№130: Foreigners in the Ukrainian Government: A Unique Solution for Challenging Times

Author(s): Piotr Kościński,Konrad Zasztowt / Language(s): English

Although it happens rarely, national governments, including those of EU countries, do sometimes hire foreign experts. In Ukraine, employing Georgians from former president Mikheil Saakashvili’s administration seems to be a logical move. His presidency’s biggest successes were the establishment of well-functioning police and an efficient fight against corruption, something both of which Ukraine badly needs. Other foreigners, including renowned experts such as Ukrainian American Natalie Jaresko and Lithuanian Aivaras Abromavičius, responsible for economic recovery, may be successful but face extremely difficult tasks. As all these figures are affiliated with the West in one way or another, their failure would be interpreted by pro-Kremlin media as a collapse of President Petro Poroshenko’s policies (perceived by Russia as a Western project).

GREY Working Paper No. 3: Tackling the Undeclared Economy in FYR Macedonia, a Baseline Assessment

Author(s): Rositsa Dzhekova,Josip Franic,Lyubo Mishkov,Colin C. Williams / Language(s): English

This working paper is an output of the European Commission’s FP7 "Marie Curie Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways" (IAPP) project entitled "GREY - Out of the shadows: developing capacities and capabilities for tackling undeclared work in Bulgaria, Croatia and FYR Macedonia". Ms Rositsa Dzhekova and Mr. Lyubo Mishkov, Center for the Study of Democracy, and Prof. Colin C. Williams and Mr. Josip Franic, GREY-IAPP, Sheffield University Management School, University of Sheffield elaborated the report in July 2014. This report provides a detailed review of available evidence on the extent and nature of the undeclared economy in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), as well as on the institutional actors involved in tackling the phenomenon and their policy approach and measures used.

Re-socialization of offenders in the EU: enhancing the role of the civil society (RE-SOC). Workstream 1: Imprisonment in Europe. Methodology for data collection and analysis

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

The successful implementation of the activities under the recently launched initiative Re-socialization of offenders in the EU: enhancing the role of the civil society (RE-SOC) depends on the expanded knowledge of the prison systems in the participating countries. Therefore, a separate set of activities is dedicated to the collection, analysis and systematization of the available information and tailoring it to the specificities of the other initiative activities. To facilitate this process a Methodology for data collection and analysis was developed, which includes the following components: (1) list of issues to be covered; (2) recommended sources to be consulted and relevant international standards; (3) methodological guidelines on how to collect, analyze and present information; (4) glossary of terms; and (5) language and style requirements. The developed methodology will be used for analyzing the information collected for several EU Member States. The analysis will aim to answer specific questions related to the prison system: structure and legal framework of the penitentiary system, prison capacity, number and structure of the prison population, etc. The results of the analysis will be summarized in country background papers.

Media note: Budget Revision for 2013: inconsiderate, vague and anti-social?

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Budget revisions are usually a sign of economic instability and are therefore justified by two main reasons: a serious unexpected economic crisis and/or the introduction of vital new policies. The government’s declaration that the 2013 budget needs to be revised and the Prime minister’s explanation for this proposal in Parliament does not include convincing details related to the aforementioned reasons. The additional instability that this amendment would place on the economy, calls for careful analysis and consideration hasty of the possible scenarios in which a revision is necessary.

Разкритията в енергетиката: преоткриване на топлата вода? Медийна записка

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Bulgarian

During the first two weeks of April 2010 the Bulgarian government and media announced details of abuses and irregularities in the Bulgarian energy sector and proposed ideas for restructuring, which confirmed the existance of serious governance problems in the sector. These findings are not new. In 2006 - 2007, during a previous public outcry, which led to the resignation of the then Energy Minister, the Center for the Study of Democracy published a detailed analysis of the most common bad management practices in the energy sector. The conclusions and recommendations of this analysis apply with full force today. CSD has summarized them in this media note and with reference to the original analysis.

Are Bulgarian consumers willing to pay for clean energy?

