The Staged Accession Model, an initiative jointly devised by CEP and the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) from Brussels, has emerged as a focal point for discussions regarding the future of EU enlargement policy. Initially introduced in October 2021, the Model underwent substantial enhancements in August 2023, bolstered by support from the Open Society Foundation (OSF), which facilitated the production of 14 issue papers, serving as the foundation to develop Template 2.0 for Staged Accession Model.

This project aims to maximise the impact of Template 2.0 and inform the enlargement-related decisions of the December 2023 and March 2024 European Council summits, and ahead of the upcoming elections for the European Parliament. The enlargement goal has become even more important since the beginning of Russian aggression against Ukraine, which has further emphasised the need for the EU to admit the Western Balkans and strengthen its geopolitical influence in the region.

The project enables CEP to conduct advocacy missions to EU member states, strategically timed before and after the European Council meeting held in December 2023, which is crucial as the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, also a form of gradual integration, was adopted at the meeting. The missions encompass a wide spectrum of activities, both one-on-one and group meetings with key representatives from mid- to high-level positions within pertinent ministries, specifically those responsible for foreign and European affairs. Furthermore, apart from the foreign ministries, CEP also targets representatives from legislative bodies and civil society organisations to build as wide a consensus as possible. Each mission and even individual meetings follow tailor-made agendas according to the unique concerns of the member states involved. It is also important to note that CEP has leveraged a robust and well-connected network of contacts within the member states slated for visitation to ensure that each visit yields maximum impact and effectiveness in advancing CEP’s advocacy objectives.

Due to the unanimous decision-making required for any enlargement policy decision, the project covers a broad range of EU member states as part of the advocacy campaign. It includes traditionally influential member states in enlargement policy and those perceived to have a disproportionately significant impact relative to their size. Careful consideration is given to avoid duplicating efforts in countries where CEP had already established thorough contacts through alternative channels. Finally, the list of the visited countries includes:

• Belgium
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• Germany
• Greece
• Ireland
• Italy
• Luxembourg
• the Netherlands
• Poland
• Portugal
• Spain
• Sweden

Contact person: Ljubica Kovačević, Project Manager (ljubica.kovacevic@cep.org.rs)

Članak Building a Consensus on the Initiative for Staged Accession to the EU se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.

Against this background, and taking into account CEP’s organisational strategy 2021-2030, CEP’s
Strategic plan for Good Governance sets out as its overall goal to further strengthen involvement of civil society in implementation and monitoring of and advocacy for good governance policies in the area of PAR and economic governance, in line with EU policies. This overall objective is supported by two specific objectives (SOs): 1. To support civil society’s analyses, implementation and monitoring of policies aimed at enhancing PAR and economic governance in Serbia; and 2. To foster civil society’s engagement and evidence-based advocacy among the key stakeholders for PAR and economic governance in Serbia. This will accordingly further boost CS capacities to provide evidence-based policy inputs and recommendations and participate in policy dialogue with authorities at national and local level.

CEP’s Annual Work Programme for 2023 (operating grant), in the framework of CEP’s Strategic plan for Good Governance, is funded by the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia, within the Civil Society Facility Programme 2021 – 2023.

Publications published within the Operating grant:

Public consultations VS Consultations (SRB)

Portal eConsultations: New instrument, Unused Opportunities (SRB)

Economic Reform Programme (ERP) 2024 – 2026: Old reforms in a new vesture (SRB)

Events held within the Operating grant:

Consultations of Public Administration and Civil Society on Proposals for Structural Reforms for the new ERP cycle 2024-26 (SRB)

Discussion on Transparency and Inclusiveness of Policy and Regulation Creation and WeBER 3.0 National Working Group meeting (SRB)

Članak Operating grant – CEP’s Annual Work Programme 2023, in the framework of CEP’s Strategic plan for Good Governance se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.

WeBER 3.0 will continue to feature the crucial role of civil society in building healthy democracies through empowering CSOs to become reliable partner to governments in the EU accession process. By ensuring continuity in assessment of the progress of the reforms carried out by local civil society actors, WeBER 3.0 and its cornerstone product, the Western Balkan PAR Monitor, will continue to guide the governments in the region towards successful EU accession and membership. CSOs equipped with evidence and knowledge take up central place in the region’s EU path and ensure that the governments do not exercise reform processes to only qualify for the EU membership, but to improve the citizens’ lives.

The project will also contribute to overall regional cooperation by facilitating the CSOs-government dialogue at regional, national and local level, relying on the established WeBER Platform, which will be further enhanced by including the business community representatives.

The main international partners during the WeBER 3.0 will remain SIGMA/OECD and Regional School for Public Administration (ReSPA). Also, the main institutions (ministries/offices) in charge of coordination of PAR in each country will continue to perform the role of the project associates in the third phase of the initiative as well.

The overall objective of the WeBER 3.0 is to to further empower CSOs to contribute to more transparent, open, accountable, citizen-centric, and thus more EU-compliant administrations in the WB region.

The implementation of the third phase of the WeBER initiative is, as has been the case with the previous two (WeBER 2015 – 2018 & WeBER 2.0 2019 – 2023), principally funded by the European Union.

