EU Accession Process Research Articles

Does Western Linkage Guarantee Democratization?: The Case of EU Accession Process and Turkey

Does Western Linkage Guarantee Democratization?: The Case of EU Accession Process and Turkey

Shut Out? South East Europe and the EU's New Industrial Policy

This paper explores the potential role of industrial policy to stimulate post-crisis recovery in South East Europe (SEE). Policy reactions in the region have focused on fiscal consolidation and austerity, while the design of active industrial policies to improve competitiveness has been less in evidence. The paper reviews the experience of industrial policies in the EU and shows how these policies have evolved from vertical to horizontal approaches, and how the latter versions of policy have been transferred to the accession states in SEE. The paper reviews the evolution of industrial policies in eight countries of the region and the impact of these policies on industrial production. It argues that the horizontal industrial policies that have been imposed on SEE countries through conditionality embodied in the EU accession process have left their economies vulnerable to adverse spillovers from the eurozone crisis. It concludes with an assessment of the relevance of industrial policies to economic recovery, and questions whether SEE has been ‘shut out’ of the ‘fresh’ vertical industrial policy that has been adopted by the EU in recent years.

Challenges of the accession process to the European Union: study case on adoption of the acquis communautaire chapter on social policy and employment

Improvement of the EU social protection coordination is supported by monitor of social performances of the member states alongside adjustment of the negotiation process with candidate countries. The paper is focus on the evolution of adopting the social policy and employment chapter of the acquis communautaire in the case of fifth and sixth EU enlargements waves. The stable elements of this negotiation chapter are overviewed as well as period of time needed, and transitory measures established for each of the Central and East European countries. Comparative analyse of sensitive aspects within pre-accession and post-accession phases support further in-depth understanding of EU versus domestic priorities in the social field. The research hypothesis is that the standard bureaucracy of adopting the social acquis communautaire is a rather “top down” decisional process than a “bottom up” one. Legislative harmonization and strengthening the institutional framework in the field of social policy and employment could create unexpected and even opposite effects related to long term national capacity of newly member state to accomplish EU common goals. In terms of methodology, the paper is based on desk research of domestic and EU regulations related to negotiation of social policy and employment chapter, EU and national monitoring reports. Preliminary research outputs focus on the two steps fifth wave of the EU enlargement (2004 and 2007) emphasized differences among countries “ready” to adopt the social acquis (i.g. Estonia, Malta) and “less ready” ones (Bulgaria, Poland, Romania). In terms of adaptation capacity to new socio-economic challenges, chapter 13 “Social policy and employment” of the fifth wave of EU accession process acquis communautaire became chapter 19 as part of the sixth one. The paper contributes to a constructive assessment of development of the acquis communautaire as an exercise to improve the social coordination with (potential) candidate countries to EU. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n22p209

Local histories, European LGBT designs: Sexual citizenship, nationalism, and “Europeanisation” in post-Yugoslav Croatia and Serbia

Synopsis The article addresses the ways in which the homonationalist discourses and “leveraged pedagogy” of sexuality present in the context of the EU accession process in Croatia and Serbia have been negotiated by the local pro-EU political elites. The paper argues that while contributing to positive, though limited, transformations of national legal frameworks, homonationalist discourses have simultaneously facilitated the increased resistance to struggles for sexual equality. Based on comparative analysis, the article shows how global and European homonationalism produces uneven, differential, and heterogeneous effects on sexual citizenship in the locations and within communities that are objects of its “othering.” Therefore, in order to make productive use of positive examples when addressing the existing inequalities based on sexuality, the article concludes that both global and local constellations should be taken into account.

Contested Terrain of Sexual Citizenship: EU Accession and the Changing Position of Sexual Minorities in the Post-Yugoslav Context

The paper traces the transformation of sexual citizenship in the context of the European Union accession process in post-Yugoslav space. It focuses on the ways in which the tensions between nationalism and nation-building related to the disintegration of SFR Yugoslavia and transnational process of EU enlargement influence the changing position of sexual minorities in Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro. While looking at the dynamic interplay between the competing visions of nation and national community, EU accession process, and the citizenship status of sexual minorities in these three states, the paper argues that, rather than representing an unambiguously liberating force, EU accession in the post-Yugoslav context has facilitated the turning of sexual citizenship into a contested terrain where struggles over ‘Europeanness’, liberal pluralism, and national identity take place.

