The continuation of communist-era totalitarian policies in the European Union the case of Bulgaria, the Macedonian minority and Macedonia’s EU integration

The main goal of this paper is to compare the relative technical efficiency of agriculture in Western Balkan countries to those of the European Union and to propose ways to improve the position of Western Balkan countries. The group of Western Balkan countries includes Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Albania, which are candidate countries for European Union membership, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is currently a potential candidate. An input-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis model with the variable return to scale was applied to an 11-year period from 2006 to 2016. Input variables used in the model included labour, land, and capital, and the output was presented as the value of agricultural production. The highest average technical efficiency was achieved by the EU15 countries for the entire eleven-year period, while the Western Balkan countries had the lowest score. The source of this inefficiency was identified in lower levels of agricultural performance, e.g. a lower-level use of the primary production factors – labour and land.

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The Lisbon Treaty and the Accession of Turkey to the European Union

Review of Business and Legal Sciences ◽

10.26537/rebules.v0i20.974 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 7

Author(s):

Luísa Verdelho Alves

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Adverse Outcome ◽

Lisbon Treaty ◽

The European Union ◽

Member States ◽

Eu Integration ◽

Current Member ◽

Treaty Reform ◽

Eu Treaty Reform ◽

The Eu

On December 13, 2007, the Member States of the European Union (EU) signed in Lisbon a treaty amending the founding Treaties of the EU. After a troubled ratification process, due to the adverse outcome of a national referendum in Ireland, the Lisbon Treaty finally entered into force on December 1, 2009, defining a new trajectory for the EU integration process. The present article addresses the possible implications of the recent EU treaty reform to the accession of Turkey to the EU. To that end, I propose an analysis of the modifications introduced in the institutional framework of the Union and I inquire whether the legal change at this level is capable of influencing the attitude of the current Member States concerning the accession of Turkey to the EU.

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EU Refugee Crisis: A Stumbling Block to the Process of European Integration?

Australian and New Zealand Journal of European Studies ◽

10.30722/anzjes.vol10.iss1.15189 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Dionysios Stivas

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

European Integration ◽

Refugee Crisis ◽

The European Union ◽

Member States ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Eu Integration ◽

The Future ◽

The Eu

Currently, the European Union (EU) is dealing with an unprecedented refugee crisis which has been blamed for bringing the process of the EU integration to an impasse. By applying theories of European (dis)integration, this paper assesses the extent to which the current refugee crisis constitutes an impediment to the future of the European Union. This paper’s analysis is constructed around two hypotheses: (1) the refugee crisis triggered Brexit and the failure of the EU’s relocation scheme, symptoms of the EU’s disintegration; (2) the refugee crisis has a dual potential: to simultaneously promote the deeper integration and the disintegration of the EU. To test these hypotheses, this paper examines if and how the refugee crisis is related to Brexit and whether the rebellious reaction of certain EU member states to the implementation of the EU relocation scheme is a sign of reversal in the process of EU integration.

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The EU Integration Process and its Role in the Albanian Sociopolitical Transformation

The Review of European Affairs ◽

10.51149/roea.1.2020.4 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 41-50

Author(s):

Juliana Gjinko

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Intermediate Phase ◽

Communist Country ◽

The European Union ◽

Integration Process ◽

Full Membership ◽

The Road ◽

Eu Integration ◽

The Impact ◽

The Eu

Nearly thirty years after the fall of communism in Albania, European integration has been the main driving force for change and the real catalyst for reform. Today, a vast majority of Albanians continue to be convinced that the only way to develop, modernize and guarantee security is a full integration into the European family. The problem is not simply the duration of such an intermediate phase between obtaining candidate status and a full membership of the European Union. In fact, Albanians themselves are increasingly aware that the road to full membership of the European Union will be long, and that it will require a series of major and profound changes in the country, especially in the areas of the rule of law and functioning of institutions, along with implementing various standards that a society must meet in order to achieve this goal. The aim of this paper is to analyze Albanian use and abuse of the EU integration process in internal political discourse, reforms and transformation. A number of documents, publications and public speeches are examined in order to evaluate the impact of integration in this small, developing, post-communist country.

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THE EUROPEAN UNION DISTINCTIVENESS: A CONCEPT OF THE RULE OF LAW

Diponegoro Law Review ◽

10.14710/dilrev.6.2.2021.157-171 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 157-171

Author(s):

Adnan Mahmutovic ◽

Helza Nova Lita

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Rule Of Law ◽

The European Union ◽

Government Officials ◽

The Rule Of Law ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Eu Integration ◽

Legal Principle ◽

The Subject ◽

The Eu

This paper discusses the distinctiveness of the European Union with focus on the Rule of Law and its importance for the EU integration process. Rule of Law is a notion that is very frequently used, but at the same time quite controversial as it is not so easy always to reach generally accepted meaning. Therefore, this paper provides a analysis of the EU Rule of Law as multidimensional legal principle gravitating between values and principles. The paper acknowledges that a concept of the EU rule of law can be the subject of diverse interpretations and implementation. High-ranking government officials of a two EU member states, Poland and Hungary, have argued recently that a concept of the EU rule of law lacks well-defined rules and remains the subject of much debate. Therefore, the paper provides for better understanding of the concept itself within the specific supranational legal environment. Also, the paper argues that the future of the EU and its integrations depends largely on the respect of the rule of law that remains to be a core and the element of unity within Europe’s legal space. The relationship between the principles and values upon which the EU is founded remain close and interrelated. The EU Rule of law with all its distinctiveness can be concluded with certainty that it reflects a specific character and nature of the EU legal system.

