http://www.diigo.com/user/Wolfgangschumann/enlargement Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:57:29 -0000 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:57:29 -0000 http://www.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/macedonia-digs-heels-name-dispute/article-175153 <p></p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_candidates' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_candidates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/macedonia' rel='tag'>macedonia</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/westernbalkans' rel='tag'>westernbalkans</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:57:29 -0000 http://euobserver.com/9/26576/?rk=1 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content">Despite the arrest of Mr Karadzic, the EU has stopped short of rewarding Belgrade by giving the green light to implementation of the trade-related part of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) - a pre-accession deal that the EU signed with Belgrade in April this year.</div></p><p><div class="content">Serbian president Boris Tadic has vowed Belgrade will "fulfil its international obligations" by hunting down two remaining war crimes fugitives - general Ratko Mladic and former Croatian Serb leader Goran Hadzic.</div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_candidates' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_candidates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/serbia' rel='tag'>serbia</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/ICTY' rel='tag'>ICTY</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_eu' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_eu</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:24:36 -0000 http://euobserver.com/9/26550/?rk=1 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content"><p>Macedonia was granted the status of EU candidate in December 2005, but has yet to open accession talks with the bloc.</p> <p>Skopje is hoping that this can happen in the course of this year, but the stalemate in its relations with Greece, added to the fact that current EU presidency country France has clearly stated its support to Athens, may complicate its plans.</p></div></p><p><div class="content"><p>The new coalition government consists of VMRO-DPMNE and DUI, while the Social Democratic Union has decided to boycott all parliamentary activity following the arrest of one of its vice-presidents, Zoran Zaev, some 10 days ago, saying the accusations against him of alleged links to organised crime were "politically motivated."</p> <p>"We will work day and night to become a member of the European Union and NATO," Mr Gruevski told parliamentarians when presenting his new government, AFP reports.</p> <p>Fighting corruption and organised crime, as well as improving inter-ethnic relations in Macedonia will also figure among the priorities of the new team, he said.</p> <p>A persisting deadlock in the country's name row with Greece is threatening to delay Skopje's EU ambitions despite any future progress on its internal deficiencies, however.</p></div></p><p><div class="content">The Macedonian parliament on Saturday (26 July) approved the country's new government led by prime minister Nikola Gruevski and pledged to do its utmost to speed up Macedonia's EU integration.</div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_candidates' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_candidates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/macedonia' rel='tag'>macedonia</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicymemberstates' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicymemberstates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/greece' rel='tag'>greece</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:48:38 -0000 http://www.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/bulgaria-mea-culpa-eu-moves-suspend-funding/article-174462 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content"><p><em><strong>Mea culpa&nbsp;</strong> </em> </p> <p>Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev said Bulgaria deserved to be criticised&nbsp;in the Commission's report, the Bulgarian press reported.&nbsp;</p> <p>"There are grounds for criticism, to be honest," Stanishev told the press in the Black Sea city of Varna. “The truth is Bulgaria is learning how to work with European money," he added.&nbsp;</p> <p>The opposition has attacked the government, including&nbsp;over Bulgaria’s decline compared to Romania. A no-confidence motion is expected to be voted upon in Parliament today, but the coalition government controls 150 out of 240 MPs and is expected to survive.&nbsp;</p> <p>More interestingly, a poll showed that a majority of Bulgarians were siding with the Commission and believe that the EU should indeed freeze its subsidies. The perception&nbsp;among ordinary citizens, shows the study by the&nbsp;Alpha Research Institute, is that this money&nbsp;is not reaching them. Thus many Bulgarians welcome funding cuts as a way&nbsp;of hurting the corrupt political class.&nbsp;</p></div></p><p><div class="content">The leaders of Bulgaria and Romania have accepted criticism of the two countries' performances in meeting EU standards on judicial reform and fight against corruption as fair. But&nbsp;financial sanctions&nbsp;amounting to&nbsp;hundreds of thousands of euro were hard to swallow in Sofia.</div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_eu' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_eu</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/eu-policy_memberstates' rel='tag'>eu-policy_memberstates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/bulgaria' rel='tag'>bulgaria</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/romania' rel='tag'>romania</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:47:29 -0000 http://euobserver.com/9/26520/?rk=1 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content"><p>"On behalf of the Office of the Prosecutor, I would like to congratulate the Serbian authorities … on achieving this milestone in co-operation with the ICTY," UN prosecutor Serge Brammertz said in a statement following the arrest.</p> <p>"This is a very important day for the victims who have waited for this arrest for over a decade," he added.</p></div></p><p><div class="content">Serbian security forces arrested Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic on Monday night (21 July) - a development the European Union called a "very important" step for Serbia's EU hopes.</div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicymemberstates' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicymemberstates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/serbia' rel='tag'>serbia</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/ICTY' rel='tag'>ICTY</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/westernbalkans' rel='tag'>westernbalkans</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:06:18 -0000 http://euobserver.com/9/26525/?rk=1 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content"><p>For his part, EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn called the moment: "historic for international justice."</p> <p>It is also "very important for Serbia's European aspirations" and "proves that the new government of Serbia has the determination to turn the page, leave the nationalist past behind and move towards a European future," he added.</p></div></p><p><div class="content">EU foreign ministers on Tuesday hailed the arrest of Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic as an important step in Serbia's progress towards EU integration - but stopped short of offering Belgrade any concrete concessions at this stage.</div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_candidates' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_candidates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/serbia' rel='tag'>serbia</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/ICTY' rel='tag'>ICTY</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_eu' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_eu</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:50:18 -0000 http://www.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/macedonia-eu-bid-danger-greece-row-escalates/article-174325 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content"><p>In addition, Gruevski urged Athens to recognise the existence of the Macedonian minority on its territory and grant them the right to education in their own language as well as to foster their culture and traditions.&nbsp;</p> <p>Greece immediately reacted. In response to Gruevski's letter, Greek Foreigh Minister Dora Bakoyiannis said on Tuesday&nbsp;that the extreme nationalism from Skopje "sows the wind, but reaps whirlwind".&nbsp;</p></div></p><p><div class="content">Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski sent a letter to his Greek counterpart Costas Karamanlis on 14 July, asking for&nbsp;recognition of the&nbsp;Macedonian minority in Greece and the return of property to Macedonian refugees who were forced to flee during the 1946-1949 Greek civil wa</div></p><p><div class="content">Nikola Gruevski, Macedonia's prime minister, has infuriated Greece by asking the EU member&nbsp;to recognise its Macedonian minority. But this confrontational strategy could spell trouble for the small Balkan state as France, which currently holds the EU Presidency, has made plain that it&nbsp;stands beside Greece in the dispute</div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicymemberstates' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicymemberstates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/greece' rel='tag'>greece</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_candidates' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_candidates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/macedonia' rel='tag'>macedonia</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:56:00 -0000 http://www.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/serbia-refer-kosovo-un-court/article-174342 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content">Although the Court's&nbsp;opinion would be advisory, without binding effect,&nbsp;it nevertheless remains that the authority and prestige attached to the Court's advisory opinions, especially when the organ or agency concerned endorses that opinion, means that its decisions are often as such sanctioned by international law.&nbsp;</div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_candidates' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_candidates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/serbia' rel='tag'>serbia</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/kosovo' rel='tag'>kosovo</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/UN' rel='tag'>UN</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:48:53 -0000 http://euobserver.com/9/26509/?rk=1 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content"><p>Brussels is to call on Sofia "to cleanse its administration" and make sure that EU money is not "siphoned off by corrupt officials, operating together with organised crime."</p> <p>Both reports, leaked to the media, have provoked an outcry in Bulgaria and opposition parties have called for a non-confidence vote against the government next week, in addition to starting an impeachment procedure against the president.</p></div></p><p><div class="content"><p>Bulgaria could face further sanctions in the area of justice and home affairs, including having its membership of the EU's borderless Schengen area delayed, after recent reports from Brussels highlighted the country's problem with corruption.</p> <p>A group of member states, including the UK, France and the Netherlands is pushing for tougher sanctions against Sofia, Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad reported on Thursday (17 July).</p></div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/eu-policies' rel='tag'>eu-policies</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/eu-policy_memberstates' rel='tag'>eu-policy_memberstates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/justiceandhomeaffairs' rel='tag'>justiceandhomeaffairs</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/bulgaria' rel='tag'>bulgaria</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:43:01 -0000 http://euobserver.com/9/26495/?rk=1 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content">Asked if he could imagine his country joining the EU without the bloc having dealt with the Irish No, Mr Mesic said: "No, the EU will find a way out of this crisis. If 26 EU states ratify Lisbon [traty]… they will find a solution for the 27th … The European institutional crisis will be solved."</div></p><p><div class="content"><p>Croatia will be ready to join the EU in 2009 and its membership is not going to be delayed by the EU's current institutional "crisis", Croatian President Stjepan Mesic has said.</p> <p>"I understand European countries, including France, which intend to solve the EU's institutional problems before proceeding to any new accessions … [But] we will speed up the rhythm of our reforms and be ready in 2009 to join the EU as its 28th member," Mr Mesic told French daily Le Figaro in an interview published on Tuesday (15 July).