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20 let Politiky Soudržnosti jako Danajský Dar?

Author(s): Vít Havelka / Language(s): Czech

It has been 20 years since the Czech Republic and 9 other Central, Southern and Eastern European countries joined the European Union. This happened with the promise of increased welfare and the so-called economic catching-up of the post-communist part of Europe. Cohesion policy was to play a key role here. In this context, it is necessary to emphasize that the last 20 years have been a great economic success for the Czech Republic. There has been convergence expressed in both GDP and wages. Czechs today earn the same as the Portuguese, and while in 2004 the salary level reached approximately 1/3 of the EU average, today the Czech wage represents 2/3 of the European Union average2. An analysis by the Government Office from 2021 estimated that thanks to the influx of money from the European Union, the Czech GDP increased by up to 5.7% compared to the situation where the Czech Republic would not have had access to European funds.

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Securing Europe’s Lithium Future: The Cinovec Project and sustainable Lithium Mining

Author(s): Jonathan Lyons,Sofia Pahor-Chochoy / Language(s): English

The Cinovec project has a large economic potential as it enhances the ability to secure domestic and regional supply of lithium, which is otherwise very geographically concentrated outside of Europe. Europe relies on a handful of countries, particularly China, for the import of lithium for the production of EV batteries. The project, owned by the Australian company European Metals Holdings (EMH) and ČEZ Group, plans to start mining in 2026. However, mining operations are polluting and do not always have a track record of bringing benefits to local communities. The ČEZ Group, which is 70% owned by the Czech government, should increase the pressure on the project to deliver on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects, including water, soil and air pollution. Particularly, the fact that the Czech government holds a stake in the Cinovec project via ČEZ Group should help ensure that the project will deliver benefits for the local community. The outlined recommendations of this paper aim to bolster sustainability and align mining practices of the Czech Republic with global environmental practices, by underlining the importance of enhancing transparency with local communities, environmental protection, integration of renewable energy sources (RES) in mining and localising the processing for economic and environmental prosperity.

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FROM STICK SHIFT TO SKILL SHIFT? Reskilling of automotive's employees in the eyes of the industry's stakeholders

Author(s): Rebeka Hengalová / Language(s): English

The transition of the automotive sector will havenegative effects on employment in the sector if the changing skill needs will not be addressed by large-scale, targeted up- and reskilling programmes. In theCzech Republic, this could have economy-wide repercussions and endanger one of the biggestemployers and industries in the country. The report calls for a coordinated sector-wide strategy for up- and reskilling, following the principles of a just, equitable and sustainable transformation of a core industry in line with the climate policies of the EU and beyond.

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Barriers and Benefits of Energy Communities in the European Union

Author(s): Alžbeta Gavalcová / Language(s): English

Energy communities are an effective means to decentralize and renew our energy systems with sustainable solutions as they are usually based on renewable energy. They have already started emerging in 1970´s, yet there has been a significant increase in their development only in recent years, also in terms of their introduction into the EU legislation. Especially in Western and Northern European countries the concept already enjoys vast popularity. On the other hand, in Central and Eastern European countries (further referred to as CEE) energy communities are only beginning to emerge.1 The policy brief (based on literature and interviews with various stakeholders2) examines the benefits energy communities may bring, and more importantly, the main obstacles remaining in their way for greater evolution in the CEE region – and especially Visegrad countries (V4). As these initiatives progress, sharing the best practices will ensure the success of the community energy in the energy transition.

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Enhancing Governance, Stakeholder Involvement, and Communication in Czech Recovery Planning: Strategic Lessons for Ukraine

Author(s): Alina Boiko / Language(s): English

This policy paper delves into the Czech Republic’s approach to implementing its National Recovery and Resilience Plan (hereafter RRP) and extracts vital lessons that could be instrumental for Ukraine in enhancing its policy implementation capabilities. The primary research question guiding this investigation is: “How can the governance, stakeholder engagement, and communication strategies in the Czech RRP implementation provide actionable lessons for Ukraine to bolster its institutional capacity for recovery plan implementation and enhance the effectiveness of policy formulation?”

