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 The New Enlargement Strategy for the Western Balkans: How to Enhance Civil Society Role in Anti-Corruption and Good Governance
Facilitated by the Bulgarian and Austrian EU Council presidencies, as well as by shifting European focus towards to region, 2018 will grant Western Balkans an unprecedented access to the EU. Further European initiatives, especially the Berlin Process and the upcoming new Enlargement Strategy, will also contribute to the strategic importance of the upcoming 12 months. more »
Priorities for the Bulgarian Energy Sector until 2050: Strategic Vulnerabilities
Bulgaria and Europe have reached an energy crossroads. To meet the European Energy Union’s ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gas emission in the electricity sector by over 90% until 2050, they should transform their energy systems, taking into account the inevitable socio-economic implications. more »
Effective Prevention of Corruption through Risk Assessment
Experts from ministries of justice, anti-corruption bodies and non-governmental organisations from South East Europe, gathered in Ljubljana, Slovenia to discuss the implementation of corruption risk assessments and corruption proofing of legislation across the region. more »
The EU Energy Union and the Russian Gas Projects: Energy Choices and Energy Security in Europe
Russia has been a critical but controversial energy supplier for Europe for centuries, and the way the EU and Russia energy strategies develop and interact in the decades to come is going to be important for the energy choices of European households. Gas has been a particular case in point in this regard. more »
Improving Democratic Governance to Unlock Growth in Southeast Europe: Dialogue on Current Policies and Future Perspectives
The Berlin Process initiative opened a new chapter for EU integration of the Western Balkans countries, as the Southeast Europe (SEE) region continues to experience serious governance and democratic deficits. The Balkans Barometer 2016 of the Regional Cooperation Council shows that corruption remains one of the key concerns for the people in the Western Balkans. more »
Bulgaria’s International Competitiveness 2017
According to the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2017 of the Institute for Management Development (IMD, Switzerland), the Bulgarian economy, being driven by the EU, is slowly going out of stagnation. Bulgarian politicians and business managers have failed to improve the competitiveness of the country during the 10 years of EU membership. more »
EU Funds and the Path to Good Governance in Bulgaria and Romania: Lessons Learnt
Ten years after accession to the EU, the challenge of corruption continues to define both Bulgaria`s and Romania`s status within the Union. The EU has imposed a series of conditions on the two countries in the area of anticorruption while allocating considerable financial support for modernization for nearly two decades. The question remains to what degree have EU funds specifically targeted greater anticorruption progress and what has been their tangible impact. more »
New Measures to Counter Russian Influence Adopt the Recommendations of the Kremlin Playbook Report
Ten bipartisan US Senators tabled comprehensive Russia sanctions legislation, the Countering Russian Hostilities Act of 2017, which aims to introduce comprehensive sanctions on Russia for their cyber intrusions, aggression and destabilizing activities in the US and in Europe. The proposed legislation has recognized some of the key findings and policy recommendations from the recent report by CSD and CSIS The Kremlin Playbook: Understanding Russian Influence in Central and Eastern Europe including that Russia had tried to exert influence in Europe by sowing “distrust in democratic institutions” and “engaging in well-documented corruption practices” to increase Russian influence in European countries. more »
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