Changing Dynamics of Regional Policyin Turkey: Resistance for Multi-level Governance

This article investigates the relationship between Europeanization and regionalization processes in Turkey. In this respect, it analyses the causes and mechanisms encouraging regionalization process during the EU accession process. Findings suggest that while some of the changes are considered as direct effects of Europeanization (i.e., the adoption of NUTS classification), other developments (i.e. the creation of regional development agencies and their role in regional planning and allocation of national funds) are invoked by indirect mechanisms of Europeanization. The findings also illustrate that although the EU's credibility has declined after 2005 and its regional policy have shifted towards the more centralized model in the post-Lisbon era, developments in these areas in Turkey have gone to opposite directions, more accurately, through the more regionalized model. These changes not only reflect the pre-Lisbon practices of EU regional policy and structural funds underlining a spill-over effect resulting from the dissemination of EU practices and policies, but also contain the spices of Turkish administrative tradition.

Between competition imperative and Europeanisation: the case of Higher Education reform in Poland

While the Europeanisation of Higher Education (HE) systems has triggered much debate, the relationship between European factors and domestic economic processes, has been less thoroughly analysed. This article analyses HE reforms in the light of two parallel processes, which have shaped this sector: the introduction of market mechanisms and a gradual Europeanisation. The Polish HE makes a good case study of the relationship between both processes as it has been shaped by the contingencies inherent to the establishment of a liberal economic regime. Another set of inputs originated from the conditionality of the EU accession process, which coincided with the launching of the Bologna Process. While the post-communist transformations entailed the large-scale privatisation of the HE system, the Bologna Process defined the role of the sector as supporting a ‘knowledge-based economy’, an agenda promoted by the Lisbon strategy and international institutions in the field. Trying to combine the study of policy practice and narratives this article takes into account the legislative outcomes as well as the reform debates based both on economic arguments and on the necessity to ‘catch up with Europe’.

Post-Experiential Education: from Knowledge to ‘Knowing’

In the era of globalization of world markets, movement of the European Union toward the knowledge-based society, and Serbia's EU accession process, competition has become one of the most important characteristics of successful development and achievement of these objectives. The existing competitiveness indices are discussed in this study, and it has been found that they do not reflect the position of transition countries and Serbia appropriately. A great impact of the quality indicators on Serbian ranking was determined based on the analysis of the existing studies. A new, original index is therefore proposed - the Competitiveness Index of the Knowledge-Based Society. The index is applied to 18 territorial units, including the EU and the Western Balkan countries, Serbia, and Vojvodina as a European region. The new model set out in this article provides a more realistic and objective picture of the state of Serbia and the Western Balkans as regards the competitiveness of knowledge. In other words, the new competitiveness model of knowledge-based society provides a better monitoring of the development of the Republic of Serbia and the Western Balkans on their way towards development of knowledge society. The results are analyzed and discussed.

10.5937/pravzap0-6046 = Harmonization of national environmental regulations with European Union law

Environmental sector is becoming more and more apparent in our country, especially if we bear in considerations the commitments of the Republic of Serbia in the EU accession process. Since March 2012, Serbia harmonized its regulations as a candidate country, and Chapter 27 - Environment, is one of the most important, most challenging and most difficult chapters of the acquis communautaire. In this paper, weighing the acquis communautaire, as a document that must be adopted and transposed into national legislation, pointing at the current compliance regulations in the field of environmental protection in the Republic of Serbia. Basis for the analysis includes following criteria: progress in the transposition of EU legislation, the adoption of a set of four systemic laws in 2004, and the adoption of a far greater number of laws and by-laws in 2009; adopted National Strategy for the approximation of the environment; Consideration - analysis of the process of harmonization of national legislation with EU regulations; proposals for improving the harmonization process. In conclusion, the analysis estimated that the progress in the process of harmonization of national legislation with the EU acquis communautaire in the field of environment, directly depends on national politics, financial adjustment, the level of development of national legislation and administrative capacity expansion.

