scholarly journals Corruption in the Balkans as an Obstacle to the Three-Seas-Initiative Overview of Anti-Corruption Institutions in Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Romania and Slovenia

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-86
Author(s):  
Paweł Zawadzki ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Current Status ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Balkans ◽  
The Republic ◽  
European Standards ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Institutional Model ◽  
State Of Affairs ◽  
Sphere Of Influence ◽  
High Level

The aim of this article is to show the high level of corruption offences and the ineffectiveness of the existing legal and institutional solutions in the Balkan states, which are part of the Three-Seas initiative. The effectiveness of the regulations in force in these countries deviates from the standards set by the European Union. This has implications for the success of the Three-Seas-Initiative. The current state of affairs is the result of clashing ideas about the membership of Balkan countries in a particular sphere of influence. The services of the Russian Federation (GRU or SWR) play a significant role in maintaining the current status quo. Observation of corruption offences in the Balkans shows that the bodies set up to investigate corruption offences do not have effective powers to prevent, detect and prosecute such offences. An evaluation of the regulations in force in this area shows that they are ineffective. A solution which would ensure that the Balkans meet European standards on preventing and combating corruption could be theimplementation of the institutional model of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau in force in the Republic of Poland by reforming the Balkan anti-corruption services.

ON THE POST-SOCIALIST PATH OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS AND THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

2021 ◽  
pp. 269-289
Author(s):  
Anna Dyrina ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Bilateral Trade ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Federal States ◽  
The Balkans ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Trading Partners ◽  
The Republic ◽  
State Of Affairs ◽  
The Eu

The article examines the current state of affairs in Belarus and Serbia - two countries that previously were parts of the socialist federal states, but currently belong to the regions of Eastern Europe and the Balkans/South-Eastern Europe, respectively. The first part of the article is devoted to Belarusian-Serbian relations. Political cooperation is developing at the presidential, governmental and parliamentary levels, and interaction is also carried out at the level of various departments, regions and cities. For Serbia, the support from Belarus on the international scene is important, in particular, in the issue of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia. The second part of the article is devoted to Serbia’s relations with the EU and the countries of the Adriatic Euroregion. On December 22, 2009 Serbia applied for EU membership. Despite the significant progress in the negotiations, Serbia has not yet become one of the EU member states. The third part of the article analyzes relations between Belarus and its neighbors, as well as cooperation with the EU. The European Union is the second most important market for Belarusian exports (after Russia). The main trading partners of Belarus among European countries, based on the indicators of bilateral trade in 2019, are Germany, Poland, Great Britain, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, Latvia, France, Belgium, and the Czech Republic. The article concludes on the state and prospects of Belarusian-Serbian relations, cooperation of Belarus and Serbia with the EU and neighboring countries, and gives a description of the political systems and foreign policy of Belarus and Serbia.

EVOLUTION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN POST-SOVIET COUNTRIES. THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 99-118
Author(s):  
IRINA SENNIKOVA ◽  
◽  
ELINA DUBINSKA ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
State Building ◽  
The European Union ◽  
State Institutions ◽  
Municipal Administration ◽  
Administrative Reforms ◽  
The Republic ◽  
European Standards ◽  
High Level

The article studies the issues of state formation of the Republic of Latvia after gaining independence. The authors note that Latvia has retained the features of the normative legal regulation of the period of its independence as it was in 1918 and until the country became a part of the USSR. Today, as a member of the European Union, Latvia is oriented towards modern European standards of state-building. The ongoing administrative reforms are aimed at observing the rights and freedoms of citizens, achieving openness and sustainable development, and introducing digital technologies into state and municipal administration. The authors also note the low involvement of citizens in the processes of state and municipal administration, while municipal authorities maintain a fairly high level of trust among citizens. Analysis and optimization of processes, elimination of duplication of actions among state institutions, as well as reduction of the administrative burden have become an important part of the work of public administration. Also, according to the plan for reforming public administration, the quality and availability of public services for the population are constantly improving.

scholarly journals Due Diligence Driving the Success of Mergers and Acquisitions in Macedonia

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Dushica Stevchevska Srbinoska
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Mergers And Acquisitions ◽  
Due Diligence ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Republic Of Macedonia ◽  
Communications Industry ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Set Up

The act of due diligence is of vital importance when considering the possibility to enter the Macedonian market through merger and/or acquisition transactions. In this paper, I discuss that due diligence helps reduce potential risks or even results with curtailing the transaction as most of the Letters of intent never come to life. Many Macedonian entities, both public and private, operate in an environment considerably different to the European Union economies, a fact that inspires many questions with potential investors, especially in those who come from the European Union. If proper preparation takes place, and the expectations and processes are duly taken into account, successful merger and/or acquisition can be conducted in the Republic of Macedonia in spite of facing numerous difficulties.  Finally, I discuss that several suggestions/factors can maximize the chances of success, demonstrated with the example of due diligence process set-up prior to the one.Vip merger that marked the Macedonian communications industry in 2015.

