COVID-19 crisis is an opportunity to enhance EU – Western Balkans relations

The beginning of this year promised to reset the sluggish dynamics of the EU-Western Balkans relationship, following the EU’s endorsement of a revised accession framework. However, the pandemic has shifted the focus to other topics, like solidarity and economic recovery. What impact will developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic have on the EU accession process of the region? What are the EU’s expectations from the region in the following period? We will address these questions in this podcast episode with our Chairman of the Governing Board and BIEPAG member, Srđan Majstorović.

EU, Western Balkans and COVID-19: Preventing EU’s cold from causing a bad fever in the region

The COVID-19 pandemic has stopped the whole world, in one way or another. How is Brussels, the "capital of the European Union", coping with the crisis? How are think tanks, educational institutions and NGOs in Europe struggling with it and how is it affecting their work? Does the EU have time to pay attention to its Western Balkan neighbours now, or is it preoccupied with its own problems? And - to what extent do events in Europe affect the Balkans, whether we like it or not? To discuss these topics, we have invited Nenad Šebek, journalist and CSO's and media consultant and Dušan Reljić, Head of the Brussels Brussels office of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP Berlin). Find more about SWP here: www.swp-berlin.org/en/

Keeping a physical distance, yet keeping the region close

The ongoing #COVID19 pandemic can be observed as a case study for the global, European, and regional solidarity and cooperation - or, the lack of thereof. Which side outweighs? When it comes to the Western Balkans, how this crisis influenced the already fragile relationships between countries? Can we hope that we will get out of this crisis smarter? To discuss this and other related topics, we reached Majlinda Bregu, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)and former member of the Albanian Parliament and Minister of European Integration in the Albanian Government. RCC serves regional cooperation and European and Euro-Atlantic integration of South East Europe in order to spark development in the region to the benefit of its people. Find out more about their work here: www.rcc.int.

Kako sprečiti krah srpske privrede usled globalne krize izazvane pandemijom koronavirusa

Veliki napor je uložen u borbu protiv pandemije COVID-19, poznatog kao novi koronavirus, kako bi se sačuvali životi i izbegao „italijanski” scenario, koji se ogleda u kolapsu zdravstvenog sistema usled preopterećenja ogromnim brojem životno ugroženih pacijenata u kratkom periodu. Uvedene su nezapamćene mere ograničenja kretanja i društvenih kontakta, zabranjen je ili ograničen rad velikom broju, naročito malih, biznisa. Nažalost, smrtonosno dejstvo virusa snažno se oseća i u srpskoj ekonomiji, a naročito u privatnom sektoru. Kako bi se sprečili potpuni krah privrede i gubitak ogromnog broja radnih mesta, potrebna je hitna i odlučna akcija države: svojevrsni „finansijski kontraudar” na koronu. O merama koje treba preduzeti razgovaraju saradnik CEP-a, koordinator Radne grupe Nacionalnog konventa o Evropskoj uniji za vođenje pregovora o pristupanju Srbije EU za Pregovaračko poglavlje 4 – Sloboda kretanja kapitala i Pregovaračko poglavlje 9 – Finansijske usluge, Marko Obradović, i Nenad Šebek, novinar i konsultant civilnog društva i medija. Tekst Marka Obradovića o predloženim merama možete pronaći ovde: cep.org.rs/blogs/houston-we-have-a-problem/

To boycott or not to boycott, that is the question now

A quest for reconciliation and media freedoms in the Western Balkans

Away with the enlargement bogeyman: Reforming the EU Enlargement Policy for a prompter acceptance of the Western Balkans

Ms Milena Lazarević, CEP's Programme Director, is joined by Dušan Pjevović, CEP's External Associate.

Obstacles to EU enlargement: the Dutch perspective

The 2019 EU Election results: Challenging the Status Quo?

Reachable Values as the Fundamental Uniting Factor of European Integration

Sonja Licht, President of Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence and Milan Antonijević, Executive Director of Open Society Foundations Serbia, are joined by Dušan Pjevović, Researcher at CEP.