpose of the Agreement is to provide access to municipalities that are currently unable to independently secure such access due to financial, human-resource, technical, or other constraints, in line with prescribed conditions and technical requirements. Under the Agreement, a joint platform for accessing the GSB is established and provided by the Capital City of Podgorica, which has the necessary resources and has already secured access in accordance with the required standards.

The Agreement was signed by 25 local self-government units, with the support of the Ministry of Public Administration and the UNOPS programme. Expert support for its preparation and implementation is provided by BELIT and the Centre for European Policy within the project “Digital Transformation of Local Self-Governments in Montenegro.” The text of the Agreement was drafted by Dušan Protić, Programme Manager for the Internal Market and Competitiveness at CEP. The next phase of the project will include activities to monitor and support implementation, provide model internal acts to local self-government units necessary for establishing e-government and delivering e-services, as well as other activities aimed at ensuring the digital transformation of municipalities in Montenegro in the near term.

Članak An Inter-Municipal Agreement on Joint Access to the GSB Signed in Montenegro with the Support of CEP se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.

The workshop was designed in several parts: an introductory lecture, followed by two interactive group works. During the first group work, the participants identified the biggest challenges facing the EU enlargement policy, the neighborhood policy and the European integration process of the candidate countries. The second group work was devoted to the formulation of specific recommendations, which the students presented through short presentations, emphasizing the importance of inclusive educational programs, greater involvement of institutions and a more active role of civil society in bringing the EU closer to citizens.

The participants showed a high level of pro-European orientation and expressed interest in political processes. Naturally, the discussions were permeated with current political events in Serbia, including student protests against corruption. This context did not limit the discussion, on the contrary, it contributed to the additional engagement of the participants and indicated that young people in Serbia see the European Union as a relevant political actor and an important reference point in thinking about the country’s future.

Članak Event “Laboratory of Ideas: Youth for the Future of Europe” was launched se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.

Representatives of state authorities of the Republic of Serbia presented an overview of reform steps with a deadline for implementation set for December 2025, along with an assessment of which steps can be completed by the end of the year and which will enter the grace period. The meeting did not address activities for which the Government of Serbia has already submitted funding requests, i.e., those it assessed as completed by June 2025.

Since the Government of Serbia has so far not published any reports on the implementation of the Reform Agenda, civil society representatives did not have access to concrete information on the implementation of the steps previously reported by the Government to the European Commission, while information on activities related to the new steps was presented only orally during the meeting. The NCEU representatives therefore insisted on the following:

• that preparatory materials be distributed to all Committee members before technical meetings are held, in order to enable quality and well-argumented participation and equality of all members, including the member representing civil society;
• that all reports submitted by state authorities to the European Commission as part of the funding requests also be submitted to the National Convention, for the purpose of carrying out its oversight and monitoring function.

Representatives of the NCEU explained that, without access to the complete set of data and reports submitted by the Government to the European Commission as the basis for drawing funds, it is not possible to ensure adequate monitoring of the implementation process of the Reform Agenda.

Representatives of the European Commission supported the reasonableness of these requests, while representatives of the Government stated that they would consider possible ways to fulfil them.

The National Convention recalls that transparency is the fundamental prerequisite for a credible, effective, and accountable process of implementing the Reform Agenda. Without timely access to information on the activities declared as completed, civil society cannot fulfil the role formally assigned to it, as an independent and constructive monitoring partner.

For more than a year, Serbia has been shaken by a political and social crisis whose resolution requires reducing mistrust between the authorities and citizens, while civil society should serve as a bridge. The first step in this regard must be a radical increase in the transparency of reform processes, beginning with civil society. Otherwise, both civil society and EU institutions risk further increasing citizens’ mistrust. It is crucial that the measures declared as fulfilled be based on verifiable data so that the citizens of Serbia can have full insight into the conditions under which EU funds are drawn and the manner in which the undertaken reform commitments are truly implemented.

In this context, NCEU representatives once again expressed concern during the meeting regarding instances where legislative initiatives launched within the implementation of the Reform Agenda were used to introduce additional amendments not described in that planning document, and which, according to NCEU analyses, may potentially undermine the achieved level of human rights, as well as institutional transparency and openness.

The delegation of the National Convention was led by Milena Mihajlović Denić from the European Policy Centre, a member of the Committee and coordinator of the NCEU Multisectoral Working Group for Monitoring the Implementation of the Reform Agenda of the Republic of Serbia. The Convention was also represented by the coordinators of the subgroups for thematic areas under the Reform Agenda: Mihailo Gajić (NALED) for the business environment and private sector development; Damir Dizdarević (BFPE) for green transition; Kristina Obrenović (Partners Serbia) for digital transformation; Nataša Vučković (FCD) for human capital; Zlata Đorđević (Transparency Serbia) for rule of law and fundamental rights; and Lazar Ivanović (CEVES) for monitoring the financial and budgetary implications of the Reform Agenda.

Članak Tripartite Meeting Held within the Intersectoral Working Group for Monitoring the Implementation of the Reform Agenda of the Republic of Serbia se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.

Within the scope of the EU Enlargement Forum 2025 Conference in Prague, organized by Europeum Institute, Dušan Protić participated at the table on the topic of EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034 in light of the next enlargement, where he presented the main findings of the latest CEP study “What does the Western Balkans cost me?” providing that overall cost of integrating the whole Western Balkans would be marginal relative to the EU’s total financial capacity.

Protić said: “EU can comfortably finance the Western Balkan enlargement within its existing fiscal capacity without raising member state contributions or significantly reducing current commitments, since the average cost of the membership of Western Balkans six would amount up to €5 per EU citizen per year. Bottom line is – Western Balkans annual price of EU membership per capita would be pretty much equivalent to a cup of espresso.”

This discussion attracted a lot of attention of the participants and the expectation that such exact data will additionally help in the argumentation of the request for the acceleration of the accession process of the entire region.

Članak Conference “EU Enlargement Forum 2025” was Held in Prague se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.