In 1997, as both the EU and the candidate countries accelerated
support measures for the next round of enlargement, CSD's input
focused on providing expert assistance for the preparation of
accession negotiations.
Originated as the Europe 2000 project within the general
institutional structure of the organization, in 1997 CSD's
EU-related initiatives developed into a European Program. The
Program's activities and projects were carried out under service
contracts with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the former
Secretariat on European Integration at the Council of Ministers,
financed by the general Phare assistance facility for Bulgaria with
the support of the Open Society Fund-Sofia.
Two main components of the Program's work stand out for -
policy studies and expert discussions.
I. Policy Studies
1. Europe 2000: Bulgaria and the European
Union
In continuation of the cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, the main coordination agency with respect to accession,
the focus of the project in 1997 was put on providing analysis in
several specific policy areas as a key background resource for the
preparation of the negotiation process. Started some three years
ago, the collaboration between CSD and the Ministry has built an
impressive record of policy analysis and expert networking. The
Center provides the Ministry with technical assistance and hosts
informal meetings for government officials and Bulgarian
non-governmental experts on EU integration.
The areas in which policy papers were produced included
financial services and movement of capital as priority issues in
view of the economic developments in Bulgaria in 1997; particularly
the introduction of a currency board. Special attention was also
devoted to evaluating the degree to which Bulgaria has met the
first EU Copenhagen Council criteria for membership formulated in
1993 - stable democratic institutions, rule of law, human rights
and protection of minorities. Some other sectors of key importance
such as customs union, competition, and telecommunications were
also covered by the project team. The policy analysis and
recommendations were developed against the background of the
Commission's opinion on Bulgaria's application for membership
published in July 1997.
In the development and evaluation of the policy papers, CSD has
involved over 40 leading Bulgarian experts and policy makers. Thus
the public policy aspect of the European Program's work has
fostered an independent networking facility to establish a critical
mass of Bulgarian experts in the various sectors of integration.
Added to the interface with the government implementation agencies,
this has provided an especially valuable impetus to the emerging
public-private cooperation in the area of integration.
2. Impact Studies
Assessing the potential consequences for the economy as well as
for the political and social development of the country of its
accession to the EU is crucial to an informed decision making
process and the implementation of a feasible accession strategy. In
1997, CSD's European Program set up a task force to examine the
political, socio-economic, legal and/or institutional implications
of Bulgaria's accession to the European Union in several key areas
of accession. The impact studies represent an important tool to
enable an evaluation of the costs and benefits of Bulgaria's
accession to the European Union, to identify priorities, potential
difficulties, counteracting measures, etc. The studies also
designed assessments of the various consequences of adopting
certain policy and legislative accession measures in the target
fields.
The purpose of the studies was also to provide a pilot project
basis for development and evaluation of an effective methodology
for carrying out future impact and cost-benefit assessment of
Bulgaria's EU accession.
As a follow-up to the impact studies, in late 1997 the Program
started a project which will analyze Bulgaria's participation in EU
structural funds which is one of the impact studies' target areas.
The study, to be completed in mid-1998, will identify the
opportunities, scenarios and most appropriate policy, institutional
and budgetary options and measures for Bulgaria's future
participation in EU structural funds.
The overall of eleven public policy and legislative reports
produced as a result of the impact studies and Europe 2000 project
will be published in early 1998 in a bilingual (English and
Bulgarian) print publication on Bulgaria's accession to the
European Union. The topics to be covered in the publication
included:
·
Democratic institutions, rule of law, human rights and protection
of minorities
·
Foreign and security policy
·
Free movement of capital
·
Financial services
·
Competition
·
Telecommunications
·
Capital markets development
·
Instruments for the development of regional cooperation
·
Company law
·
Environmental legislation and policy
·
Customs union.
II. Forum Europe 2000
As the efforts of the Program have the broader objective of
enhancing the awareness and understanding among Bulgarian
politicians and experts of the implications of the EU accession
process, a discussion forum was initiated to allow a wider pool of
scholars and policy makers to benefit from the experience and
expertise accumulated under the analytical component of the
Program's work.
Started in July 1997, the Europe 2000 Forum is a series of
breakfast meetings designed to provide an opportunity for informal
and in-depth discussion of Bulgaria's EU accession efforts.
Bulgarian participants include senior government officials,
representatives of major public policy institutes involved in the
integration effort, and distinguished journalists.
Guest-speakers from the EU institutions and the members states
are invited to take part in the Forum as part of its mission to
facilitate closer contacts among Bulgarian and European experts and
policy makers. In the second half of 1997, guests were:
·
Professor Alan Dashwood, former Head of the Legal Service of the
Council of the EU;
·
Mr. Michiel Patijn, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the
Netherlands;
·
Mr. Douglas Henderson, MP, Minister of State for Foreign and
Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom.
In addition to bringing the Bulgarian participants in direct
dialogue with their European counterparts, the Forum also serves as
a driving force for the public-private interface in the integration
effort. NGO professionals and government officials have the
opportunity to consider cooperation ideas and joint projects. In
this way, the Forum both produces an impact on integration policy
and fosters a community of experts on the European Union in
Bulgaria.
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