TOWARDS A MORE FINANCIALLY ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT IN SERBIA: Implementation of Recommendations and Measures of the Serbian State Audit Institution

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

This analysis was produced in the framework of the project “Determining conditions for the improvement of work of the State Audit Institution in Serbia,“ jointly implemented by the European Project Center and European Policy Centre, supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Judicial Reform and Government Accountability project (JRGA). This analysis, and the research conducted for its purposes, has the goal to determine how auditees act upon SAI's recommendations, how they perceive external audit system in Serbia and how important it is to insist on the external follow-up on implementation of SAI's recommendations and measures in the future. Engagement of civil society organisations so far in the follow-up work on implementation of SAI's measures is also discussed.In correspondence with existing comparative experience (best practices) and certain international guidelines, it strives to provide recommendations for future role these organisations can have in the establishment of financially accountable government in Serbia. This analysis also places the external audit system into a broader context of reform and integration processes in Serbia, in order to highlight the importance of this area and its correlation with other reform areas.

CIVIL SOCIETY AND CITIZENS IN THE EXTERNAL AUDIT PROCESS. Comparative Study of International Practices with Recommendations for Serbia

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

The aim of this Study is to provide the most appropriate solutions to the State Audit Institution of Serbia for the inclusion of citizens in the external audit process as well as to provide sustainable and more institutionalized forms of cooperation with civil society organizations. The Study adopts a comparative approach in its thorough analysis of European and non-European experiences and existing domestic institutional practices. A qualitative methodology was adopted in the form of a combination of primary and secondary sources, i.e. data collection was conducted through in-depth semi-structured interviews, electronic questionnaires, and the analysis of legislative and institutional frameworks and practices in regards to citizens’ cooperation in external audit process and cooperation of supreme audit institutions with the civil society. The methods applied proved as adequate in terms of analyzing comparative practices in the chosen systems and for getting a broader insight of the examples in the areas of transparency and government accountability, and more specifically in external audit, across a variety of states.

HOW TO GET RESULTS IN PUBLIC POLICIES? Monitoring & Evaluation with the Evidence Supplied by the Civil Society

Author(s): Sena Marić,Jelena Žarković Rakić,Ana Aleksić Mirić / Language(s): English

The aim of this study is to promote a discussion on possible models of institutionalising policy monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in Serbia, as well as on the means available to include civil society organizations (CSOs). In the context of democratic consolidation and economic transition in Serbia, mechanisms and practices of holding policy makers accountable are gradually being established. Moreover, monitoring the implementation of reforms and evaluating their effects are particularly important in the accession negotiations with the European Union (EU), since the effective and sustainable implementation of the acquis will essentially determine the very dynamics of the negotiations, and eventually Serbia’s membership in the EU. However, in Serbia there are no sufficiently developed structures and procedures that would allow a permanent monitoring of results. Additionally, there are no well-established modes of cooperation between the governmental and non-government sector in that regard, while examples of good practices remain rudimentary.

POLICYMAKING IN THE WESTERN BALKANS. Creating Demand for Evidence beyond EU Conditionality

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

The six countries of the Western Balkans, all EU-membership aspirants, find themselves in different stages of the EU integration process. The characteristics of the EU’s enlargement approach towards the Western Balkans requires these countries to deliver concrete, tangible, and sustainable results before becoming members. In the previous enlargement rounds, the EU has never deployed such complex mechanisms to assess and monitor the quality of implemented reforms. This situation is new both for the EU Commission and the candidate countries,1 implying that the EU is also learning from its experiences and mistakes and innovating its methodology for assessing the results made by the candidate countries. The Western Balkan countries themselves are investing in developing new tools and mechanisms to report and monitor the achieved results. More precisely, improvements are made with regards to data collection and analysis methods, the quality and reliability of data, and more constructive engagement with civil society stakeholders.

ЗАШТИЋЕНА ПОДРУЧЈА ПРИРОДЕ У АП ВОЈВОДИНИ. Статус заштите и финансирање у контексту европских интеграција

Author(s): Dejan Maksimović,Biljana Panjković,Stefan Šipka / Language(s): Serbian

CIVIL SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENT: Participatory Policy Formulation in Serbia