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

Bulgarian households pay the lowest price of electricity in Europe in absolute terms. Price increases are inevitable to cover costs of new investments in production and transmission. Bulgaria has signed binding agreements within the European Union to achieve 16% of final or energy consumption from renewable energy sources (RES) by 2020, which will bring further pressure on prices for final consumers. Are Bulgarian households ready to foot the bill of more expensive electricity? How much more are they willing to fork out of their budget for green energy? A mere 13% of Bulgarian households are willing to pay extra for clean energy. Of those 82.5% would only bear a modest increase in their electricity bills – with up to 10%. Willingness to pay a ‘green energy premium’ is directly linked to the level of income. Low income households support cheaper although ‘dirtier’ energy. 63% of the population has used wood for heating, which remains the cheapest energy source. This shows that sustainable development through RES is not readily supported by Bulgarian consumers and there is a need of economic stimuli and campaigns to activate people and businesses in that direction. The Bulgarian government needs to balance carefully between new investments and the effects of price increases on socially and energy vulnerable members of society.

ГРАЖДАНИТЕ И РАЗДЕЛНОТО СМЕТОСЪБИРАНЕ

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Bulgarian

The study was commissioned by the Ministry of Environment and Water. The purpose of the survey is to establish the attitude of the citizens - in the country and in certain villages - to the separate waste collection and on this basis to make proposals, whose realization contributes to the successful introduction of this practice in Bulgaria.

Програма за развитие на съдебната реформа в България

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Bulgarian

The Program for Judicial Reform in Bulgaria has been drafted by eminent Bulgarian lawyers within the framework of the Judicial Reform Initiative (JRI). The latter benefits from the combined efforts of State authorities, representatives of influential non-governmental organizations, and experts who offer their expertise in order to ensure further successful development of judicial reform in Bulgaria. The first draft of this Program was presented for discussion to the principal stakeholders of the JRI at a workshop in July 1999 from major stakeholders in the reform process such as the Ministry of Justice; the Supreme Judicial Council; associations and guilds of the legal profession; concerned non-governmental organizations; representatives of the media; independent legal experts and the Bulgarian citizenry. The amended and revized Program incorporates the comments, suggestions and notes provided and is representative for the state of the Bulgarian judiciary and the legislation as to May 2000.

Velika očekivanja

Author(s): Dejan Kršić / Language(s): Croatian

Povodom knjige: Radina Vučetić: Koka-kola socijalizam – Amerikanizacija jugoslovenske popularne kulture šezdesetih godina XX veka, Službeni glasnik, Beograd 2012, ISBN: 978-86-519-1304-7

Current Practices in the National Criminal Justice System : National Report Bulgaria

Author(s): Miriana Ilcheva / Language(s): English

The report 'Current practices in the national criminal justice system in relation to victims of crimes' was written as part of the initiative Towards a More Responsive Victim-Centered Approach of the Criminal Justice System (RE-JUST) through desk research and information requests to relevant institutions and organisations. It is also based on CSD's long-term monitoring and studies of the situation of victims of crime in the country and provides a general overview of the approaches and methods used by police, prosecutors, judges, in cases that involve victims of crimes as witnesses or in other procedural capacities. Main obstacles to victims' access to justice have been pointed out, as well as points of non-compliance with European and global standards.

CSD Policy Brief No. 95: Now or never: will Bulgaria catch the last train to green economic recovery?

Author(s): Radostina Primova / Language(s): English

The twin goals of green and digital transition are at the heart of the next EU budget-and-recovery package 2021-2027. With enhanced climate conditionality, EU spending priorities will be tightly linked to EU climate policies. The endorsement of the more ambitious EU 2030 emissions reduction target of 55% necessitate a coherent coal phase out strategy to be put in place in Bulgaria as early as possible.Yet, both the draft national operational programmes and the draft National Recovery and Resilience Plan of Bulgaria lack a comprehensive assessment and long term perspective on how to best mobilise the available EU funds. They need to better demonstrate significant emission reductions across different sectors. The focus of the Plan and the operational programmes should move away from large infrastructure projects (including nuclear and gas) to providing resources for more decentralised sustainable energy projects, tackling energy poverty and supply diversification.

