scholarly journals The EU Stabilisation and Association Agreement for the Western Balkans: Between Challenges and Opportunities

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (81) ◽  
pp. 51-68
Author(s):  
Gazmend Qorraj ◽  
Gezim Jusufi
Keyword(s):  
The European Union ◽  
Western Balkans ◽  
Technical Standards ◽  
Association Agreement ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Quality Of Products ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Local Firms

Abstract The role of the European Union (EU) trade liberalisation with the four Western Balkan countres — namely Kosovo, Montenegro, Albania, and Macedonia — is overestimated, as major benefits could be expected mainly from institutional reforms rather than trade creation and economic perspective due to low economic development and a lack of comparative advantages in these countries1. The core issue to be addressed in this article is whether these firms can exploit the opportunities arising from the EU integration process. The aim of this article is to confirm the hypothesis that the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) and trade agreements in the Western Balkans are not sufficient pre-conditions for successful performance and increase of exports by local firms; the main focus should be on the internal performance of firms. The paper analyses and compares the data collected by surveys conducted with local firms in Kosovo in order to measure the impact of the SAA. Finally, the article suggests that in the short and medium run the SAA could support and improve the quality of products, technical standards, and firm competitiveness as a pre-condition for better access to the EU market in the long run.

scholarly journals FDI determinants in Europe and Chinese influence

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-37
Author(s):  
Alena Dorakh
Keyword(s):  
Trade Costs ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Western Balkans ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Eu Membership ◽  
Vertical Fdi ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

Despite recent concerns about the increasing influence of outside investors on the European Union (EU) and Western Balkans, the developed European countries are still a dominant source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the region, confirming the benefits of EU membership. At the same time, fast-growing connectivity and lower trade costs in accession and neighboring countries determine the FDI growth from China, particularly via the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). By applying panel data over 2000-2019 for 34 countries, which form 89% of all European FDI, we first examine FDI patterns around Europe, compare the EU, NMS, and Western Balkans; verify the importance of EU membership for FDI, caused reducing trade costs and improving connectivity. Thus, the new EU member states (NMS) and Western Balkans appear both as a home country and as a pre- entry destination to the EU. Then, we calculate trade costs indices for each selected country and partners over time and find that Europe and China are closely interconnected through trade and FDI. It means that stronger ties with China can be realized for the sample countries at the cost of easing relations with the EU. Finally, incorporating trade costs indices into the FDI model; we evaluate the impact of connectivity on FDI and estimate how BRI affected FDI in Europe. Additionally, we validate that the old framework of horizontal and vertical FDI not representative well and even new complex vertical or export-oriented FDI strategies are shifting today.

scholarly journals Mirroring transitional justice. Construction and impact of European Union ICTY-conditionality

Südosteuropa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Niké Wentholt
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Restorative Justice ◽  
Transitional Justice ◽  
International Criminal Tribunal ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Western Balkans ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
War Experiences ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

AbstractThe European Union (EU) developed a state-building strategy for the aspiring member states in the Western Balkans. Demanding full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the EU made transitional justice part of the accession demands. Scholars have recently criticized the EU’s limited focus on retributive justice as opposed to restorative justice. This paper goes beyond such impact-orientated analyses by asking why the EU engaged with retributive transitional justice in the first place. The EU constructed ICTY-conditionality by mirroring its own post-Second World War experiences to the envisioned post-conflict trajectory of the Western Balkans. The EU therefore expected the court to contribute to reconciliation, democratization and the rule of law. Using Serbia as a case study, this article examines the conditionality’s context, specificities and discursive claims. Finally, it relates these findings to the agenda of a promising regional initiative prioritizing restorative justice (RECOM) and sheds new light on the impact of ICTY-conditionality on transitional justice in the Western Balkans.

The Impact of the Court of Justice of the European Union on the Georgian Legal System

2020 ◽  
pp. 241-262
Author(s):  
Gaga Gabrichidze
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Legal System ◽  
Competition Policy ◽  
Case Law ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Association Agreement ◽  
Court Of Justice ◽  
System P ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

This chapter scrutinizes perception of the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) by the Georgian courts and the Georgian Competition Agency. With the conclusion of the Association Agreement between the EU and Georgia in 2014, the Georgian legal system undoubtedly became more closely connected with EU law. Hence, approximation commitments under the Association Agreement made the case law of the CJEU of much more relevance for the Georgian courts and administrative authorities. However, in the wake of intensification of EU–Georgia relations, the impact of CJEU case law can be identified even in the time before conclusion of the Association Agreement. Analysis shows that several factors play a role with regard to the extent and frequency of mentioning CJEU case law in the decisions of the Georgian courts and Competition Agency. Judges refer to case law of the CJEU with the aim of either strengthening their own arguments or using it as a source of interpretation. Taking into consideration the ‘European’ roots of Georgia’s competition policy, the Competition Agency regards the case law of the CJEU as having a very important interpretative value for closing ‘gaps’ in the law.

