Knocking on EU’s door – 10 years of recommendations and “NO“ decisions for North Macedonia
Infographic showing the 10 recommendations by the European Commission on opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and decisions and conditions set by the Council of the European Union. DOWNLOAD PDF Revising the enlargement methodology – a perspective from a long standing candidate
Author: Dr. Simonida Kacarska The last quarter of 2019 has definitely been a peculiar period of the EU accession saga. The deadlock of the October 2019 Council followed by the French non-paper for reforming the EU accession process prompted a much-needed debate on the possible ways forward in view of revising the enlargement methodology. The discussions […]
Tackling the Migrant Crisis in the Republic of North Macedonia
This policy analysis is an overview of North Macedonia’s efforts and of its cooperation with Frontex and EU Member States in countering illegal migration as of the migrant/refugee crisis in 2015. It elaborates the context of the issue, the legal framework and the contents of documents relevant to the Republic of North Macedonia, Frontex and [...] VIDEO: EU accession – no pass to an impasse?
After the round-table and discussion organized by EPI on December 3rd in Skopje, our speakers Valeska Esch – Program Director at the Aspen Institute in Germany, Sébastien Gricourt – Director of the Balkans Observatory at the Foundation Jean Jaurès in France and Wouter Zweers – Research Fellow with the Clingendael Institute in The Netherlands answered […]
Unfulfilled Promises and Missed Opportunities in North Macedonia
Prospects of EU membership are on hold in North Macedonia, despite it going as far as to change its name to resolve a dispute with Greece. Progress made a great political cost was not enough for some EU countries and the accession process now needs to be put together again. Simonida Kacarska, director of the […]
Public Policy Brief “Implementation of the Strategy for the Reform of the Justice Sector 2017-2022”
This public policy brief builds on the views expressed in the Public Policy Dialogue held on December 11, 2019 at Hotel Arka in Skopje as part of the "Partnership Justitia" project: Restoring Citizens’ Confidence '', implemented by the European Policy Institute and the ZENIT Association, funded by the European Union through the Sector for Central [...] Effectiveness of National Human Rights Institutions in the Western Balkans
This regional report published by CRD is the result of the research project which included independent institutions established by the state to protect and promote human rights in Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. The research took place in the period July – November 2019. Firstly, a comprehensive methodology for assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of [...] Human Rights Defenders in the Western Balkans
The position of human rights defenders (HRDs) in the Western Balkans is increasingly precarious. Across the region, HRDs and organisations, as well as independent media outlets, are prone to intimidation, threats, smear campaigns, digital and physical attacks, and an overall disregard by national authorities. While the region shares several common features (sluggish integration, weak rule [...] Opportunities and barriers for youth entrepreneurship and employment in the private sector in the Republic of North Macedonia
This analysis was prepared by the Institute for European Policy – Skopje (EPI) within the framework of the project “Engaging the Private Sector in Education on Entrepreneurship”, implemented in cooperation with the Youth Educational Forum (MOF), supported by the Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). 1. The objectives of the project are the following: i) [...] Active youth participation is more than voting
Author: Ardita Vejseli Even though civil society and youth are among the pillars of democracy and one of the main actors in addressing important reforms and issues in the EU accession process, they still face obstacles that prevent them from exercising their full potential in the countries of the Western Balkans. Western Balkan countries need […]