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The Strategic Culture of the European Union in the Sahel EU-initiatives in Niger

Author(s): Hanga Horváth-Sántha / Language(s): English

The Sahel region continues to face several challenges, including poverty and lack of economic prospects, food insecurity, rapid demographic growth, inter-ethnic conflicts, jihadist terrorism and climate change. While it is important to note that these affect different parts of the region to different degrees, the challenges are interlinked and mutually reinforcing, further complicating the situation.1 For instance, the demographic growth and food insecurity are exacerbated by climate change, fuelling tensions between different communities, which militant Islamist insurgents are exploiting for the purpose of radicalisation and recruitment. During the past three years the fragile states of the region have seen a string of military coups: the military overthrow of Chad’s government in April 2021 and the coups in Mali (August 2020 and May 2021) and Burkina Faso (January and September 2022), as well as the military coups in Niger (July 2023) and Gabon (August 2023) all serve as a reminder that the Sahel region remains politically extremely unstable. Considering the factors mentioned above, the Sahel region has been a concern for Europe for more than a decade. Experience shows that instability in the Sahel can have spillover effects, potentially leading to increased terrorism, irregular migration, and the spread of illegal activities that all may impact European security. Identifying the challenges of the region through a comprehensive framework, which – a beside security-related issues – includes the ever so important questions of sustainable development, human rights, good governance, food security and green energy, the European Union has been active in the Sahel for over a decade.

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Time to Redefine the Terms and Conditions of the Transatlantic Relationship? 2021 Transatlantic Policy Forum in Review

Author(s): Danielle Piatkiewicz,Alexandra Visnerova / Language(s): English

Prior to the Forum, researchers at EUROPEUM published a background paper titled “Evaluating Transatlantic Relations – for better or for worse’’. The goal of background paper was to evaluate the new transatlantic agenda and goals of both EU and the US and assess how the two sides can work closer together to tackle geopolitical challengers, align on security, trade, climate, and digital policies. The paper also offers recommendations on how to strengthen the transatlantic relationship, with special emphasis placed on the Central and Eastern European region. This policy paper builds upon those ideas and those discussed at the Forum. It aims to provide a debrief and analysis of the discussions that were held, respecting the Chatham House Rule and, therefore, preserving the anonymity of participants. The aim of this analysis is to highlight and develop the main findings among the participants. The Forum provided a wide range of inputs and interesting takeaways, including recommendations and a transatlantic “To-Do list”, which outlines action points and suggestions for the transatlantic partnership moving forward.

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Gendering Europe’s Security and Recovery Responses to Ukraine

Author(s): Míla O’Sullivan / Language(s): English

Russia’s full-scale genocidal invasion of Ukraine has been fundamentally reshuffling the security landscape and policymaking in Europe. The European Union (EU), North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), and individual governments have responded with unprecedented military, humanitarian and political support to Ukraine and the adoption of restrictive measures towards the Russian Federation. Yet, these responses to Russia’s war on Ukraine have been profoundly gendered, effectively side-lining the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and other gender norms that form Europe’s core democratic values and underpin various domestic and external policies. This policy paper argues that side-lining gender as a ‘soft’ issue for later cannot be justified because gender dynamics are at the centre of soft and hard security right now, shaping all possible aspects of the war cycle, be it military, humanitarian, economic, social, legal, informational or ideational. This paper shows that it is now urgent to centre the gender dimension and Ukrainian women’s voices at all levels of Europe’s engagement with Ukraine. To do so, Europe must focus on the following: 1. Respond to Russia’s dangerous weaponization of gender politics and its direct impact on war violence; 2. Recognize and build upon gender progress and Ukrainian women’s agency in resistance and relief; 3. Prioritize gendered intersectional approach and women’s socioeconomic security in post-war reconstruction and recovery.

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Serbia and its foreign policy alignment after the war in Ukraine

Author(s): Ferenc Németh / Language(s): English

The war in Ukraine has resulted in an increased demand for candidate countries to align with the EU common foreign and security policy (CFSP). Given its special partnership with Russia and internal political dynamics, Serbia’s alignment with the EU’s foreign policy declarations and restrictive measures significantly decreased in 2022. There is no real incentive for Serbia to harmonize its foreign policy with the EU, however, assistance from the EU to gradually reduce Belgrade’s dependency on Russia might be beneficial to trigger a higher degree of alignment in the long-run.

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EU Platform Workers’ Directive. A Test for Regulating the Future of Work

Author(s): Silke Maes / Language(s): English

In December 2021, the Commission launched a proposal for a directive on improving working conditions in platform work. The initiative has three goals: to address the misclassification of employment status; improve transparency, fairness and accountability of algorithmic practices; and improve the transparency of platform work, including in cross-border situations. - The platform economy presents great social challenges, and national actions have led to fragmentation, endangering the level playing field and making Eulevel legislative action much needed. The directive is equally seen as an important test case for regulating atypical work and algorithmic management in the future.

