The project is led by the European Policy Centre (CEP), in partnership with Foreign Policy Initiative (FPI B&H) and the Centre for Civic Education (CCE). RADAR is supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Italian MFA).

RADAR’s overall objective is to contribute to the prevention of extremism, violent behaviour, and democratic backsliding by strengthening youth resilience to digital radicalisation. To achieve this, the project combines two complementary research components:

1. Systematic TikTok content analysis which will include mapping the presence, formats, and algorithmic dissemination patterns of harmful narratives, and,
2. Video-elicited youth focus groups examining how young audiences perceive, emotionally process, and potentially internalise such content.

This mixed-method approach enables comparable insights across the three countries, capturing both the “supply side” and “demand side” of extremist communication.

Findings will be synthesised into three national narrative reports and a transnational policy brief, alongside practical prevention-oriented guidance for institutions and civil society. The project will also produce youth-facing outputs (e.g., infographics, podcasts, blog posts) and organise a transnational webinar, including an Italian think tank perspective, to support dialogue and uptake of recommendations.

Duration: 1 December 2025 – 30 November 2026.

Contact: Jovana Knezevic Jovanovic, Senior Project Manager, jovana.knezevic@cep.org.rs

Članak Radicalisation Analytics in Digital Algorithmic Realms – RADAR se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.

Corruption is a persistent and deeply rooted issue in all Western Balkan (WB) countries, demanding comprehensive solutions supported by strong political will, international pressure, and active involvement from civil society organizations (CSOs). The EU has recognized anti-corruption as a key priority for all candidate countries and has introduced several mechanisms to track progress and improve governance. These include annual country reports, rule of law assessments, and the New Growth Plan. As the EU expands its financial engagement in the region, ensuring robust oversight and accountability becomes increasingly vital.

The project aims to support the Western Balkan’s (WB) EU integration process by contributing to their fight against corruption, in light of the enlargement reprioritization. As part of the project, a team of researchers will develop three key issue papers on: 1) Enhancing the Role of EU Investigative Agencies such as OLAF and EPPO in the WB; 2) Lex Specialis and International Treaties as Instruments for Avoiding Transparent Public Procurement in the WB; 3) Comparative Analysis of Anti-corruption Measures in the Reform Agendas of WB countries. Additionally, this project ensured regional ownership and EU ownership over the anti-corruption proposals through cooperation and involvement of regional and Italian experts and their significant contribution. The project activities focus on advocacy and dissemination of key findings, messages and recommendations provided in the aforementioned policy products.

The project’s expected impact is to strengthen the fight against corruption in the Western Balkans, which is essential for advancing their EU integration process. Additionally, the project will assist the EU in improving financial oversight and accountability, particularly in managing EU pre-accession funds. In the long term, the project aims to raise awareness among policymakers, civil society, and the general public about the benefits of stronger anti-corruption mechanisms. This heightened awareness will foster greater political commitment to anti-corruption reforms. Ultimately, the project is expected to contribute to a more transparent and accountable governance structure in the WB, bringing these countries closer to EU membership. Finally, the project will also empower think tanks by fostering collaboration between the Western Balkans and Italy, creating vital connections on the critical and sensitive issue of anti-corruption.

Contact person: Strahinja Subotić, Programme Manager and Senior Researcher, strahinja.subotic@cep.org.rs

Članak Fighting Corruption in the Western Balkans as part of the EU’s Enlargement Reprioritisation se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.

From December 2022 until August 2023, European Policy Centre (CEP – Belgrade) implemented a project called “Supporting the EU integration process of Western Balkan countries by enabling better tracking of reforms in the area of functioning of democratic institutions”.

The European Commission’s (EC) annual reports on the state of play of reforms in negotiating chapters for all candidates and potential candidates are one of the main sources for evaluating these countries’ commitment to the EU integration process. As such, these reports are the basis for the Council’s decision to open clusters or close chapters. Yet, in practice, there is an increasingly evident rift between these two EU institutions. In fact, the acquired feedback from member states clearly showcases a notable level of mistrust when it comes to EC’s approach to monitoring and assessment. Similarly, CSOs from the region have also actively called for the EC’s findings to become more precise and to the point, that is, to become objective, accurate, impartial, and comparable.

The project aimed to support the EU integration process of the Western Balkan (WB) countries by enabling better tracking of reforms in the area of the functioning of democratic institutions. A team of researchers will map and analyse key elements of the European Commission’s (EC) reports on six Western Balkan countries in the sub-area of the functioning of democratic institutions. CEP’s innovative approach entailed: 1. development of a comparative policy product on improving the consistency of the EC’s assessments in the area of functioning of democratic institutions, 2. creation of methodology for quantified assessment of the existing level of preparedness in the aforementioned area; 3. Implementation of the methodology which will result in clear assessments for the countries in question. Additionally, this project ensured regional ownership over the new approach through cooperation and involvement of regional experts and their significant contribution. The project activities focused on advocacy and dissemination of key findings, messages and recommendations provided in the aforementioned policy products.

Contact person: Branko Birač, Project Manager (branko.birac@cep.org.rs)

Products published within the project:

Functioning of democratic institutions: Identifying Inconsistencies in the 2022 European Commission’s Annual Reports for WB6

Using Third-Party Indicators for Quantifying the Functioning of Democratic Institutions in the WB

The Commission’s Assessment of the Functioning of Democratic Institutions: Adding the Missing Puzzle Pieces

Quantifying the Functioning of Democratic Institutions: Developing a Reliable Model for the Western Balkans

Deepening and Expanding the Scope of the Commission’s Reporting of Developments in the “Functioning of Democratic Institutions” in WB6

Identifying Inconsistencies in the 2022 European Commission’s Annual Reports for WB6

Events held within the project:

Webinar: Discussing the 2023 Enlargement Package and the Functioning of Democratic Institutions in the Western Balkans

Video podcast episode recorded within the project please find here.

Članak <strong>Supporting the EU integration process of Western Balkan countries by enabling better tracking of reforms in the area of functioning of democratic institutions</strong> se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.