Transforming the Moldovan Prosecution Service: Can the Eyes of the State Become the Voice of the People?

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 491-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Pearson
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Legal Institutions ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Reform Initiatives ◽  
Republic Of Moldova ◽  
The People ◽  
Political Interference ◽  
The Republic ◽  
European Standards ◽  
The Voice

The Republic of Moldova yearns for the embrace of the European Union. But before this can happen, Moldova must first transform its legal institutions to approximate European standards. This article focuses on one of Moldova’s most powerful legal institutions, the Office of the Prosecutor General. It asks whether this office can be transformed from a militarized relic of the Soviet past to a modern prosecution service. Many daunting challenges will have to be overcome, including the spectre of political interference; an overly broad mandate; deep seated public mistrust; the corruption entrenched in Moldova’s legal institutions; and the absence of cross-sector justice reform initiatives.

scholarly journals THE RESURGENCE OF NATIONALISM: THE BREAKUP OF YUGOSLAVIA

2020 ◽  
pp. 39-42
Author(s):  
Sergey Asaturov ◽  
Andrei Martynov
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Nation Building ◽  
The United States ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Balkans ◽  
Balkan Wars ◽  
Nation States ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Balkan States ◽  
The Eu

The choice between modern nation-building and integration into supranational European and Euro-Atlantic structures remains a strategic challenge for the Balkan countries. Success in solving this problem of predominantly mono-ethnic Croatia and Slovenia has not yet become a model to follow. Serbian and Albanian national issues cannot be resolved. Serbia's defeat in the Balkan wars of 1991–1999 over the creation of a "Greater Serbia" led to the country's territorial fragmentation. Two Albanian national states emerged in the Balkans. Attempts to create a union of Kosovo and Albania could turn the region into a whirlpool of ultra-nationalist contradictions. The European Union has started accession negotiations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Northern Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro. The success of these negotiations depends on the readiness of the EU and the ability of these Balkan states to adopt European norms and rules. The accession of all Balkan nation-states to the European Union must finally close the "Balkan window" of the vulnerability of the united Europe. Nation-building in the Balkans on the basis of ethnic nationalism sharply contradicts the purpose and current values of the European integration process. For more than three decades, the EU has been pursuing a policy of human rights, the rule of law, democracy and economic development in the Balkans. The region remains vulnerable to the influences of non-European geopolitical powers: the United States, Russia, Turkey, and China. The further scenario of the great Balkan geopolitical game mainly depends on the pro-European national consolidation of the Balkan peoples and the effectiveness of the European Union's strategy in the Balkans.

scholarly journals The Republic of North Macedonia - A 'new' country in the Western Balkans

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 87-107
Author(s):  
Mira Šorović
Keyword(s):  
The European Union ◽  
Western Balkans ◽  
Regional Politics ◽  
European Continent ◽  
The Balkans ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
The North ◽  
Short Period ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Real Picture

Abstract The article tries to explain and define political processes and changes trhough history of the 'new' Western Balkans country - the Republic of North Macedonia. It is word about analysis of the political dispute between Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Greece, from its biginnings until the present day. This paper will try to give the real picture of political area in the Balkans and explore deeper roots of the 'Macedonian Question' controversy. Also, it will give the explinations of the resolution of 27-year dispute, (between the two neighbor countries), by signing the Prespa Agreement. Hence, leaving by side national identity and history, the North Macedonia will be able to join the European Union and NATO. Thus, in short period of time, a 'new' country in the Western Balkans has putted in the center of the regional politics, with clear purpose: promoting ethnic and cultural heritance in the edge of the European continent.

Indicators for measuring Europeanisation ad extra in the EU civilian mission in Bosnia and Hercegovina from 2003-2012

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 87-107
Author(s):  
Luiza Wojnicz
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Balkans ◽  
European Standards ◽  
The Eu

This paper presents a quantitative and qualitative measurement of the components of Europeanisation ad extra in the EU civilian mission in Bosnia and Hercegovina from 2003-2012. The study aims to show that Europeanisation ad extra affects third countries to a certain extent and it is thus a form of exporting the European organisational, normative, and axiological model. The exploration relates to a completed civil mission. For the needs of this study, the Author generated two basic indicators; one quantitative and one qualitative, and used them as tools for synthesising and categorising the studied area, based on the assumption that, in this way, it will be possible to measure the intensity of the Europeanisation process in the external trajectory (ad extra). The analysis of the quantitative and qualitative indices shows the number of activities in the area of security carried out in the framework of the civilian missions in question. As evidenced by these indicators, the export of European norms, values, solutions, and practices is more likely to succeed for the Balkans than for other continents where EU civilian missions are deployed. Measurement of the Europeanisation ad extra, taking the example of Bosnia and Hercegovina, proves that in its expeditionary policy, the European Union has a significant impact on third countries through transferring European standards in various areas of security such as social or axiological.