Turkish Border Regions and Cross-Border Cooperation in the EU Accession Process: The Case of Edirne and Kırklareli

Turkish Border Regions and Cross-Border Cooperation in the EU Accession Process: The Case of Edirne and Kırklareli

The importance of auditing for the EU accession process

Orientation towards market economy and the desire to include the countries of former Yugoslavia in the modern economic courses required the reform of the economic system and thus reform of the accounting system was a necessary prerequisite for achieving this goal. A change of the accounting system was required in order to adapt to the accounting systems of developed countries, which practically meant that former accounting rules have been replaced by accounting standards. Accounting standards provide the necessary information for the management to make decisions. The management of modern business enterprise is faced with the need for business decision-making in relation to the achievement of business goals, which is a minimum requirement for the activities of the company carried out efficiently, effectively, efficiently and fairly.

The Integration of Western Balkan Industries into the EU Internal Market: Recent Trends in the Trade of Manufactured Goods

The EU accession process of the Western Balkan countries has been accompanied by a major increase in commodity trade with the EU Member States. Consequently, the EU has become the most important trading partner of the Western Balkan countries, but exports from the Western Balkans have been mainly based on low value‐added products (resource‐ and labor‐intensive ones). This chapter sets out to analyze changes in the dynamics and pattern of trade in products of the manufacturing industry between the Western Balkan region and the EU over the past couple of years. Particular attention has been paid to changes that occurred in the wake of the recent global economic crisis. For the purpose of analysis, the data on commodity trade provided by Eurostat has been used. Based on the results of this analysis, we have concluded that the region, as a whole, continues to specialize in the export of labor‐intensive products, such as garments and footwear, and resource‐intensive products, such as metals and wood. When more sophisticated goods, such as machinery and transport equipment, are considered, an increase in the volume of exports, as well as their share, can be observed. It also seems that some of the countries are specializing in the production and export of certain types of machinery and transport equipment, but we could not observe a common regional pattern.

Croatia's Framework for Minority Rights: New Legal Prospects within the Context of European Integration

This work is a case study on the legal patterns for managing ethnic relations in Croatia within the context of European integration. The significance of European formal and informal engagement in this process is particularly highlighted. The main research questions in this article are: What has been the impact of the EU accession process on legislation on minority rights in Croatia? How efficient has Croatia been in making use of certain elements from the Communist era and elaborating new and up-to-date models for the management of ethnic relations? What is demonstrated is that Croatia has been successful in arranging an adequate and viable framework for the protection of minority rights that is highly consistent with European standards.

EU Accession, NGOs, and Human Rights: Discrimination Against the Roma in Slovenia and Croatia

This paper measures discrimination against the Roma (commonly known by the disfavored term Gypsies) to test the ground level efficacy of two strategies of human rights improvement: top-down diffusion and bottom-up change. The study spans three towns, Murska Sobota and Novo mesto in Slovenia and Cakovec in Croatia, and includes over 600 subjects. Levels of discrimination were estimated via trust games played with money, which are particularly appropriate because the Roma are widely stereotyped as cheaters and thieves. The findings suggest that the EU accession process, widely regarded as an exceptionally strong incentive-based mechanism of rights diffusion, does not severely reduce discrimination on the ground. Instead, they suggest that ground level organizing aimed at improving relations between Roma and non-Roma helps reduce discrimination.

Europeanization of State Capacity and Foreign Policy: Turkey in the Middle East

Turkey's growing regional presence in the Middle East has been at the centre of several debates recently. This article approaches the debate on Turkey's foreign policy towards the Middle East from a Europeanization perspective. The article assesses the Europeanization of state capacity in relation to Turkey's foreign policy towards the Arab Middle East from 1999 to 2010. It is argued that Turkey's EU accession process has transformed the state, business and increased state capacity to implement Turkey's foreign policy towards the Middle East. This transformation enabled the Turkish government and business actors to improve Turkey's political and economic relations with the Arab Middle East.