Expanding European Integration towards the Western Balkans in Times of Crises: A Neo-Functionalist Examination

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 75-98
Author(s):  
Özer Binici
Keyword(s):  
Eu Enlargement ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Political ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Western Balkans ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Association Agreement ◽  
Eu Foreign Policy ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
The Eu

This article examines the political practices of the European Union (EU) in the Western Balkans and, in particular, the EU-Kosovo relations by adopting the revisited neo-functionalism approach to the study of EU enlargement. This research draws on the descriptive and explanatory assumptions of the approach; it not only explains the development of the EU enlargement perspective towards the region but also explores the main dynamics behind the EU’s strategy towards the region, beginning from the outbreak of the Yugoslavia War and the reflections associated with the development of the EU foreign policy realm. More specifically, the research focuses on the dynamics underlying the process of the development of Stabilization and Association Agreement with Kosovo. In the conclusion, future research directions and limitations of the revisited neo-functionalism are discussed.

scholarly journals Adaptation of European employment policy to the Ukrainian economy realities

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (9) ◽  
pp. 27-30
Author(s):  
H. I. Bashnianyn ◽  
T. I. Horodyskyy ◽  
Ya. S. Lapchuk
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Employment Policy ◽  
Important Place ◽  
Long Run ◽  
European Experience ◽  
State Employment ◽  
Scientific Results ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

The article deals with the current state of unemployment in Ukraine. Comparison of the unemployment rates with the European countries is conducted. The employment policy in the European Union (EU) was analyzed. The analysis and generalization of features of labour market in countries of the EU are conducted. The scientific results and tasks for further research were outlined. The actual problems of the current development of the labour market in Ukraine and countries of the EU are revealed. The main purpose of the paper is to explore the theoretical aspects of the formation of employment system and to consider the European experience of employment systems regulation in selected countries. The study revealed that in today's conditions of development of the national economy the labour market occupies an important place. One of the most important tasks of any state is defined to be the regulation of the labour market. At the present stage, the problems of the labour market become the most urgent in countries of the EU. This is due to a change in the structure of the pan-European labour market, as well as to the globalization of the world economy. The study found that overcoming unemployment and increasing employment are the main tasks of the EU. The main drivers, motivations and consequences of undeclared work in the EU are identified. The impact of the European employment strategy was studied. Regulation of EU main programs and initiatives that concern the lowering of unemployment, the main aim of which is improving of the education and employability of people was examined. Based on the analysis of the relevant European experience, challenges have been identified that should be taken into account when developing the state employment policy of Ukraine in the medium and long run periods. The recommendations regarding the borrowing of Ukraine's positive experience of the EU towards the employment policy are provided. Analysis of the labour market in the EU and Ukraine showed that the European integration of Ukraine opens the possibility for sustainable economic development. Borrowing of foreign experience will allow Ukraine to create conditions for more efficient functioning of the system of employment. The practical value of the research presented in the article is in identification of promising directions for increasing the efficiency of employment policy in Ukraine on the basis of the experience of member countries of the EU.

The Impact of the Court of Justice of the European Union on Jordan

2020 ◽  
pp. 305-319
Author(s):  
Abdullah Nawafleh
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Court System ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Legal Basis ◽  
Association Agreement ◽  
External Impact ◽  
Judicial Training ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

Jordan and the EU have developed a strong relationship on several levels. This relationship has been strengthened by the signing of the Association Agreement which forms the legal basis of the relations between the EU and Jordan. Further, the Agreement established a mechanism for cooperation to harmonize legislation between the EU and Jordan. The EU has supported Jordan to enhance the effectiveness and independence of the judiciary, including judicial training and the modernization of Jordan’s court system. This chapter examines the external impact of the CJEU on Jordan judges. The research shows that despite the strong relationship between the EU and Jordan, CJEU decisions have not been cited or influenced Jordanian judges’ decisions.

Talk the talk, or walk the walk? Changing narratives in Europeanization research

Südosteuropa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timofey Agarin ◽  
Gözde Yilmaz
Keyword(s):  
The European Union ◽  
Eastern Enlargement ◽  
Western Balkans ◽  
Transformative Power ◽  
The Past ◽  
Points Of Interest ◽  
Eu Candidate Countries ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Scholarly Attention ◽  
The Eu

AbstractOver the past two decades, there has been a growing interest in Europeanization, both within and beyond the European Union (EU). The impact of Eastern enlargement in 2004 on candidate and neighbourhood countries has attracted scholarly attention, and a consensus currently exists on the success of the EU’s transformative power through the employment of a conditionality mechanism. However, the limits of EU conditionality upon candidate countries and neighbourhood Europeanization, in addition to the problems experienced by the EU itself, have brought into question whether the end of Europeanization research is in sight. Considering this, we critically evaluate the issues discussed in the scholarship on Europeanization and review several points of interest in relation to EU candidate countries in the Western Balkans as well as Turkey.