scholarly journals The 23rd Language: Official EU Status for Irish as Portrayed in the Republic of Ireland's English-Language Press

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-183
Author(s):  
Antony Hoyte-West
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Official Language ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Unique Case ◽  
Limited Success ◽  
British Rule ◽  
The Republic ◽  
State Of Affairs ◽  
The Eu

Irish became the 23rd official language of the European Union (EU) in 2007. Due to a lack of qualified translators and interpreters, it is currently subject to a derogation which restricts its use in the EU institutions, a situation which aims to be remedied by 2022. Yet the Irish language represents a unique case even within the Republic of Ireland itself. Under British rule, centuries of repression confined its usage to the rural fringes of society, a state of affairs that an independent Ireland has attempted to improve with limited success. This article analyses how recognition of official EU status for Irish has been depicted in the Republic of Ireland’s English-language print media. By performing a qualitative content analysis of the online archives of the country’s three major English-language newspapers, the aim is to illustrate how official EU status for Irish has been portrayed, paying specific attention to political, cultural and economic factors.

scholarly journals Heroin Smuggling in Serbia

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 78-85
Author(s):  
Nenad Radović
Keyword(s):  
Adult Population ◽  
Criminal Activity ◽  
Illegal Drug ◽  
Illegal Drugs ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Heroin Users ◽  
The Balkans ◽  
Other Substances ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Criminal Groups

[full article, abstract in English; abstract in Lithuanian] Drug trafficking is a very lucrative criminal activity, with a growing number of organized criminal groups from the Balkans. According to Europol’s report, about 5000 organized criminal groups are active in the European Union.2 According to the results of the National survey on the lifestyles of the citizens in the Republic of Serbia in 2014, the use of psychoactive substances and games of chance and illegal drug use at least once during a lifetime was recorded at 8.0% of the total population aged 18 to 64 (10.8% of males and 5.2% of females), with greater prevalence (12.8%) in the younger adult population aged 18 to 34. The number of heroin users who inject drugs in Serbia is between 10 000 and 25 000. The main estimated number is 20 000 heroin users who inject drugs, i.e., 0.4% of the population aged 15 to 64. Based on the analysis of data on drug-related deaths, it can be noted that there has been a decline in the number of deaths in the past five years, and most of these cases are related to opiates. In the territory of the Republic of Serbia, the production of heroin has not been recorded, and that gives trafficking a greater primacy, which is supported by the fact that high quality heroin is further trafficked in the form of a base that is mixed with other substances (paracetamol, caffeine, sugar etc.). In this way, such a high degree of purity of heroin allows the members of criminal groups to increase the quantity of narcotics by mixing substances suitable for this and, in that way, achieve greater profits. The most commonly used illegal drug among the adult population is cannabis (marijuana and hashish), and the use of the mentioned drugs has been recorded at least once during a lifetime in 7.7% of subjects aged 18 to 64 (10.4% of men and 4.9% of women). The use of other illegal drugs is very rare; 1.6% of questioned individuals (2.5% of the population aged 18 to 34) have used other illegal drugs.

scholarly journals ABOUT SOME SOCIAL AND HEALTH PROBLEMS OF PERSONS, SEEKING INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION ON THE TERRITORY OF REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 408-413
Author(s):  
Hristina Milcheva ◽  
Albena Andonova ◽  
Mariya Dimova
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
European Countries ◽  
The European Union ◽  
International Protection ◽  
The People ◽  
Military Conflicts ◽  
The Republic ◽  
European Standards

The influx of migrants to European countries, including the Republic of Bulgaria, is constantly increasing from regions experiencing military conflicts and countries that are economically undeveloped. At present, the Republic of Bulgaria is regarded by asylum seekers as a transit state on their route to the economically developed European countries. The people seeking asylum in the European Union have different sociocultural, ethnical, religious, and health cultures. These differences make their adaptation to their new environment difficult and the situation creates economic, social, and health problems for the accepting countries. The enforcement of uniform European standards and laws for social and health integration of migrants facilitates the process and protects the local people from infectious diseases and social-economic problems. The analysis of documents of the European Union, from international and Bulgarian organizations, shows policies have been developed to guarantee the rights of individuals, seeking protection. A major issue for the successful adaptation of migrants is their unwillingness to observe the laws and regulations of the countries where they settle.

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