Policy Briefs-EN

In 2018, the European Commission launched the Digital Agenda for the Western Balkans, which supports the transition of the region into a digital economy and society, including higher economic growth, more employment opportunities, and better services. It focuses on lowering the cost of roaming, deploying broadband, building capacity in digital trust, and digitalising industries. The author of this Policy Brief explores the state of digitalisation in the Western Balkans, the role of the organisations involved in this transformation, and offers policy recommendations.

A vibrant civil society contributes to fulfilling the conditions for EU membership. That is why the European Union promotes citizen participation in social and political life in candidate and potential candidate countries, monitors their policies towards their civil society bodies, and provides financial support from the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance, and especially the Civil Society Facility. “Democratisation from below” empowers citizens to participate in the political process and encourages individuals to be informed, voice their opinions, and take part in decision-making. The authors of this Policy Brief explore this concept as a bottom-up approach to democracy, emphasising the active role of citizens and civil society organisations in promoting and sustaining democratic values. Moreover, they provide specific examples from Serbia, showcasing the power of individual actions and initiatives to bring about positive change.

The Western Balkan region is facing a double transition: first, changing from centralised state-controlled systems to open and competitive markets, and second, moving towards decarbonisation. Both transitions are in line with the Green Agenda of the EU and are important pillars of its Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans. In this context, the author of this Policy Brief, analyses the consequences of dependent capitalism on the environment. Moreover, this Policy Brief questions the concept of environmental democracy in the Western Balkans and discusses how the enlargement process affects the consideration of environmental issues in public policies.

The European integration process and EU accession represent a turning point in Romanian emigration. Between 2001 and 2016, Romania’s emigrant population increased from 1.3 million to 3.6 million, or even 4 million. Almost 20% of the people born in Romania no longer live in the country but predominantly in Italy, Germany, and Spain. Emigrants leave Romania for shorter or longer periods of time in order to obtain better wages or to study. They send back remittances, and when they return, they bring new skills and attitudes. If Romania wants potential emigrants to remain and perhaps migrants to return, then it must become a more welcoming and inclusive country, conclude the authors of this Policy Brief. The authors analyse both the positive and negative consequences of migration, shift the focus to the future impact, and recommend that authorities, academia, and think-tanks work harder to better understand the new diaspora.

Visa-free travel for Kosovo will start on 1 January 2024. The fact that Kosovars will be able to travel freely in the EU is not only a major benefit for the citizens of both sides but is also very important when advocating for youth empowerment in Kosovo. Over half of Kosovo’s population is under 30, whereas the current key indicators relating to human capital development are very low, with education outcomes being the most concerning. In order to give young people the tools to thrive, targeted interventions in the education system are urgently needed, as education is a key factor in individual empowerment. Against this background, the author of this Policy Brief discusses youth empowerment by addressing the main challenges in education and includes short-term as well as long-term policy recommendations for nurturing civic participation and building a progressive society that will lead Kosovo into the 21st century.

The Sustainable Development Goals are an ambitious benchmark that the United Nations has adopted to scientifically assess the advancement made by single countries in sustainable growth. The European Union fully embraces these objectives and is recently anchoring to these international standards many of its plans on sustainability and development. Indeed, even though the Copenhagen criteria do not explicitly mention environmental goals, the political dialogue on the Sustainable Development Goals between Brussels and all the EU candidate countries today is vibrant but not much investigated. The authors of this Policy Brief aim to shed a light on the relationship between Sustainable Development Goals and the EU policy of enlargement, focusing the attention on the Western Balkan region, and provide policy recommendations to both European and national decision-makers.

The European Union’s enlargement policy towards the Western Balkans aims at promoting democratic reforms, good governance and economic transformation to support the countries in fulfilling the Copenhagen Criteria, as precondition for a future EU membership. This policy reflects the democratic values that are fundamental for the functioning and cohesion of the EU as a political system. The author of this Policy Brief claims that the social dimension of the enlargement policy should be strengthened, and a credible enlargement perspective should be ensured to improve the overall social and economic development outlook in the region. The socio-economic policy of the EU member states towards the Western Balkans is not long-term oriented, the author argues and proposes policy shifts to make it more sustainable.