Author(s): Amanda Orza / Language(s): English

Up to this point, the issue of a systemic approach to civil society participation in the process of policy making in Serbia has not been resolved. In its last Progress Report, the European Commission notes that "civil society is a crucial component of any democratic system and should be recognized and treated as such by the state institutions". Notably, the EU has leverage to emphasize civil society participation mainly in relation to the accession process. Beyond this sphere, the resources and expertise of the civil society should be recognized and taken advantage of by the government and other public institutions. This is supported by the increasing complexity of the course of reforms, the challenge of legislative harmonization, and the lack of human capacity in the public administration as part of the EU integration process. In this regard, substantial effort needs to be invested to assure an evidence basis from the beginning of the planning of a policy, which is the basis of a sound and comprehensive reform. // This policy paper first elaborates on the policy making landscape in terms of its lack of transparency, which is deemed to be the precondition of a planned, and predictable participation of civil society organizations (CSOs) in policy making. Secondly, despite the lack of policy formulation as a discrete stage of policy making in the Serbian system, its elements are analyzed across other formally prescribed documents in order to pinpoint venues that offer possibilities for CSO participation. Next, the current informal and formal mechanisms of CSO participation are assessed. Finally, a brief reflection on the activities of the CS Office is given as it is the main impetus of change in this regard. Whereas the text focuses on the Serbian case, the recommendations are inspired by comparative experiences of Croatia and Montenegro.

AGRO-PREHRAMBENE ŠEME KVALITETA NA NIVOU EU. Potencijalne koristi zaštite srpskih proizvoda u kontekstu pregovora sa EU

Author(s): Ksenija Simović / Language(s): Serbian

The Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU. Unbreakable ties with the candidate countries

Author(s): Sena Marić / Language(s): English

2016 will be remembered as a year that brought unexpected political outcomes and outrages in the Western hemisphere. Nevertheless, 2017 is promising to be more intense than the previous year. During the first half of this year, the Netherlands will have parliamentary elections, while both parliamentary and presidential elections will be held in France. Furthermore, the United Kingdom will have only local elections,and possibly Italy. The national elections and glooming political uncertainty will have a great impact on the EU and its institutions, especially on the election of the new president of the European Parliament who will replace Martin Schultz. It is also expected that the question regarding Brexit and whether it should be initiated by the UK parliament or government will be solved. On the other hand, the agreement between the EU and Turkey regarding the migrant crisis and its containment remainson shaky ground. Terrorist attacks in Europe have never been more frequent and the last attack in Turkey on New Year's Eve showed that security problems will still be Europe's main issue. The smallest EU member - Malta, finds itself in the midst of the upcoming events while holding the EU's rotating Council Presidency. Malta together with the Netherlands and Slovakia, is a part of the current governing 'trio', which means that its governing priorities will be reflecting the strategic program of the 'trio'. Thus, Malta will continue initiatives that were alreadyput in place such as migration, security, internal marketand the EU's neighbourhood. However, as a small Mediterranean country, one of its main national interests will be further development of the EU's maritime policies. This CEP Insight will be focusing on the priorities of the Maltese presidency which should be considered by Serbian authorities, since they will be affecting the issues in which Serbia is directly involved.

(Un)success of Public Administration Reform in Serbia

Author(s): Vladimir V. Mihajlović,Milena Lazarević / Language(s): English

This year, as was the case in the previous years, the expert and political public were anticipating the European Commission annual report on the Serbia's EU accession process. Each year, the EC adopts a set of documents composed primarily of the candidate country reports, which include the state of play analysis, reports on conducted reforms, achieved progress in their path to EU membership and recommendations for priority areas that need further reform, as well as measures that ought to be taken. A recent issue of CEP insight provides an in depth analysis of the Serbia 2016 Report. In this document, we analyse the EC's assessment of Serbia in the field of public administration reform (PAR), one of the pillars of the Enlargement Strategy alongside the rule of law and economic governance.

Visegrad Bloc and the EU’s Future. Grand Aspirations behind Anti-Immigration Stances

Author(s): Sena Marić,Katarina Kosmina / Language(s): English

Despite a considerably assertive and costly media campaign, the Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán did not manage to convince the majority of Hungary's citizens that the issue of migrants/refugees is the most critical “for their own future and the future of Europe”. The 43,4% turnout (out of which 6% of votes were blank/invalid) at the infamous “quota referendum”, point to the fact that exploiting the topic of migrants in a populist manner is not sufficient to mobilise the general electorate, worried about everyday issues, such aseconomic conditions.

Slovak Presidency of the EU

Author(s): Sena Marić,Katarina Tadić,Dušan Protić / Language(s): English

From 1 July to 31 December 2016, Slovakia holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Slovak Presidency begins at a time when the Union faces unprecedented challenges: the outcome of the UK Referendum necessitates discussion regarding the future of the Union; the migration crisis raises questions about the functioning of the Schengen area; the recent terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels have exposed weaknesses in the area of internal security; the consequences of the economic and financial crisis are still rippling through the economies of the EU Member States. Nevertheless, the Slovak Presidency puts forward a positive agenda which seeks to promote solutions that take into account the long-term perspective of the EU. This INSIGHT-issue explores the programme of the Slovak Presidency in the light of Brexit, assessing its immediate ramification for the enlargement process. The insight also sets forth a comprehensive overview of what to expect in the next six months within other priority areas, particularly regarding the market and migration policy.