Find more information on www.par-monitor.org

Članak WeBER 3.0 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.

The working groups whose work is coordinated by CEP are:

• Working group for Negotiation Chapter 1 (Free movement of goods)
• Working group for Negotiation Chapter 3 (Right of establishment and freedom to provide services)
• Working group for Negotiation chapters 4 and 9 (Free Movement of Capital and Financial services)
• Working group for Negotiating Chapter 8 (Competition)
• Working group for Negotiation Chapter 28 (Consumer protection and health protection)

Članak Coordination of Working groups within the National Convention se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.

To achieve this objective, the project produces comprehensive regional and national PAR monitor reports for the years 2021 and 2022. These reports are based on evidence and analysis generated by CSOs and provide valuable insights into the progress and challenges related to public administration reform across the Western Balkans region. The findings of these reports are widely disseminated and promoted, not only within the Western Balkans but also among EU stakeholders, and they enhance the visibility and impact of CSO-led monitoring and analysis efforts. Furthermore, the project fosters collaborative partnerships between CSOs and PAR authorities (ministries/offices) in the target countries through the convening of meetings under the WeBER Platform and National PAR Working Groups. These platforms serve as crucial forums for constructive dialogue, allowing CSOs and government representatives to exchange ideas, share experiences, and jointly address priority issues concerning public administration reform.

Such engagements facilitate a more inclusive and participatory approach to the reform process, leading to better-informed policy decisions and more effective implementation. The importance of capacity-building for CSOs was recognised, and the project undertook a thorough assessment of training needs, priority PAR issues, and concerns expressed by CSOs. This assessment will be conducted through National PAR Working Groups and an online consultation tool, ensuring a participatory and representative approach to identify the most relevant areas for capacity development. Based on the findings, tailored training programs will be developed in collaboration with SIGMA/OECD and ReSPA, designed to equip CSOs with the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to actively contribute to the PAR process.

Ultimately, this project will be seeking to strengthen civil society’s role as an influential and informed actor in shaping public administration reform in the Western Balkans. By providing CSOs with evidence-based tools, facilitating meaningful dialogue with PAR authorities, and fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders, the project aims to catalyze positive change, improve governance, and contribute to the region’s progress on the path to EU accession.

Članak WeBER Plus se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.

Članak Quality Infrastructure, Competitiveness Development Factors – Preparatory Activities for Improving the Strategic and Legislative Framework se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.

Serbia faces a serious emigration problem and needs to address it strategically. Global Competitiveness Index in 2018–19 ranked Serbia at 134th place out of the 137 countries included in the assessment in terms of its ability to retain its talent or prevent ‘brain drain’. Many sectors in Serbia are affected by the increased emigration trend of qualified workers such as nurses, doctors, drivers etc. Better working conditions and perspectives for career development offered in the developed countries, especially the EU, are the most common pull factors. According to a report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)8, about 60% of the roughly 415,000 Serbian citizens who left between 2007 and 2016 went to Germany. Challenges of regional development have become rather severe due to uneven population decline in different regions. Depopulated regions are usually at the same time low-income rural or post-industrial areas. Such structural reasons in combination with inert local self-governments and disempowered CSOs are all preventive factors against circular migration.

In different fields, CSOs in Serbia face multiple challenges in an attempt to monitor and participate in the ongoing reform and EU integration processes. These challenges are pervasive and stretch in time beyond microhistory related to the current political preconditions. However, the deterioration in the past decade remains a worrisome problem. Through the transformation of the local/regional CSOs into Regional Centres of Excellence for Circular migration (ReCeEx), this project enabled CSOs participation in a constructive policy reform dialogue and development of evidence-based policy options and recommendations on circular migration through which it directly assisted the government in fulfilling the related policy goals and objectives. It was done so through an extensive process of building capacities of CSOs to understand the policy environment and advocate for improvements of the circular migration policy. It will also raise awareness of government stakeholders on different decision-making levels and the general public on the importance of the inclusive evidence-based policy dialogue and CSO involvement in this field.

Products published within the project:

Migratory flows: The State’s Response (SRB)

Mythbusters

Circular and return migrations: experiences of Estonia, Bulgaria and Ireland

Circular and return migration: What can Serbia learn from EU countries’ experiences?

Circular Migration: Does Serbia Have a Solution?

What do Circular and Return Migrants advise? (SRB)

Recommendations for improving the circular migration management process

Circular migration: Concept and Example of Serbia, Manual for Circular Migration (SRB)

Assessment of the quality of support for circular migrants in Serbia (SRB)

Events held within the project:

Citizen consultation training for Regional Centres of Excellence – ReCeEx

Who’s leaving Serbia and who is coming back: breakfast with journalists

Citizen consultations were held in Kraljevo, Niš and Sombor

In pursuit of youth and talent: Circular migration in Serbia

Strengthening Advocacy capacities of the Regional Centers of Excellence (SRB)

Podcast episodes recorded within the project, you can listen here.

Članak Circular Migration before Depopulation! se pojavljuje prvo na European Policy Centre.