</p></div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_eu' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_eu</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_candidates' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_candidates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/croatia' rel='tag'>croatia</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/lisbon-treaty' rel='tag'>lisbon-treaty</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:06:29 -0000 http://euobserver.com/9/26479/?rk=1 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content"><p>Kosovo, which seceded from Serbia in February of this year, is one of Europe's most under-developed economies and is highly dependent on foreign subsidies. </p> <p>From 1999 to 2007, when under the direct administration of the United Nations, Pristina benefitted from over €3.5 billion in reconstruction assistance. </p> <p>However, the official unemployment rate remains a worrying 43 percent, with youth unemployment estimated even higher, at around 60 percent. </p> <p>Kosovo's economy grew by 4.4 percent in 2007, with an inflation rate of 13.6 percent as of April, 2008. </p> <p>The largest chunk of money for Kosovo is to come from the European Commission, followed by an American contribution of some $400 million. Beyond the EU's own funds, member state Germany has pledged €100 million, and the UK has confirmed an aid package worth £23 million. </p></div></p><p><div class="content">The international community has pledged to invest €1.2 billion toward the rebuilding of Kosovo, with the European Commission alone putting aside €508 million to fill in the gaps in Pristina's financial needs from 2009 to 2013.</div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_eu' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_eu</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/kosovo' rel='tag'>kosovo</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/westernbalkans' rel='tag'>westernbalkans</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/candidate_countries_economy' rel='tag'>candidate_countries_economy</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:41:17 -0000 http://eup.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/9/2/243 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content">This article demonstrates that public attitudes towards EU enlargementare strongly affected by exposure to the mass media. It reveals`priming' effects by showing that media exposure affects the<sup> </sup>standards by which individuals evaluate the accession of potential<sup> </sup>candidate countries. To gain a more refined understanding about<sup> </sup>media effects on enlargement attitudes, we analytically separate<sup> </sup>three different factors that underlie EU enlargement support<sup> </sup>for a given candidate country: its economic performance, its<sup> </sup>state of democracy and its perceived cultural `match' with theEU. Employing an experimental design, we probe the media-inducedeffects of these factors on EU enlargement attitudes.</div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/eu-research' rel='tag'>eu-research</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/literature' rel='tag'>literature</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/publicopinion' rel='tag'>publicopinion</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/media' rel='tag'>media</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:26:55 -0000 http://www.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/new-serbian-government-wants-eu-kosovo/article-174013 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content">Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic outlined the new Serbian government's somewhat conflicting priorities of quick&nbsp;accession to the EU and keeping Kosovo part of Serbia in his first speech in Parliament on 7 July. But Kosovo is already recognised as an independent country by a majority of EU states.</div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_candidates' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_candidates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/serbia' rel='tag'>serbia</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/saa' rel='tag'>saa</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/kosovo' rel='tag'>kosovo</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:41:33 -0000 http://www.makfax.com.mk/look/novina/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=2&NrArticle=117829&NrIssue=705&NrSection=10 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content">82% of citizens of Macedonia believe that the country would benefit from EU membership, which is much greater percentage than in the other two candidate countries - Croatia and Turkey.<br /> <br />The majority of this group deem that a key benefit would be economic growth, followed by the maintenance of peace and stability in the country, a higher standard of living and new opportunities for employment, showed the results of the 69th National Eurobarometer Report.</div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_candidates' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_candidates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/publicopinion' rel='tag'>publicopinion</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/macedonia' rel='tag'>macedonia</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:22:23 -0000 http://euobserver.com/9/26460/?rk=1 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content"><p>However, the new premier also stressed his country was nowhere close to accepting Kosovo's independence.</p> <p>"I pledge allegiance to the Republic of Serbia and promise with my honour that I will respect the Constitution... and to be committed to the preservation of Kosovo and Metohija within the Republic of Serbia," the premier and his ministers vowed after being sworn in.</p></div></p><p><div class="content">New prime minister Mirko Cvetkovic (DS) – a 57-year-old economist and former finance minister – promised that one of his first actions would be the introduction of a pre-accession EU deal for ratification by the Serbian parliament.</div></p><p><div class="content"><p>Serbia's parliament on Monday (7 July) approved the country's new government which will be led by prime minister Mirko Cvetkovic and favouring prompt EU membership– but which remains opposed to Kosovo's independence.</p> <p>The government coalition will be made up of a pro-EU alliance – led by current president Boris Tadic's Democrats (DS) – who won the elections in May, but did not get a big enough majority to form a government on its own, and the reformed Socialists (SPS) of late president Slobodan Milosevic</p></div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_candidates' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_candidates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/serbia' rel='tag'>serbia</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/elections' rel='tag'>elections</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:21:45 -0000 http://balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/11478 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content">However some economic experts warn that the country’s cumbersome, expensive and ineffective administration is ill prepared to meet all the challenges and risks brought by opening of Bosnia’s market to cheaper and better goods from the EU.