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Regions without borders? Regional governance, migration, and social protection in Africa and Europe

Regions & Cohesion ◽

10.3167/reco.2013.030301 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Bob Deacon ◽

Lorenzo Fioramonti ◽

Sonja Nita

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Social Protection ◽

Regional Governance ◽

Free Movement ◽

Social Rights ◽

The European Union ◽

Active Population ◽

Eu Integration ◽

Free Movement Of Workers ◽

The Eu

In many respects, Europe and Africa (particularly Southern Africa) represent two opposing examples in the study of intra-regional migration and social cohesion. The European Union (EU) has been a global pioneer in allowing freedom of movement and portability of social rights across member states. A centerpiece of the EU integration process has been the progressive establishment of a common market, in which goods, services, capital, and people can move freely. With regard to the la􀄴 er, the concept of free movement originally only targeted the economically active population (in other words, the free movement of workers) but was gradually extended by Treaty amendments to all citizens of the EU. This extension was further strengthened by the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992, which introduced the concept of citizenship in the European Union thereby establishing the fundamental and personal right to move and reside freely within the EU.

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Serbia on the way to the European Union

Nauka v sovremennom mire ◽

10.31618/2524-0935-2020-51-6-4 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

P. Beloval ◽

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Relationship Building ◽

The European Union ◽

Eu Integration ◽

The Relationship ◽

The Way

The article discusses the perspectives and possible consequences of Serbia’s EU integration. Much attention is given to the relationship building between Europe and Balkans. Finally, the paper explains the term “Privileged partnership” and deals with the migration issue

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A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE EU INTEGRATION PROCESS OF ALBANIA AND KOSOVO

Drustveni ogledi ◽

10.14706/doi21424 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Zerina Causevic ◽

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Levels Of Analysis ◽

The European Union ◽

Individual Level ◽

Eu Integration ◽

Policy Goals ◽

Foreign Policies ◽

The Individual ◽

Level Of Analysis ◽

The Eu

Having their populations add up to over 80% of Albanian ethnicity, Kosovo and Albania can be conceptualized as being closely intertwined namely when it comes to their foreign policies. This article will primarily focus on the foreign policies of Albania and Kosovo through the lens of their major foreign policy goals and their connections with the European Union. The path of the contemporary existence of Albania and Kosovo has been marked by various events such as the dissolution of Kosovo from Serbia. Their primary efforts include building and maintaining a democratic society that would enable the two countries to gradually flourish and establish closer ties with neighboring countries as well as Europe and the EU if successful. This research provides a comparison of the two foreign policies through a lateral method by also focusing on one of the three levels of analysis, the individual, state, and system. Within the individual level emphasis is laid on crucial individuals such as Rama, Pacolli, Cakaj, and Meta. This level of analysis and the outline of influential decisionmakers statements and actions can confirm the idea that the two countries of Kosovo and Albania can survive only in case of successful cooperation amongst each other as well as through Euro Atlantic integration namely with the European Union.

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EUROPEAN UNION STRATEGY FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM

SOCIETY AND SECURITY INSIGHTS ◽

10.14258/ssi(2020)2-10 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 158-168

Author(s):

Maria A. Starodubtseva ◽

Valery A. Mazurov ◽

Ekaterina A. Shushakova

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Terrorist Attack ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Intercultural Dialogue ◽

The European Union ◽

Security Cooperation ◽

Terrorist Threat ◽

Political Dynamics ◽

Eu Integration ◽

The Eu

The article analyzes the European Union counter-terrorism strategy. The authors give a brief outline of the formation of a system of supranational bodies of the EU. The absence of an integrated approach to the issue, the lack of narrow definitions of the terrorist threat is indicated. Given that, despite the fact that the EU’s attention is again (if not more) focused on the security aspect of terrorism (i.e. the fight against terrorism), and not on the myriad of other complex aspects that lead to it (i.e. the prevention of terrorism), the authors of the article conclude that the EU still does not fully understand the nature of terrorism. Its political dynamics are still driven by crisis situations, and the EU does not seem to want to deviate significantly in real terms from any of its previous strategies. In the authors' view, the EU’s approach to combating terrorism (politics, not rhetoric) will remain the same: focusing on security cooperation while promoting initiatives that create the impression that other areas, such as civic cooperation and intercultural dialogue, are not completely excluded . This will remain the main focus of the EU's anti-terrorism policy: with each terrorist attack (whether group or single), calls will be intensified to expand security cooperation in the context of EU integration and ensuring public safety. According to the authors, the development of a single concept will enhance the joint actions of states to destroy the terrorist threat.

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Serbia’s EU integration process: The momentum of 2008

Panoeconomicus ◽

10.2298/pan0901111r ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 56 (1) ◽

pp. 111-125 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Irena Ristic

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

International Crime ◽

Former Yugoslavia ◽

The European Union ◽

Integration Process ◽

Western Balkans ◽

Eu Integration ◽

Lasting Peace ◽

The Relationship ◽

The Eu

After four years of ambivalence, the relationship between the European Union and Serbia is again gaining a new opportunity to flourish. The new Serbian government is formed by parties which are strongly committed to Serbia?s EU integration and hence ready to carry out reforms and fully cooperate with the International Crime Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. This paper presents the current relationship between Brussels and Belgrade and its main obstacles. It emphasizes both internal and external problems of this relationship and their interdependency. In this regard the author argues that only by a mutual commitment of both Serbia and the EU lasting peace will be achieved in the Western Balkans and the region stabilized.

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