Regional economic cooperation has turned into the headline of EU-Balkans relations in the last months. But what’s the situation today in the Balkans? An interview with Nenad Đurđević, advisor to the President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Head of the Regional Council for Strategic and Policy Initiatives
With the funds allocated by cohesion policy, the EU has significantly increased investments in the production of renewable energy, thus providing significant help to member states in achieving decarbonisation objectives
Last week saw the presentation in Brussels of "PULSE. Europe beyond the beat", an ambitious project coordinated by OBCT aimed at making collaboration among European newsrooms a tool to harness the coverage of European affairs
Post-earthquake European funds awarded without tender: according to a journalistic investigation, this is embezzlement. This is where an open conflict arises between the European Prosecutor's Office and Croatian Prime Minister Plenković, which risks having repercussions also on the upcoming legislative elections
A study by the European Parliament examined the use of cohesion funds in the seven-year period 2014-2020, highlighting a decrease in absorption rates. It is necessary to reform the administrative system at national level and simplify the rules governing cohesion policy
The EU has invested considerable efforts in stimulating regional cooperation in the Balkans over the last decades, yet the results are questionable. Which are the reasons behind such slow progress and where does Bosnia and Herzegovina stand? We talked about it with Adnan Ćerimagić analyst at ESI
For a year, the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) has been deployed on the border with Azerbaijan, which it patrols regularly: a measure considered necessary by Yerevan - which fears a new conflict - but viewed with suspicion by Baku
An Interreg cross-border cooperation project to reduce CO2 emissions at all levels, from aircraft engines to plastic consumption on the ground, has produced a practical handbook. We interviewed two of the main managers, Anita Maurodinoia and Vito Antonio Antonacci
A women's cooperative that serves as an information point for energy and climate issues: in 2023, KLIK received the European Commission's European Sustainable Energy award for developing an energy community in Croatia "that brings clean energy to citizens"
Thanks to the cohesion funds of the European SOLAR project, carried out in collaboration by Montenegro, Italy and Albania, measures to contain greenhouse gases and improve energy efficiency are being studied, with a view to the EU accession process
In addition to EU structural and investment funds, from 2021 Romania also has access to money from the Just Transition Programme. What does this programme mean, how much money can Romania actually receive and what is it earmarked for?
For citizens of border areas, accessing quality healthcare services can be difficult. Cross-border cooperation, also thanks to EU cohesion policy, can be effective in guaranteeing the right to health for all. An interview
Since 2007, the year Romania entered the EU, over 62 billion euros have flowed into the country from the EU. There could have been more, but the Romanian state failed to attract them all. Why?
The management of European funds is an often complex task that requires specific administrative and technical-financial skills. For accession countries such as Serbia, preparation to the negotiation stage is key
Stimulating convergence with EU countries, creating a regional common market and proceeding with sectoral integration in the European single market are among the objectives of the European Union's renewed engagement with the Western Balkan countries. But the path remains uphill
Last in the Western Balkans, from the beginning of 2024 Kosovar citizens can travel without a visa in the Schengen area. A long-awaited opportunity already used by thousands of people, and viewed with extreme interest by Kosovar business
A large share of Transnistria’s economy, including most of its budget, depends on a structural subsidy it receives from Russia in the form of free gas. As Ukraine has promised to stop all Russian pipelines going through its territory by the end of 2024, how will Transnistria cope?
Thanks to EU cohesion funds, Bulgaria is activating and completing numerous projects to renew its railway network. However, the shadow of corruption looms over the works and the possibility that, in the past, part of the funds may have been used improperly
Over the last 20 years, the EU has distributed more than 8 billion Euros to help member states and candidates deal with the consequences of natural or health disasters. How does the fund work? Which countries have benefited the most?
On December 14, the European Council granted EU candidate status to Georgia. An important step, celebrated the following day in the capital Tbilisi, both by the authorities and the population. However, the path towards the EU still remains ahead
On December 14, Georgia obtained the status of EU candidate country. There was a celebration in the Georgian capital: on the stage in the central square of Tbilisi were the highest authorities of the Georgian Dream government. Images and texts by Onnik James Krikorian.
The second edition of the EU-Balkan Youth Forum ended on Friday in Novi Sad. Thirty young people from the EU and the Western Balkans presented their recommendations to the authorities on key issues such as regional integration and environmental protection
Reforms, integrity of the judicial system, corruption: the latest report from the European Commission on North Macedonia's progress towards future EU membership is probably the worst in recent years. For Brussels, Skopje must move beyond words and onto actions
Austria remains one of the EU countries most sincerely interested in enlargement to the Western Balkans, but its policy towards the region suffers from populism and a lack of vision. We talked about it with Adelheid Wölfl, historical correspondent from the region for the newspaper Der Standard
Last week’s decision by the European Commission to recommend Georgia receive European Union candidate status caught many by surprise. While most Georgians celebrate, the road ahead remains long and difficult
Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik once again attacks the EU, accusing it of applying double standards to Bosnia and Herzegovina on the integration path. But Dodik's own initiatives, which limit freedom of association and expression, are distancing the country from the European Union
In Romania, also thanks to dedicated European funds, the number of photovoltaic panels installed is growing rapidly. So quickly, that some programmes have been suspended, as the increase in energy production strains the distribution network, which is still obsolete
After the meeting between the two Caucasian leaders at the Granada summit on 5 October fell through, there has been no other EU-facilitated meeting. To the surprise of many, however, regional talks began in Georgia and Iran. Brussels does not give up and pushes for a meeting between Aliyev, Pashinyan and Michel
