Description:

Members of the Research Forum  focus on the diverse issues that are significant to an efficient and qualitative implementation of complex and comprehensive process of european integration. They concentrate on the following problems: the need to create capable institutional and administrative capacities in the (pre-) admission period and the use of all available resources. This entails improving the amount of qualified human resources on the national, regional and local levels of government; overcoming inefficient or nonexistent horizontal and vertical coordination between ministries and the various levels of government and developing inter-sectoral cooperation. It also works on strategic analyses of the effects EU integration might have and charts the development of internal EU policy/institutions.

Publications:

The future of Europe – a view

Author: Vladimir Pavicevic in collaboration with students of the Belgrade Open School and Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade

Belgrade, May 2012

This text is a polemical contribution to the ongoing public debate about the changes occurring on the European continent and in the European Union. It promotes and advocates a deepening of the process of European integration. Standing apart from orthodox interpretations and predictions about the collapse of the EU, the authors argue in favour of creating a truly federal structure that would strengthen the European Union.

The Study is avilable in English

Civil society in the process of European integration – from a constructive dialogue to successful negotiations

Authors: Maja Bobic and Relja Bozic

Belgrade, Oktober 2012

Six months after receiving official candidate status for membership in the European Union, the Republic of Serbia is waiting to hear what date actual negotiations will begin. Bearing in mind the orientation and capacity of the government, which is the sole official negotiating party, it is necessary to highlight the importance of including civil society in the aforementioned process. This paper analyses both the course and structure of negotiations and the various opportunities for involving non-state actors, especially civil society organisations (CSOs). The latter can namely provide assistance in creating a comprehensive and consensus-based negotiating framework for the government of the Republic of Serbia. Additionally this article includes a comparative study of negotiations from the Croatian and Montenegrin perspective, where the process has respectively finished and begun. The evidence thereof allows sketching out areas in which CSOs can improve the negotiating process by advancing a transparent and inclusive approach. Finally the authors provide some recommendations on how to legally involve CSO representatives in the preparation and conduct of negotiations with the EU.

The study is avilable in English

Start of negotioation on Serbian’s memberships in the European Union 

Author: Natasa Dragojlovic

Format: Fact sheet

Belgrade, February 2014

The European Council decided to open accession negotiations with Serbia on the 28th of June 2013 with the first Intergovernmental Conference to be held not later than January of 2014. Negotiations on Serbia’s membership in the European Union (EU) on the political level formally began on the 21th of January 2014 in Brussels with the first Intergovernmental Conference on the accession of Serbia to the EU. The Conference was an opportunity to share common views between representatives of the EU and Serbia, to present the EU Negotiating Framework and the Serbian negotiating team, and propose a calendar of meetings as part of the screening process prior to substantive negotiations, as well as calendar of following meetings of the Intergovernmental Conference on negotiating chapters that will be opened. 

The Fact sheet is avilable only in Serbian

European Parliament Election 2014

Author: Aleksandar Avramovic

Format: Fact sheet

Belgrade, June 2014

European Parliament Elections took place between the 22nd and 25th of May 2014. These are the eighth elections for European Parliament (EP) since 1979, and the first once including Republic of Croatia. Unlike the previous composition of the EP, which just before the elections counted 766), the new composition has 751 MPs that will represent 503.7 million citizens of the European Union (EU) in the forthcoming mandate. EU voter turnout was 43.09% of the total number of voters, which represents a slight increase compared to the previous EP elections, when the turnout was 43%. The European People’s Party (EEP) won the most votes getting 221 seats, followed by the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats with 190 seats. None of the political groups were close to the number of 376 seats needed to form a majority in the EP.

The Fact sheet is avilable only in Serbian

Italian Presidency of the Council of the EU

Author: Jelena Ribac and Aleksandar Bogdanovic

Format: Fact sheet

Belgrade, Jul 2014

Italy holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1st of July to 31th of December 2014. Italy took over the presidency of the Council of the European Union from Greece and thus a new period of “Troika” led EU has begun. The new Troika” is composed of Italy, Latvia and Luxembourg and always of three EU member states which define and direct the agenda of the EU within a period of 18 months, providing unhindered functioning and continuity in dealing with certain issues. Presidency of the Council of the EU is at the same time an opportunity for Member States to highlight issues of importance to their national or regional interest. This is the 12th Italian presidency of the Council of the EU.

The Fact sheet is avilable only in Serbian