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EU Regulation of Workplace Algorithms in the Czech Republic: climbing up the Innovation Ladder at the Expense of Workers?

Author(s): Klára Votavová / Language(s): English

As negotiations of new legislation progress, this paper highlights key trends, dilemmas and challenges regarding regulation of workplace artificial intelligence in the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic is emblematic of countries in the EU’s economic semi-periphery, hoping that the ongoing twin transition will allow it to finally “catch up” with its richer counterparts. As the paper claims, this accent on competitiveness and innovations may lead to at least a partial decrease of workers’ rights, as there is usually a trade-off between the two.

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Fond spravedlivé transformace: šance pro české uhelné regiony?

Author(s): Zuzana Vondrová / Language(s): Czech

Environment and Climate are currently one of the most important topics in Europe – 93% of EU citizens consider climate change to be a serious problem. Last year, the demand for environmental attention was reflected in Brussels, for example, by the appointment of a European Commission President with a “green” agenda and the declaration of a climate emergency by the European Parliament. At the end of the year, the Commission presented a comprehensive strategy, the so-called European Green Deal, which aims to transform Europe into the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. From 2021, environmental spending will represent a larger share of the EU budget than ever before.

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Klimatická změna: může sjednotit rozdělenou společnost?

Author(s): Lucie Vinařská / Language(s): Czech

The impacts of human activity on the environment are gradually taking their toll in the form of an increase in the average temperature on the planet. This is now a scientifically proven fact and the subject of debate is now how to most effectively reduce the negative impacts of climate change on society, nature and the economy. But how does Czech society view this? Climate change is contributing to the ongoing environmental crisis, including drought, soil degradation, species extinction and migration. Although climate change will gradually affect everyone in the future, there are still sceptical views in society regarding the urgency and the necessary response. The key is the willingness and priorities of individual actors. How willing is Czech society to address climate change? It is not only in Czech society that dividing lines are emerging in the climate debate. The question therefore arises: how significantly is Czech society divided in its perception of climate change? Is this a topic that could possibly unite Czech society?

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The post-pandemic future of the Transatlantic Relations – Time to Rebuild or Repair?

Author(s): Danielle Piatkiewicz,Miroslava Pisklová / Language(s): English

This analysis will examine the US and EU’s diverging approaches to global issues, challenges and external challengers, such as Russia and China. As demonstrated by the Trump administration, the US is retreating on many of its multilateral and international commitments – how will the Transatlantic relationship look like if there is a second Trump term as opposed to if Biden takes over? Is the relationship irreparably damaged or can it be repaired? Finally, this paper will examine the future of transatlantic security under the framework of NATO’s 2030 reflection process and appraise how the new security landscape will look like post-COVID, especially as external threats mount and impact the Central and Eastern European front.

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Jak udržitelně financovat klimatickou neutralitu v České Republice?

Author(s): David Němeček / Language(s): Czech

To achieve truly sustainable climate neutrality, systemic changes in the approach of financial sector actors will be needed. The field of sustainable finance deals with this issue. In addition to spending on reducing emissions, the government can develop so-called green budgeting approaches, introduce environmental taxes or manage ministries based on climate targets and metrics. Regardless of the global practice of climate risk management and the recommendations of European regulators, the Czech National Bank is very skeptical about the climate agenda. At the same time, the bank has a whole range of tools with which it can contribute to the sustainability of the economy: disclosure obligations, climate stress tests or support for risk management. Although social and environmental responsibility does not currently play a fundamental role for Czech investors, it is a matter of time before trends such as the disclosure of investment portfolios, impact investing according to ESG factors or so-called green and transition bonds reach the Czech Republic. However, a sustainable future will not depend only on the right choice of tools, it will involve a fundamental reassessment of the economic system in general.

