The European Fund for the Balkans in cooperation with the Foreign Policy Forum from Zagreb will organize the presentation of the latest Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group policy brief “Bouncing back: Completing the EU unification process” (Authors: Zoran Nechev, Srdjan Majstorović, Jovana Marović, Donika Emini, Gjergji Vurmo, Nedim Hogić) and a discussion on the current state of play of the process of EU Integration of the countries from the Western Balkans.
The policy event is scheduled for July 7th at 11.30 and it will take place at the Journalist’s Association in Zagreb, Croatia.
Recent developments in the case of the six Western Balkan countries accession to the European Union seems to be a case of one step forward and two steps back – or to use a soccer metaphor, the goal posts are always moving. The lack of concrete progress and clear recognition of progress made is beginning to have an effect not only on political elites, but also on the public. With other global players on Europe’s doorstep looking to make their own gains in the region, the EU needs a convincing path for the WB6 to enter the Union.
Therefore, the central focus of the discussion will be on the observations and recommendations presented in the new BiEPAG’s policy brief that tackles the stalemate of the accession to the EU of the Western Balkans as a whole offering concrete steps of how to move it forward.
Intro: Aleksandra Tomanic, Executive Director of the European Fund for the Balkans)
Moderator: Dejan Jovic, Co-founder and Chairman of the Board of the Foreign Policy Forum / Professor at the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Zagreb / BiEPAG Member
Speakers:
Senada Selo Sabic, Co-founder of Foreign Policy Forum / Senior Research Fellow at Institute for Development and International Relations, Croatia)
Zoran Necev, BiEPAG Member / Head of the Center for EU Integration, Institute for Democracy ‘Societas Civilis’, Skopje / BiEPAG Member)
Florian Bieber, BiEPAG Coordinator / Professor of Southeast European History and Politics and Director of the Centre for Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz
