InTER presented Policy Brief in Brussels within the TRAIN Program 2013

Within the TRAIN Program (Think Tanks providing Research and Advice through Interaction and Networking) implemented by the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP - Deutsche Gessellschaft für Auswärtige Politik), InTER’s researcher, Jelena Šapić, presented the Policy Brief “Dialogue-induced Developments on the Ground: Analysis on implementation of the EU-facilitated agreements on freedom of movement and trade between Kosovo and Serbia”. Policy Brief was developed in cooperation with the Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS) from Priština. Presentation of results and recommendations was carried out within the working visit to Brussels on November 11-14, 2013.

Results were presented to DG Enlargement and the European Parliament. After the opening note from Mr Lawrence Meredith – Head of Unit Strategy and Policy in DG Enlargement, individual meetings were organized with the officials from the European Commission. Jelena had an opportunity to talk to Bruno Zanettin (Policy Officer in Serbia Unit), Nicholas Cendrowicz (Policy Officer in Kosovo Unit), and Goda Zubré (intern in the Serbia Unit). Subject of the analysis proved to be interesting and relevant. They discussed about results of the implementation of the agreement on freedom of movement, customs and IBM, as well as proposed recommendations. The discussion was finished with a positive promise that results of the Policy Brief will be used in future work in the field of integration and stabilisation.

Participants also visited the European Parliament. They met with the officials from the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament and the Working Group on Western Balkans within the Parliament. The meeting was chaired by Mr Eduard Kukan, and participants also included special reporters for Western Balkans countries.

Apart from presentation of the Policy Brief, participants of this year’s TRAIN Programme had an opportunity to talk to a representative of the European Council and analysis about the future EU enlargement and the necessary reform in the Western Balkans countries. Similar topic was also the focus of discussion conducted during the visit to the Montenegrin mission in the EU. On that occasion, the Ambassador of Montenegro, Ivan Leković, pointed out the first results achieved by the Montenegrin negotiation team and explained the new approach of the European Commission in enlargement issues.

The conclusion that can be made as a result of this study visit is that the future enlargement will be more demanding in terms of sustainability of reforms. Countries in the Western Balkans will have to consolidate their political and economic systems, and ensure respect for the human and minority rights in the association process.

InTER thanks the representatives of DGAP who organized TRAIN Programme and made it possible for research results to be directly presented to the European officials.

Policy Brief can be downloaded here.

TRAIN 2012

TRAIN 2013 Alumni

TRAIN 2013 Alumni 1st seminar

TRAIN 2013 Alumni 2nd seminar