Brexit or Not? What Consequences for the Enlargement Policy?

Author(s): Milena Lazarević,Sena Marić / Language(s): English

In the early hours of the 24th of June, the results of the British EU membership referendum were announced. Against the betting odds, against the predictions of market actors, and against the last minute polls, with a turnout of 72.2% and with a margin of 3.8%, the voters decided that the UK should leave the European Union. This unprecedented event has ushered in a period of political and economic turmoil in the UK: David Cameron resigned and the Conservative Party will hold a leadership election; the Labour shadow ministers resigned en masse and the Labour MPs held a no confidence vote against their leader; the second Scottish independence referendum is on the agenda; Northern Ireland’s status is under question; economic forecasts are grim. Economic spillover effects are expected across the EU, its neighbours and beyond, and potential political instability within the EU looms ... The Brexit referendum has left the continent with a number of uncertainties. This issue of INSIGHT develops three possible outcomes of the current situation, based on which it discusses potential consequences of the leave vote on the EU enlargement policy. It argues that as long as the Brexit issue remains unresolved, the EU enlargement policy will suffer.

Dutch EU Presidency. What to Expect?

Author(s): Milena Lazarević,Sena Marić,Katarina Kosmina,Lana Radovanović / Language(s): English

Starting from 1 January 2016, the Netherlands took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Luxembourg, which held it for the second half of 2015. Publications on the Presidency’s official website indicate that they plan to focus on the essentials, by which they mean innovation, growth, jobs, and stronger relationships with civil society organisations and EU citizens. The realisation of these topics, however, might be hampered by a set of issues which depend on external circumstances and which the EU needs to tackle together with the third-party actors, namely the refugee and migration influx, issues related to its common energy policy and the looming question of Brexit. While these questions also feature prominently in the Dutch “State of the European Union” report as priority areas, the Presidency cannot control and influence their development to the extent it can other defined priorities. Considering their level of complexity and urgency, the question remains of whether the proposed essentials can really be the Presidency’s primary focus. For that reason, this issue of INSIGHT provides analysis on the state of play in the issues of energy policy, refugee and migration influx and the British EU membership referendum and it looks at how the Dutch Presidency plans to manage these issues.

The 2015 Enlargement Package: What is New and How it Helps the Enlargement Countries?

Author(s): Milena Lazarević,Sena Marić,Dragana Bajić / Language(s): English

The Enlargement Package, annually issued by the European Commission and comprising a strategy for the EU enlargement, including a set of country reports, has been impatiently awaited this year due to the long-announced improvements compared to the previous years. This particularly concerns the new approach to assessments in country-specific progress re-ports, i.e. the introduction of a number of changes in the reporting style in order to increase quality, reliability and transparency of reports. The new approach in the annual country re-ports, along with five-tier assessment scales, is also intended to increase comparability be-tween the countries as well as to provide the stakeholders with the possibility to scrutinise the process and the enlargement countries’ progress towards the EU. It places emphasis on the state of play in countries regarding their preparedness for membership and provides guid-ance for what should be done so as to meet the accession requirements. Although this novel-ty brings greater clarity and understanding about what needs to be done by a candidate coun-try, it is impossible to guess whether those recommendations represent a benchmark for the opening of a given negotiating chapter or merely a referral to the most relevant issue, which is to be dealt with in the following year. In other words, what is the connection between the Progress Reports’ recommendations and the opening and other benchmarks?

Lessons Not Learned. Commentary on the EU's 17-points Plan and its Alternative

Author(s): Katarina Kosmina,Lana Radovanović / Language(s): English

As the massive refugee influx continues to grow, the European Union is attempting and failing to find effective solutions. The most recent such attempt was the meeting in Brussels at the end of October, which gathered leaders from Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. The result of this meeting was the 17-points plan of action (the Plan). This CEP Insight deconstructs the Plan and provides critique of its most controversial measures. Furthermore, the Temporary Protection Directive is presented, explained, and advocated for as an alternative solution to the current crisis. Finally, the article considers the repercussions of the Plan in the context of Serbia.

Handling the Refugee Influx. Between the Lwas, Borders and Political Discourses

Author(s): Lana Radovanović,Katarina Kosmina / Language(s): English

When speaking about the refugees currently arriving in Europe, it is rather difficult to focus on one relevant dimension: the legal framework, border policy, and political discourse - all converge to affect both how we speak and act on the issues arising from the mass influx of refugees on the territory of the European Union. This article attempts to deconstruct the EU’s response to the current ‘crisis’ and outline its relevance for Serbia’s asylum strategy. The focus will be on relevant EU legislation, such as the Dublin III Regulation, and ensuing issues, as well as the response taken regarding border policies and political discourse.

