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Policy Briefs

Global shifts – a chance for Europe! Reflections on a future strategy for Europe in the world

Fundamental systemic challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, digitalisation, demographic change, and most importantly global warming are pushing Europe to seek a more genuine European path and to explore new ways in a non-linear fashion. This requires action on local, regional and national but also on EU level with a potential uniting effect. The Russia-Ukraine war, and Europe’s decisive and united front towards Russia is a good illustration how quickly long-held positions can change and increase unity towards joint action. This needs to be translated into a long-term and systemic approach. Moreover, the author explores some ideas how to go beyond the linear to better prepare for future disruptions, such as climate change and formulates policy recommendations how to develop innovative socio-economic, environmental and political answers while strengthening Europe’s resilience.

Das Europäische Jahr der Jugend: A little less talk, a little more action!

Die Maßnahmen zur Bekämpfung der COVID-19-Pandemie verlangen insbesondere jungen Menschen viel ab, weshalb die Europäische Union das Jahr 2022 zum Europäischen Jahr der Jugend erklärt hat. Ein wesentliches Ziel ist es, Jugendliche und ihre Prioritäten EU-weit in die politische Entscheidungsfindung einzubeziehen, indem sie sich u. a. aktiv in die Debatten zur Zukunft Europas einbringen und damit auch federführend an der Gestaltung ihrer eigenen Zukunft beteiligen. Neben den Folgen der Corona-Krise oder des Klimawandels werden auch die sicherheitspolitischen Entwicklungen und Auswirkungen des russischen Krieges gegen die Ukraine ihr Leben und ihre Perspektiven spürbar beeinflussen. Vor diesem Hintergrund diskutieren die AutorInnen des Policy Briefs weshalb das Europäische Jahr der Jugend umso dringender konkrete Ergebnisse liefern sollte, analysieren aktuelle Umfragedaten zum Meinungsbild Österreichs Jugendlicher zur Zukunft der EU und formulieren Handlungsempfehlungen wie die europäische Glaubwürdigkeit gestärkt, die politische Partizipation und das Engagement von jungen Menschen nachhaltig gefördert werden könnte.

Does Rational Economic Policy Require a Stability and Growth Pact?

The European Commission has initiated the NextGenerationEU recovery package which for the first time enables the joint European financing of the necessary COVID-19 response. This objective has been accompanied by the temporary suspension of the Stability and Growth Pact that could be extended for a longer time due to the war in Ukraine. Irrespective of that the European Commission re-launched a review on economic governance after COVID-19 with the purpose to renew the debate on the macroeconomic framework of the EU, already communicated in 2020, but now with an emphasis on the lessons learned from COVID-19. The European Commission asked stakeholders and the general public for inputs into this debate, with a deadline for answers by 31 December 2022, structured into 11 questions. This re-evaluation should initiate a new framework for economic policy-making. Taking up this call, the author of this Policy Brief discusses the role of the Stability and Growth Pact, its “defensive“ focus on preventing budgetary spill-overs from deficit countries against a forward-looking joint euro area policy agenda, its focus on individual countries as opposed to a focus on the total EU/euro area economy and formulates policy recommendations.

Rule of Law in Bosnia and Herzegovina – the Transformation of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council

For many years the level of public trust in the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been consistently low with the independence of judges and prosecutors further diminishing. Therefore, it is no surprise that in its Analytical Reports the European Commission concludes that the judiciary in the country is barely at an early stage of its preparation for the integration into the European Union. In their Policy Brief the authors argue in favour of financial and personal independence of the judiciary, reintroducing ethics and integrity and avoiding an over-concentration of institutional power.

Is there hope for Kosovo’s rule of law system? Three immediate actions needed

Starting just after the war and for more than 20 years now, Kosovo has had international community as the strongest provider of support to strengthen the rule of law. Even though many reforms were undertaken, the country still faces persistent problems. As stated in many international reports, especially in the Kosovo Country Reports delivered by the European Commission over years, the current state of rule of law in Kosovo affects the country’s democratic and economic development, the approximation with the European Union and overall consolidation of the state. Thus, robust actions that are targeted to amend Kosovo’s fragile judiciary system are needed immediately argues the author of this Policy Brief and provides policy recommendations that are some of the many needed measures to be implemented for strengthening the rule of law sector by reforming its functioning and administration.

Building a constituency for rule of law. Lessons from the Romanian anti-corruption drive

Romania’s experience is that of the most intensive push for rule of law and anti-corruption among new European Union (EU) members, given that the country joined in 2007 before it had met EU conditionality. The outcome has been a mixed bag of short-term successes and long-term frustration. Alongside Bulgaria, Romania is one of only two countries to have become EU members and still be subjected to an ongoing monitoring mechanism on justice and the rule of law. The author of this Policy Brief argues that a few important principles of action can be extracted which have universal applicability and also discusses lessons that can be taken for the Western Balkans and the EU based on the Romanian experience.

Returning to a “new normal”: revising the EU fiscal rulebook

The response of the European Union to the COVID-19 pandemic has been impressively swift and comprehensive. Creating the Recovery and Resilience Facility and establishing a coherent framework for its implementation has involved constructive, as well as intense policy dialogues between the European Commission and EU member states. This bodes well for the debate about the reform of the EU`s fiscal rules. The French EU presidency and the newly formed German coalition government could now provide additional momentum to the debate. Against this background, the author of this Policy Brief argues that the reform needs to address the key challenges of simultaneously reducing high public debt, while ensuring major investments in green transition, digital transformation and simplifying the fiscal rulebook.

Considering EU enlargement through the prism of security cooperation

For the next six months France holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. One of the top priorities on its agenda will be to strive towards a more sovereign Europe. A Europe which is ready to act in the field of security and defence, to reform the Schengen area and to engage with its neighbours, particularly in the Western Balkans and with Africa. The French Presidency will organise a conference on the Western Balkans in June and supports cooperation projects to guarantee stability and security in the region. The authors of this Policy Brief analyse already existing relationships with the Western Balkan countries in the area of security and formulate policy recommendations.

Lessons learned from the justice reform in Albania

Judiciary and rule of law, more specifically, is a core element for the EU accession negotiations . In the case of Albania, the enlargement instruments have been primarily focused on the justice reform, therefore, it gives the opportunity to go beyond the simply adoption of the acquis communautaire and of the capacity building approach (i.e. the formal establishment of new structures and institutions). This Policy Brief aims to draw some lessons from the implementation of the justice reform in Albania, which also allows to build a coherent body of knowledge that will assist to better plan, implement, monitor and maintain a sustainable institutional reform dynamic all over the Western Balkans region.