Unfair Consumer Contract Terms Under Macedonian Law: How the Old and the New Function in Practice

This article analyses the functioning in practice of the system of substantive regulation of unfair terms in consumer contracts, introduced into Macedonian law as part of the harmonization obligations of the EU accession process. Specifically, the article seeks to establish the possible reasons for the absence of substantial evidence of application of the rules on unfair contract terms in consumer contracts in Macedonian practice. In providing an explanation, the focus is on the transposition of the consumer acquis and the Unfair Contract Terms Directive into national law, the enforcement structure for consumer law, and the relationship with the pre-existing civil law. In sum, the inconsistencies and incompleteness of the transposition, the weak and complex enforcement structure, as well as the unsettled relationship with the already existing civil law rules on similar topics have all contributed to weaken the practical significance of the special law on unfair contract terms.

The ‘Europeanization’ of the Religious Cleavage in Turkey: The Case of the Alevis

The EU accession process reveals a series of paradoxes, which are not merely indicative of the complexity of Turkey's state–religion relations in general but also point to how the Justice and Development Party (JDP) government portrays controversies such as the Sunni–Alevi divide. The religious cleavages in Turkey have become Europeanized and found expression in the European political and legal structures. The Alevis have been one of the groups most affected by this issue partly because of their heterodox and transnational religious identity and partly as a result of their links with secularist political sectors. The paper underlines a dilemma of current Turkish politics. The case of the Alevis shows that the regime's current transformation undermines its basis through exclusion. The JDP's political strategy, focusing on the effective control of the mainstream Sunni base, does not willingly accept or tolerate the autonomy of some civil society groups, including the Alevis.

New fiscal role of the government in the transition of the agriculture in Serbia.

It is necessary to use huge potentials in agricultural and food processing sector in the Republic of Serbia during the EU accession process. Due to world economic crisis, lack of direct foreign investments, unfavorable conditions in banking sector and irrational usage of available resources, it is necessary to prepare agriculture in order to cope with free competition on the European market. Therefore, there is a need for appropriate support to agricultural development in line with international standards. This requires changes in course of national support to agroeconomic development in the fiscal area, or in other words, adoption of number of stimulating financial measures in agrarian policy of the Republic of Serbia.

Case Study of Institutional Assessments in the FDI Environment in Croatia

The aim of the paper is to present the findings and results of research and analysis done in the framework of the CARDS project generally dealing with the development of the business and investment climate in the Republic of Croatia and more specifically dealing with the assessment and activity analysis of the investment development stakeholders.In its first part, the paper gives a broad overview of some of the factors of investment and business environment important for the topic of 'institutional co-existence'. In its second part, the paper presents the ranking of Croatia and more information on the progress made in the EU accession process. The third part presents the findings related to the institutional assessment of investment policy stakeholders having their stake in the formulation of the FDI policy in Croatia. It presents in-depth the institutional and policy aspect of the regulation of business environment which covers the Ministry for Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship (MELE), Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (TIPA) as well as the regional development agency and others (such is one stop shop concept – HITRO.HR). Nevertheless, the roles, responsibilities, strategic goals and instruments are not clearly defined while the strong horizontal and vertical co-ordination between the various stakeholders is missing.Having the overview of the state of affairs and based on the examples from the good practices such are Czech Republic or United Kingdom as well as the activity analysis recommendations in the fourth part of the paper, in its fifth part the authors outline recommendations related to strengthening of the investment environment in Croatia and their impact at the general competitiveness score.

Compliance with Basel Norms by Banks of Turkey

The new European CRD or Basel II objectives are in full harmony with the EU accession process and the Banking reforms introduced by the Bretton Woods Institutions in Turkey since the early 2000's. In this context, the implementation of Basel It in tile Turkish financial sector is inherited through the EU accession programs and the Banking Sector Restructuring Reforms imposed by the supranational organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (tile Bank), Consequently, this paper is dedicated to analyzing the influence or each institution on the path to Basel II compliance in Turkey. It will start identifying the process of adopting the EU acquis and then detail the roles of supranational anchors and Turkish regulator. This paper will conclude with the Banking Restructuring program, which governs the current business practices at banks in Turkey and the impact of Basel II on current corporate banking practices and the financial stability of Turkey.