</div></p><p><div class="content">Bosnia’s Interim Agreement with the EU has come into force, bringing the country into a new phase of trade relations with Europe and its common market. <p><em><!-- Author Start --><!-- Author End --></em></p> Until Bosnia’s Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union – signed on June 16 – is ratified by all EU countries, relations between Bosnia and the bloc will be regulated in accordance with the Interim Agreement.<br /></div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_candidates' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_candidates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_eu' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_eu</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/bosnia' rel='tag'>bosnia</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/saa' rel='tag'>saa</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:44:33 -0000 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f24b5eda-45eb-11dd-9009-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content"><p>My own hunch is that they will try to find a way to enforce the Lisbon treaty without the non-ratifiers. As a first step, they will try to offer the No-sayers a quit-and-rejoin deal. It would be the least divisive option of all, but unfortunately, it may also be one of the least realistic. It would obviously require their consent, which is far from assured. In Ireland’s case it may require a referendum to get out and another one to get back in.</p><p>If this is not possible, there are several other options involving varying degrees of involuntary separation. For example, everybody would formally remain inside the EU on the basis of the Nice treaty, but the ratifiers would organise their areas of co-operation outside the EU and its institutions – on foreign policy, immigration, economic governance, maybe even on energy and the environment. They could do so using the provisions of Lisbon treaty or any other rules they choose among themselves.</p></div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/constitution' rel='tag'>constitution</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/lisbon-treaty' rel='tag'>lisbon-treaty</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/options_after_Irish_No' rel='tag'>options_after_Irish_No</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_eu' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_eu</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:59:42 -0000 http://balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/11402 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content">The delegates present at the session further said that the perceived "urgent need to protect their lives, rights, freedoms, dignity, identity, integrity, culture and property, and rejecting illegal secessionist acts," was the reason why the assembly was created.<br /><br />The assembly, the declaration adds, is a representative body for the citizens of Serbia in this province, that will work in publicly and aim to steer and harmonize the work of its member-municipalities. <br /><br />The assembly has the right to send draft laws to the Serbian parliament, on those issues that are relevant to the residents of Kosovo. <br /><br />However the assembly has no executive authority but reflects a deepening ethnic partition of Kosovo since its Albanian majority declared independence from Serbia in February, backed by the West but opposed by Belgrade and its ally Russia.</div></p><p><div class="content">Kosovo Serbs have inaugurated their own parliament with a declaration that Kosovo is a part of Serbia, defying criticism from the UN and ethnic Albanian leaders that the assembly is illegal.</div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_candidates' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_candidates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/kosovo' rel='tag'>kosovo</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/serbia' rel='tag'>serbia</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/westernbalkans' rel='tag'>westernbalkans</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:07:52 -0000 http://www.tol.cz/look/TOL/article_single.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrIssue=275&NrSection=2&NrArticle=19714&ST1=ad&ST_T1=job&ST_AS1=1&ST2=body&ST_T2=letter&ST_AS2=1&ST3=text&ST_T3=aatol&ST_AS3=1&ST_max=3 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content">At the end of the last European Union summit, Nicolas Sarkozy said something that surprised hardly anyone after the Irish rejected the Lisbon Treaty: “For the enlargement of the EU to continue, we need the Lisbon Treaty.” In other words, no treaty, no enlargement. How blunt.</div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/lisbon-treaty' rel='tag'>lisbon-treaty</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicymemberstates' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicymemberstates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/france' rel='tag'>france</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:48:39 -0000 http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/analysis/11298 <p></p><p><strong>Highlights and Sticky Notes:</strong><p><div class="content">Some experts also maintain that enlargement to include Croatia might be possible even if the Lisbon Treaty does not enter into force. <br /><br />The Brussels think tank, the European Policy Centre, for example, noted in a recent paper that while Croatian accession would require some adjustments to Nice, “some of these, concerning, for instance, the composition of EU institutions and the voting rules, could be introduced through the Accession Treaty with the next entrant (probably Croatia)”. <br /><br />Michael Emerson, enlargement expert for another EU think tank, the Centre for European Policy Studies, agrees. <br /><br />“It is not impossible legally for Croatia to come in with few bits of adjustment to exciting treaties”, Emerson said. “However politically, some member states will use this as leaver to try to get Lisbon Treaty through”, he added.</div></p><p><div class="content">With EU enlargement in question following the Irish ‘no’ vote to the Lisbon Treaty, Zagreb fears a fresh delay to its accession.</div></p><p><p><strong>Tags:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/lisbon-treaty' rel='tag'>lisbon-treaty</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargement' rel='tag'>enlargement</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicy_eu' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicy_eu</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/enlargementpolicymemberstates' rel='tag'>enlargementpolicymemberstates</a> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann/croatia' rel='tag'>croatia</a> </p><p><strong>Posted by:</strong> <a href='http://www.diigo.com/user/wolfgangschumann'>wolfgangschumann</a></p> Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:38:28 -0000 60