CSD Policy Brief No. 93: Mapping Policy Options for Renewable Energy Communities in Europe

Author(s): Radostina Primova,Christophe Rolland,Todor Galev / Language(s): English

Consumer (co-)ownership in renewable energy (RE) is an essential ingredient of the overall success of the transition to a low-carbon economy and society in Europe. When consumers acquire ownership in RE projects, they can become prosumers generating a part of the energy they consume. Thus, reducing their overall energy costs, while at the same time potentially generating additional income, through the sale of excess production. Yet, becoming a prosumer requires availability of time, headspace and access to substantial up-front investment, as well as access to information and knowledge of the various possible options. This creates burdens for many EU citizens, especially vulnerable groups, including women, who are underrepresented in technological industries, and those who are of low-income, energy poor or low-educated.Based upon the findings and conclusions from recent research on the economic, social, technological and governance enabling conditions and barriers in promoting prosumership and renewable energy communities in Europe, an international team of researchers and practitioners is endeavouring to facilitate the co-ownership in RE. It has done so by piloting a new financial model, the Consumer Stock Ownership Plan, in Italy, the Czech Republic and Germany with numerous European cities following.As a financial instrument, the Consumer Stock Ownership Plan brings several advantages with regard to the set-up of Renewable Energy Communities. It also provides consumers with flexible participation, external financing and long-term loan repayment, thereby encouraging the engagement of low-income households.

Good Practice Brochure

Author(s): Silvia Antoaneta Berbec,Miriana Ilcheva,Zoi Anna Kasapi,Flaminia Delle Cese,Marta Martínez Sierra,Sara Saavedra Garlito / Language(s): English

In this publication it is presented a series of judicial trainings that had been organised in 2020. Although these events had been planned for implementation in the project countries, in these unprecedented times of COVID-19 pandemic, the entire judicial learning experience was moved in the virtual space. The brochure contains information about the practical perspective and experience of how these trainings have been implemented, and this could serve as a model for future events (trainings, conferences, workshops) on similar legal topics that could be organised by public and private training providers: bars, national institutes for the initial and continuous preparation of legal practitioners, non-governmental organisations.

FAIRNESS: Comparative Legal Research

Author(s): Mara Fallini,Tatyana Novossiolova,Sergio Bianchi,Joana Apóstolo,Pedro das Neves,Irina van der Vet / Language(s): English

The present report emphasises the essential need for upholding the established principles and standards of criminal justice in the context of counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation. In particular, the report argues that observing criminal justice requirements in radicalisation- and terror-rated cases is a key prerequisite for developing effective and sustainable counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation trust-based strategies and approaches that enhance civil and national security. Part 2 of the report provides a thematic overview of the applicable international and EU, in order to examine how the concepts of terrorism and radicalisation are treated as legal subjects. Part 3 looks into the existing international, EU, and national legal instruments for protecting the criminal procedural rights of suspects and accused. Part 4 reviews ongoing international and national efforts that aim to safeguard criminal procedural rights in the context of counter-terrorism with a particular emphasis on the securitisation debate and its implications for the EU domestic and foreign policy.

CSD Policy Brief No. 90: A Comprehensive Model for Illicit Cigarette Market Assessment

Author(s): Atanas Rusev,Mariyan Sabev / Language(s): English

The model for illicit cigarette market assessment at regional level is a comprehensive approach to analyse the combined effect of two types of factors: the ones linked to law-enforcement bodies' performance and the region-specific drivers and barriers to the illicit trade in tobacco products. It was developed drawing on police and industry data from 4 countries – Bulgaria, Italy, Greece and Romania. The model not only allows to identify regions which are at high risk with regard to illicit trade in tobacco products, but also helps identify the measures needed to curb this illegal market.