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Rebuilding the Transatlantic Relationship – Transatlantic Policy Forum in Review

Author(s): Danielle Piatkiewicz,Miroslava Pisklová / Language(s): English

The paper follows an early analysis that explored whether to rebuild or repair transatlantic relations post-pandemic and provided additional background and context to the themes discussed at the Forum. This policy paper aims to provide a debrief and analysis of the discussions that were held, respecting the Chatham House Rule and therefore preserving the anonymity of participants. The aim of this analysis is to highlight and develop the main takeaways between participants around the Forum’s core focus points, which included the transatlantic approaches towards economic and trade relations, diverging approaches towards external challengers and threats such as Russia and China, the future of transatlantic security under the framework of NATO’s 2030 reflection process and appraised how the new security landscape will look like post-COVID. The Forum provided a wide range of inputs and interesting takeaways, including recommendations and a transatlantic “to-do list”, which outlines action points on how the US and the EU should approach the given challenges outlined at the Forum ranging from increased multilateral collaboration to further development of economic and security engagement. It is worth noting that the discussions took place ahead of the 2020 US Presidential election results, however, both options, either a prolonged Trump or a new Biden administration, and their meaning for the transatlantic relations, were discussed extensively.

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EU membership of the Western Balkan states in times of crisis: From a strategic choice to protracted inertia

Author(s): Marko Stojić / Language(s): English

The process that began twenty years ago has not yet resulted in sustainable political and economicchanges aimed at stabilising and democratising this turbulent region. Apart from North Macedonia and, to some extent, Albania that have made progress in meeting the conditions for the launch of their EUmembership talks, most (potential) candidates have stagnated or regressed in implementing reformsneeded to join the Union. The Commission noted that ‘credible progress in the rule of law area remainsa significant challenge’ and that ‘democratic systems in the Western Balkans are still not functioningproperly’, while ‘urgent efforts are necessary to ensure freedom of expression and the independence ofthe media across the entire region’.1 Although more detailed and critical in assessing the state of play ineach (potential) candidate, the Commission nevertheless missed an opportunity to call things by theirreal name, to directly point out the areas where candidates not only made no strides but also backslid,and offer more concrete – if not punitive –measures to overcome what is now a chronic lack of progress.The Commission reports also show that there are arguably no fundamental differences betweencountries negotiating EU membership for years and those that are yet to start accession talks, castingdoubt on how much the EU genuinely contributes to the transformation of the aspiring members andtheir preparation for joining the bloc.

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Behavioural Science for the Environment

Author(s): Milan Urbaník / Language(s): English

To effectively address climate change, both structural and behavioural policies are needed. To formulate effective and efficient behavioural policies, the government should establish Behavioural Policy Team. The agency of the team should be to design policies that are conducive to facilitating behavioural changes against unsustainable behaviours, such as high energy and water consumption or polluting transportation. Furthermore, the team should test different approaches through randomization to determine the best value-for-money policies.

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Czech EU presidency: Basis for a Successful Implementation

Author(s): Vít Havelka / Language(s): English

Czech policy makers must not resort to a partisan programme of the Czech presidency. Strong antipathy between government and opposition might create a fragile political environment for the presidency. Czech priorities must be thoroughly discussed with partners in trio, and the Czech Republic should closely coordinate its intentions with Sweden in order to counterbalance French influence. Space of Czech initiatives will be limited due to the current phase of the EP legislative period, and the Czechs should thus focus only on particular issues that they consider vital – single market policies, environmental policies, and innovation. The EU presidency must be used for EU membership promotion in the Czech Republic. Importantly, there should take place high-level meetings in the Czech Republic and outside of Prague.

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Cross-generational Cooperation in the Workplace. Development of Networks of Cross-generational Teams of Individual EU States, as a Tool to Achieve the EU's Competitive Advantage in the Global Market

Author(s): Lenka Farkačová / Language(s): English

The innovative potential of EU countries is mainly influenced by expanding automation, robotization and digitization, as well as demographic developments and advancing globalization. These trends bring with it a complex and structured system of changes associated with several human activities, including the labour market. Transmission of the so-called tacit knowledge is becoming a key area as well as the follow-up ability to cooperate between individuals. Because of ageing population in selected countries, for instance in the Czech Republic, Italy, Slovakia and Germany, cross-generational cooperation can seem like an essential new skill in the contemporary world. It is important to say that the issue of population ageing is a crucial problem throughout the EU. Over past 10 years, the European Union Member States have seen an increase of Old Age dependency ratio (% of the population aged 65 years or more relative to the population aged 15-64 years) by an average of more than 4 pp. (EUROSTAT, 2020). For instance, according to the data from Eurostat, the figure was 25 % in 2005 and 29 % in 2015. For this reason, the aim of the analysis is to demonstrate the importance of cross-generational cooperation as a present and future ability of individuals in the labour market and to find out how their networks could be developed.

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