European Union

EU extends Armenia border mission amid membership hopes

03/02/2025 -  Onnik James Krikorian

Armenia has entered the pre-election year with all to play for. Yet, despite constantly declining ratings, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan could benefit from a new inadvertent supporter – the European Union

Serbia: the EU and the responsibility to support student protests

30/01/2025 -  Federico Baccini Brussels

The absence of EU flags at anti-government demonstrations shows that accession has become a divisive issue in the candidate country. Interview with Srđan Majstorović, president of the board of the European Policy Centre (CEP)

EU Cohesion Policy, the risks of centralisation

29/01/2025 -  Federico Baccini Brussels

The temptation to centralise the management of EU cohesion funds is a mistake, argues economist Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, who has edited a report on the future of this policy for the European Commission. An interview

Armenia, EU accession plans and economic struggles

22/01/2025 -  Onnik James Krikorian

Armenia has announced its intention to become a member of the European Union, however close relations with Moscow, particularly in the economic and energy spheres, complicate the possibility of Yerevan taking the European path

Italy-Slovenia, vineyard alliance against the climate crisis

28/01/2025 -  Marta Abbà Dobrovo v Brdih

Increasingly hot summers and crops at the mercy of extreme events challenge growers in cross-border areas. In the face of the certainty of climate uncertainty, forces and data are being joined with the European AI-GRAPE project, created to introduce digitalisation into viticulture

Bulgaria, a sanctuary for the red-breasted goose

03/01/2025 -  Filippo Sconza

Native to Siberia, the red-breasted goose winters on the western coast of the Black Sea. Threatened by poaching and climate change, this endangered species has benefited from various conservation projects in Bulgaria in recent years

Cohesion policy, the requirements of the Economic and Social Committee

23/12/2024 -  Federico Baccini Brussels

Ahead of the discussions on the future EU budget, we interviewed Oliver Röpke, President of the European Economic and Social Committee, on the principles that should guide the way cohesion funds are delivered

EU, Internet connections are getting faster and faster

07/01/2025 -  Ornaldo Gjergji

In the last five years, the average speed of Internet access has quadrupled in Italy, in line with improvements that have occurred throughout Europe. However, some territories risk being left out: public investments in broadband supported by the EU are essential

After elections, Georgia on the brink

03/12/2024 -  Onnik James Krikorian

A complex geopolitical web has entangled Georgia in another wave of protests. Following controversial elections held in October, thousands have taken to the streets in response to what many see as the government turning away from the European Union and moving closer to Russia

Cohesion Policy, big changes on the agenda

05/12/2024 -  Federico Baccini Brussels

The new EU budget is starting to take shape. Cohesion funds could flow into a single National Plan, and the disbursement of funding could be tied to the implementation of specific reforms

3 million Euros for 4 species of birds

"The Republic […] guarantees the protection and reproduction of the environment, the conservation of living nature in all its varieties and the reasonable use of natural resources". This is stated in Article 15 of the Constitution of Bulgaria, the first country in the European Union in terms of the share of its territory covered by protected areas

From the Alps to the Adriatic: the challenges of mountain rescue across borders

27/11/2024 -  Marco AbramMarco Ranocchiari

With the growing popularity of hiking and mountaineering, mountain accidents have increased significantly. The pressure falls on volunteers from rescue groups, who often work in collaboration with their colleagues across the border

A new EU commissioner for enlargement

26/11/2024 -  Federico BacciniAdelheid Wölfl

Former Slovenian diplomat Marta Kos is set to take charge of relations between the European Commission and the countries that seek to join the EU. An overview at her priorities, and at the first reactions from Brussels and the Western Balkans

Serbian journalism, stronger EU support is needed

13/11/2024 -  Serena EpisSava Mirković

Amid a systematic erosion of editorial independence by the government, stronger international support is needed to uphold media freedom in the country. An interview with Igor Božić, news director of the independent N1 TV

Navigating chapter 22: challenges and opportunities in Serbia’s path to EU accession

31/10/2024 -  Luisa ChiodiSukanya Sengupta

Chapter 22 on cohesion policy is one of the most complex negotiating chapters Serbia has to deal with for EU accession. In this interview, Dragana Djurica provides crucial insights into the critical role of civil society, the importance of regional development, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead

Addressing Key Challenges to Media Freedom in Albania and Serbia

30/10/2024 -  Serena EpisSukanya Sengupta

To contribute to the European Commission’s Rule of Law monitoring, OBCT, in partnership with SCiDEV and IJAS, produced two Shadow Reports outlining the challenges and gaps in media freedom in Albania and Serbia. The main findings were presented during a webinar

Culture and sociality, discovering the new Rijeka City library

27/09/2024 -  Nicole Corritore Rijeka

Rijeka has a new modern city library, the “Gradska knjižnica Rijeka”, in a former industrial area redeveloped and transformed into an authentic cultural hub. Our reportage

Rijeka Library: the living body of the city

27/09/2024 -  Nicole Corritore Rijeka

An innovative library, created with EU cohesion funds, in the former industrial area of ​​Rijeka, now redeveloped and transformed into an authentic artistic district. We met the director of Rijeka City Library Niko Cvjetković

The futuristic Rijeka City Library

On 21 December 2023, the new Rijeka City Library was inaugurated in the so-called "T-Palace" in the former Benčić industrial complex. The modern structure, co-financed with European funds, is an integral part of a district that has become an important cultural hub.

Photos by Nicole Corritore

Raffaele Fitto is the Executive Vice-President-Designate for Cohesion and Reforms

25/09/2024 -  Sukanya Sengupta

Italian Raffaele Fitto is expected to become vice-president in the next European Commission led by von der Leyen. Fitto will be entrusted with the delegation for Cohesion and Reforms, a key role at the European level in terms of political influence and budget management

All the cross-border trains in Europe

04/09/2024 -  Gianluca De FeoLorenzo Ferrari

For over two years, activist Jon Worth has documented the state of rail connections between different European countries by taking hundreds of trains in every corner of the continent. We interviewed him

International organisations call on the EU to act against Israel’s killings of Palestinian journalists

26/08/2024

OBCT joins 59 other organizations in condemning Israeli authorities’ killings of Palestinian journalists, and calling for the suspension of EU-Israel Association Agreement and further EU targeted sanctions

Bulgaria and Hungary’s Reluctant Green Transition

21/08/2024 -  Massimo Guglietta

While the European Union has made a strong effort to create a recovery plan that incorporates sustainability targets, some member states are falling behind in their duty to implement such reforms

Open Balkan, a failed step in the right direction

20/08/2024 -  Sava Mirković

Conceived as an alternative to EU cooperation, the Open Balkan initiative, promoted by Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia, aimed to create a regional common market to allow the free movement of goods, services, capital and people. The reasons for its failure

Romania and Bulgaria, trains worth improving

16/08/2024 -  Vlad Barză

In many European countries people increasingly use trains for their travel, preferring them to cars. This is not happening in Romania and Bulgaria, because of the poor state of rail service. Something is starting to change however

Renewables, a potential yet to be fulfilled

30/07/2024 -  Ornaldo Gjergji

Rural areas have a key role in ensuring the success of the energy transition. Installing new ground-mounted photovoltaic systems in the countryside of Spain, Romania and France would cover a large part of the European Union's energy needs

Western Balkans, EU integration and cooperation

26/07/2024 -  Gentiola Madhi

"We must go beyond the idea that the Western Balkans are a sort of ghetto made up of non-EU countries. This would contribute not only to the Europeanisation of the Western Balkans, but also to overcoming some disagreements between candidate countries and EU member states". Ana Krstinovska, founder and president of the think tank Estima based in Bitola, in North Macedonia and research fellow at the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP)

EU cohesion policy, time for reform

25/07/2024 -  Massimo Guglietta

While cohesion policy to support economic development across Europe has not fully lived up to expectations, new research suggests various reforms for how the EU can more efficiently support its poorest regions before the next budgetary cycle

Digital security in Serbia: another challenge to media freedom

22/07/2024 -  Serena Epis

Media outlets in the country are increasingly exposed to cyber attacks, online threats and manipulations. We talked about digital security and its impact on independent journalism in Serbia with Bojan Perkov, digital policy coordinator at SHARE Foundation

Transnistria: when buying time, make sure to use it wisely

19/07/2024 -  Giorgio ComaiBernardo Venturi

Russia’s gas subsidy – a key ingredient enabling Transnistria’s political economy – may remain in place for a couple more years, but its existence is based on increasingly shaky grounds. Chișinău is ensuring its own energy security, but long term stability in Moldova requires solid arrangements also for Tiraspol