CSD Policy Brief No. 88: Energy Transition Governance for Better Energy Security in Europe

Author(s): Todor Galev / Language(s): English

The European Green Deal pledge of the incoming European Commission confirms that energy transition and the European Energy Union will remain centre stage in European policy-making. The combination of new regulatory and technological innovations, the deepening of the interactions between energy and climate policies, and the corresponding shifts in individual and collective behaviour opens new opportunities for business and society to benefit from the energy transition. But they also provoke new governance challenges to both policy makers and citizens. The advent of the prosumer, the energy producing consumer, as a foundation of successful energy transition, requires profound changes at the EU, national, local, and household level. In particular, the need for increasing the social acceptability and public awareness of energy transition policies, puts new emphasis on the energy security four-fold challenge of availability, reliability, affordability and sustainability. Solving this complex challenge requires understanding of the factors influencing household prosumption choices, in the first place. But it also calls for adequate energy transition policy choices and effective tools to steer quickly through the changing energy security landscape.Europe, as a large energy consumer faces different choices from individual member states. Navigating these choices has become more complex and challenging amid continuing environmental challenges, the souring of US – China trade relations and the resurgent Russia confrontation. Consumers have grown more concerned with the rising cost of energy transition, in particular in lower income member states in Central and Eastern Europe. Russia’s strategic political projects in gas supply like Nord Stream 2 and Turkish Stream have divided the European Commission and member states. Similarly, LNG terminals and shale gas development have attracted supporters and opponents, with no common European policy in sight. New nuclear power plants such as Paks II in Hungary, Hinckley Point in the UK, Belene in Bulgaria have underscored the importance of designing and implementing socially inclusive and sustainable policies alongside the economic benefits and energy security.

Toolkit for the Economic Sectors to Combat Human Trafficking

Author(s): Silvia Antoaneta Berbec,Miriana Ilcheva,Dimitra Malandraki,Flaminia Delle Cese,Gennaro Santoro,Luiza Lupascu,Naomi Anna Venzke / Language(s): English

The toolkit was developed within the framework of the initiative Anti-trafficking stakeholders and economic sectors networking, cooperation to combat the business of human trafficking chain (NET-COMBAT-THB CHAIN). The toolkit provides useful information to support the economic sectors to combat human trafficking in partnership with other relevant stakeholders. Traffickers frequently use the economic sectors to achieve their objectives. They make use of the lower costs for transportation, online recruitment websites, hotels and tourism industry, make payments through private financial entities and other illicit actions. National and international companies and their employees need to be aware of the negative effects of human trafficking and make the necessary efforts to ensure that the products and services are not obtained through exploitation of persons.

WHAT ABOUT THE WOMEN? Understanding and Addressing the Problem of ISIS Female Recruitment in the Western Balkans

Author(s): Eric Mietz / Language(s): English

This policy paper aims to bring attention to an oft-neglected security problem in the Western Balkans: women being recruited by—and migrating to—the Islamic State. In many ways, female recruits, both from the Western Balkans and other regions, are attracted to the Islamic State for the exact same reasons as men, yet the roles of women in the Islamic State and the messaging the group uses to lure women to migrate to Syria and Iraq are sufficiently different to warrant a gender-based perspective in countering violent extremism (CVE) policymaking. The Islamic State and ways to defeat it dominate current media headlines and policy discussions, but as propaganda continues to attract women, strategies to topple the Islamic State will require equal attention to both male and female recruits in order to be successful. The first part of the paper looks at the numbers of women leaving from the Western Balkans to Islamic State-held territory, the profiles of women who migrate, and the roles they take on in the Islamic State. To explain why women are influenced to migrate, the second part examines the “push” and “pull” factors of Islamic State recruitment. The last part focuses on the efforts of Western Balkans governments to criminalize participation in or support of the Islamic State and the disadvantages of relying solely on this policy.

JOURNALISTS AS DEFENDANTS: SLAPP LAWSUITS AS AN OVERTURE INTO EXHAUSTION: THE CASE OF THE KRIK NEWSROOM

Author(s): Vesna Radojević / Language(s): English

The Masks Have Slipped: Serbia in a Geopolitical Pandemic

Author(s): Marko Drajić,Maja Bjeloš,Isidora Stakic / Language(s): English

A bad film might include such features as unconvincing actors, a predictable plot, forced lines, unnecessarily explicit love scenes and a nonsensical ending. In which case Serbia’s foreign policy during the state of emergency, declared in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, looks like a multiple winner of the Golden Raspberry award. Maladjusted to the new circumstances, she remained silent when she should have spoken out, spoke the wrong lines at the wrong moments, stammered and overacted only to come to the expected unhappy end – on bad terms with her most important international partners and in a firm embrace with those who are unpredictable.