scholarly journals The European Integration Challenges of Ukraine

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (513) ◽  
pp. 14-21
Author(s):  
O. V. Kuklin ◽  
◽  
R. F. Pustoviit ◽  
M. Y. Kryvoruchko ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Foreign Trade ◽  
European Integration ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Association Agreement ◽  
Trade Relations ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

The article is concerned with an analysis of Ukraine’s European integration challenges, which are considered from the position of the effectiveness of foreign trade, as well as in light of the institutional challenges of the European integration course. According to the results of research, both the dynamics and the structure of Ukraine’s foreign trade relations with the EU Member States, the CIS and Asia countries are analyzed. It is defined that the focus on the European Union market prevented domestic exporters from reaching the pre-crisis levels of 2013. The resource nature of the national exports to the EU is underlined. The high level of interdependence in the sphere of foreign trade relations with former partners of Ukraine in the CIS – the Russian Federation and Belarus, especially in the field of imports of fuel and energy resources, and export of nuclear reactors, boilers, machines, railway locomotives, products of inorganic chemistry, is emphasized. It is determined that Ukraine’s implementation of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement is at a low level of 43%. The authors characterize the main tendencies in Europe as to the quality of life of the population on the basis of two indicators - the proportion of households that barely make ends meet (Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Cyprus, Portugal, Romania), and have unsatisfactory living conditions (Cyprus, Latvia, Hungary, Portugal, Slovenia) - the values of which are much higher compared to the average level in the EU. The general conclusion on the ambiguity of the issue of the effectiveness of the national economy’s orientedness toward the market of the European Union has been drawn. The need to take into account the multi-vector nature of the modern globalized world in the process of researching the impact of European integration on the economic development of Ukraine is reasoned.

scholarly journals ECONOMIC INTEGRATION OF UKRAINE WITH THE EU IN TECHNICAL STANDARDS REGULATION AREA

2017 ◽  
pp. 111-120
Author(s):  
O. Shnyrkov
Keyword(s):  
Structural Changes ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Technical Standards ◽  
Association Agreement ◽  
Mutual Trade ◽  
European Single Market ◽  
Trade War ◽  
Regulatory Convergence ◽  
The Eu

The structural reforms in Ukraine are taking place under extraordinary and unprecedented for international economy circumstances. The annexation of Crimea, the war in Donbas region, the loss of important economical potential, human causalities, lack of territorial integrity guaranties from other countries formed a new system of challenges not only for our country but for the whole world in total. Under the external aggression and trade war with Russia the Association Agreement with the European Union should become the main and effective Ukraine’s economical structural changes mechanism. The economical part of Association Agreement with the EU and the deep free trade agreement are characterized as liberalization of mutual trade and regulatory convergence especially including the technical standards regulation field. Modern liberalization in mutual trade between Ukraine and EU has low tariff protection of the EU market for Ukrainian goods and doesn’t not affect the common volume of trade. That is why the technical barriers remains the main obstacles in Ukrainian goods export to the European single market.

Cyprus and the European Union

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stelios Stavridis ◽  
Charalambos Tsardanidis
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Customs Union ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Eu Accession ◽  
Association Agreement ◽  
The North ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Republic Of Cyprus ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

The Republic of Cyprus (or Cyprus) joined the European Union (EU) in May 2004 and adopted the single currency (the euro) in 2008. This article consists of three parts: it begins with a historical contextualization, explaining the reasons for Cyprus’ application for an Association Agreement with the (then) European Economic Community (EEC), and also examining the latter´s reaction and policy towards the 1974 Turkish invasion following a failed coup d´état against the Makarios Presidency that has led to a divided island since then (Part 1). In brief, what is known as the “Cyprus Problem.” This part also looks at the evolution of the Association Agreement during the period since 1975 which ended with the conclusion of a customs union Agreement between Cyprus and the European Community in 1987. The article next turns to an analysis of the Republic of Cyprus´ EU accession negotiations process (Part 2). It also covers the impact (or lack thereof) of various reunification plans, and most notably what is seen as the culmination of such efforts in the so-called 2002–2004 Annan Plans. The following section presents an assessment of how Cyprus has fared as a member state since it joined the EU (Part 3). It covers several key questions regarding the EU–Cyprus relationship. Whereas this article is not about the Cyprus problem itself, but as will be made clear throughout this study, it remains the dominant issue for the island. Others issues encompass EU relations with the Turkish-Cypriot community, the question of Turkey´s EU accession, the impact of the economic crisis of 2013, as well as energy security considerations following the discovery of gas in the region. The study concludes that being in the EU offers better perspectives for the Republic of Cyprus than if it had been kept outside it. If only because as the Accession Treaty makes it clear: it is the whole island that has joined the EU albeit the acquis communautaire cannot apply to the north, occupied, part of the Island following the invasion by Turkey. But all Cypriots are EU citizens. Yet, to a large extent, the experience of Cyprus prior to and after EU membership also reflects the kind of specific problems that a “small state” is facing in its international relations.

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