Better Regulation Package: Regulating More or Regulating Less?

Author(s): Amanda Orza,Milena Lazarević / Language(s): English

Better regulation is not a novelty, but a continuation of previous efforts through different means. This time around, there were great expectations from the package and its influence on policy formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. From the onset, Commission President Juncker showed unequivocal political support for the better regulation agenda. A clear indication was the fact that within the ‘two-tier’ College of Commissioners, the senior strand was to be led by Frans Timmermans, the First Vice-President responsible for inter alia the better regulation portfolio. Suchan action spurred a lot of hope of the magnitude of reforms aiming at the simplification and streamlining of superfluous EU legislation. According to Juncker’s mission letter to Timmermans, every new initiative will have to go through and receive the green light from the VP in order to assure the respect of subsidiarity and proportionality, and to reduce the activity of the Commission to merely those which genuinely represent added value if acting on the EU level.This article will go through the main changes that the packages bring to conclude on their feasibility in the near future, and relevance to Serbia.

Luxembourg Presidency of the EU. Focus on the Refugee Crisis

Author(s): Sena Marić / Language(s): English

The past spring and summer of the European continent have been, without any doubt, marked by two hot topics: “the greferendum” – Greek referendum and the conditions for staying in the Eurozone; as well as now the already chronic exodus of refugees from the Middle East and Africa to European countries. While the first one falls under the competence of the “troika”, comprising the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the matters of migration and asylum policy are shared between the EU member states and the European Parliament – and are thereby one of the top priority issues of the current Luxembourg Presidency of the Council. Current priorities of the three countries are defined very broadly, and the task of each country is to make them more concrete and in line with the topical issues and needs. Since we have already argued on the priorities of the Italian and Latvian presidency, and since they do not essentially differ from those defined by Luxembourg, this insight will focus on the refugee crisis issue, as one of the topics that dominated the Luxembourg agenda in the past July, i.e. the first month of the 6-month long Luxembourg Presidency, and which, judging by the most recent opinion polls, currently brings the most concerns to the EU citizens

EU Institutions and Citizens. How Does the Past Lack of Communication Affect the Present?

Author(s): Sena Marić / Language(s): English

What would have been the outcome of the recent Greek referendum if the European Union had engaged in a "yes" campaign? If the French and Dutch citizens had not rejected the Constitutional Treaty 10 years ago, how would the European Union look today? Or, what would the present situation look like if an open debate had been set up, focusing on the changing demographic picture of Europe, inability to stop immi-gration, and the ways in which the EU can act in relation to these issues? As it may be, if the European Commission had invested more in public relations and communication with European citizens over the past two decades, we would be living in a different Europe. It is indeed surprising that, despite the widely recognized problem of European citizens’ alienation from the EU institutions and unawareness of the basic information regarding the functioning of this community, there has been no unified and coherent EU communication policy. This text is pointed out by extensive public opinion polls biannually conducted by the Eurobarometer. They revealed that the trust of EU citizens in European institutions and the EU has been continually decreasing from 2007 to the present date.

Lobbying in the EU demystified ... and what does it all mean for Serbia?

Author(s): Amanda Orza / Language(s): English

We hear a lot about Commissioners and MEPs reinventing themselves into lobbyists and working for the private sector following the end of their mandate. We also hear a lot about the influence that the corporate interests have on European Union policies with little regard for the common citizen. But is it all as bad as it is covered? CEP Associate Sofia Tzortzi wrote some time ago a commentary explaining what lobbying is, what activities it constitutes and who the people who lobby in theEU are. Not to repeat her arguments, she rightfully concluded that lobbying representsa broad range of activities that aim to influence policy making and a particularpolicy, and that therefore everyone lobbies - trade associations and consumer organisations, non-profits, foundations, private actors, governments of member statesas well as third countries, etc. Still, lobbying remains a dirty word in the vocabulary across the Union since it is regarded as the defence of corporate interests at the expense of the public and civic interests such as the environment, or women's andworkers' rights. This article seeks to open the discussion on how maliciousLobbying remains adirty word in the vocabulary across the European Union, as it is regarded as the defense of corporate interests at the expense of the public and civil interests. As the European project extended beyond the strictly market-related policies, the citizens began to understand that the regulatory policies of the EU concern them. Eversince, the debates on democratic legitimacy of the EU decision-making have heated up and the system saw itself constantly justifying its existence. lobbying is in reality and reflect on a few interesting studies that looked into the issueof whose interests prevail and through which mechanisms, in order to have amore nuanced picture of what is actually going on in the lobbying world in Brussels and how it is relevant for Serbia.