Policy Briefs

Curbing the executive bias in EU enlargement policy for a stronger democracy in the Western Balkans

08/11/2019/in Policy Briefs /by Milena Lazarević and Sena Marić

Almost two decades have passed since the countries of the Western Balkans (WB) began their way on the European integration process. From today’s perspective, however, the region’s prospects of achieving EU membership in the foreseeable future appear rather grim. This policy brief zooms precisely on this “executive bias” – the focus of the region’s EU […]

Effective benchmarking for concrete rule of law reforms in the Western Balkans

09/10/2019/in Policy Briefs /by Simonida Kacarska and Ardita Abazi Imeri

At the outset of a new political and institutional cycle of the EU, 2019 has been a year of many unknowns. For the countries of the Western Balkans, the direction of the future development of EU enlargement policy has been a key concern. During the mandate of the previous European Commission (EC) it has been […]

Proactive transparency and the right of access to information: Two sides of the same coin

14/01/2019/in Policy Briefs, Publications, Research analysis /by Think for Europe

Depending on the side initiating communication, there is a reactive transparency of the administration in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it is based on citizens requesting information pursuant to the Freedom of Access to Information Act, and the requested information is then granted to the citizens upon their request; and there is a proactive transparency, where […]

Preparing for accession negotiations in the Republic of Macedonia: What can we learn from WeBER monitoring?

14/01/2019/in Policy Briefs, Publications, Research analysis /by Simonida Kacarska

This policy brief reflects on the significance of the findings of the WeBER project for the preparation of the institutional structures and procedures for managing the EU accession negotiations in the Republic of Macedonia. The WeBER project monitored a selected number of principles through its own indicators in all areas of the Principles of Public Administration […]

Lack of government transparency in Serbia: Low accountability domestically and poor response to EU conditionality

14/01/2019/in Policy Briefs, Publications, Research analysis /by Milos Djindjic and Milena Lazarević

The Government of Serbia falls short of ensuring transparency of its work. By regularly publishing cherry-picked information from its sessions, access to all adopted decisions becomes hardly possible and the approach to provision of information unjustifiably selective. In addition, by irregularly reporting to the public on its performance, the Government reduces possibilities for public scrutiny […]

Coping with the EU decision-making: How are the Balkan countries preparing their policymaking systems for membership?

14/01/2019/in Policy Briefs, Publications, Research analysis /by Milena Lazarević and Corina Stratulat

High-quality standards in the development and coordination of public policy are always relevant in a domestic context but even more so in the framework of EU accession. Under the public administration reform (PAR) pillar of the European Union’s conditionality for the Balkans, the EU puts a strong emphasis on the improvement of the aspirants’ policy […]

Western Balkan PAR Monitor 2017/2018 – Executive Summary

03/12/2018/in Policy Briefs, Publications, Research analysis /by Anesa Omeragic

The PAR Monitor is the result of research undertaken over the past year by the Think for Europe Network, with the goal of providing a systematic civil society monitoring of public administration reforms (PAR) in the Western Balkans. This exercise was motivated by the need to strengthen domestic, bottom-up pressure from the civil society sector […]

Evidence-based and inclusive policymaking in the Western Balkans: What role for think tanks and other policy-orientated CSOs?

15/06/2018/in Policy Briefs, Publications, Research analysis /by Sena Maric and Strahinja Subotic

This Policy Brief is produced within the project Raising capacities and advocacy potential of CSOs of Visegrad Group and Western Balkans. The space for civil society contribution has been gradually shrinking across the Western Balkans, making it harder for civil society organisations to actively take part in the policymaking process in their home countries. This […]

Putting citizens first (?) Exploring public perceptions of administrative services in the Western Balkans

11/05/2018/in Policy Briefs, Publications, Research analysis /by Aleka Papa

Governments across the Western Balkans have made efforts towards improving service delivery; however, they are still unable to meet their citizens’ expectations of more accessible, transparent and responsive services. Part of the problem is that governments continue to typically design and offer services on the basis of their own requirements instead of taking into account the […]

Balkan enlargement and the politics of civic pressure: The case of the public administration reform sector

09/10/2017/in Policy Briefs, Publications, Research analysis /by Anesa Omeragic

One of the lessons learnt from previous enlargement waves is the need to complement the politics of conditionality – that is, Brussel’s traditional ‘carrot and stick approach’ – with the politics of pressure – whereby the governments in the Balkan countries are ‘squeezed’ between civil society demands and an uncompromising European Commission. In this Policy Brief, Milena Lazarevic and Corina […]

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