New publication of the Centre for Democracy Foundation
Belgrade, May 3rd 2006 - Publication "Incorporating EU Strategies and Policies in Local Government Activities" was published by the Centre for Democracy Foundation and presented on 10th April 2006 in the International Press Centre.
The publication composes of texts written for the purpose of the project under the same name and implemented in the region of Zlatibor during the period May 2005 - February 2006, supported by the European Union through European Agency for Reconstruction.
The objective of the project was to inform local municipal assemblies’ members as direct representatives of the citizens in local community and to empower them with the knowledge about the process of integration of Serbia in the EU. Also, the aim of the project was to empower the participants with skills necessary to advocate for Serbia’s accession to the EU in local community.
The texts refer to: Local government and democratic participation; Institutions and Legislature of the EU; Legislative Characteristics of the Common Market, Regional Policy and Structural Funds of the EU; Strategic Development and Creation of Policies in Local Government; Strategy of Sustainable Development of the EU; The Policy of Environmental Protection of the EU, Intersector Cooperation and Development of Local Community; E- local government.
Excellent cooperation with the Serbian European Integration Office was established during the implementation of the project.
Belgrade, 19 January 2006 - CePIT of Belgrade Open School and the Centre for Internet Development organised a meeting dedicated to the issue of drafting the Strategy for the development of information society in Serbia. An institutional framework envisaged by this Strategy was represented, as well as main provisions of this document. Representatives of non-government organisations, state institutions and media concluded in a public debate that it was necessary to urgently adopt this Strategy, which would enable the creation of envisaged institutional framework and conditions for an organised and coordinated work at its implementation and conditions necessary for development of information society in general in Serbia.
NGO activities in European integration process
Belgrade, 17 January 2006 – Foundation of HRH Princess Katarina Karadjordjevic organised the 42nd coordination meeting with non-government organisations on activities of civil sector in SCG’s European integrations and the status of new Law on NGO.
Princess Katarina Karadjordjevic, Director of the Serbian European Integration Office Tanja Miscevic, UN Resident Coordinator to SCG Lance Clark, Director of the Fund for the Development of Non-profit Sector of AP Vojvodina Ljiljana Milisevic, Director of the Centre for the Development of Non-profit Sector Zivka Vasilevska, and Vladan Joksimovic, Human Rights Adviser in the Council of Europe, expressed their programmes for cooperation with the civil sector.
The participants particularly underlined the significant role of non-government organisations in the European integration process, particularly with regard to information and education of citizens in relation to EU and spreading of European ideas and values. They also agreed on the need for urgent adoption of the Law on Non-government Organisations.
The Security Architecture of EU
Belgrade, January 2005. - The Centre for Civil-Military Relations organized seminar for the members of the Serbian Ministry of Interior on “The Security Architecture of European Union – a View from Serbia and Montenegro”. The seminar was held in the Higher School of Internal Affairs, on January 10, 2006. On that occasion, the member of MoI had the opportunity to improve their knowledge about the present and future security architecture of EU, which was necessary for the success in activities within the security sector reform. One of the goals of this reform is full cooperation with NATO and EU, as one of the main preconditions for SCG joining Euro-Atlantic community.
The participants in that seminar were associates of the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade PhD Milica Djilas and Professor PhD Miroslav Hadžić, as well as Miloš Ladičorbić, from the Atlantic Council of SCG. The main topics were Serbian National Strategy for SCG joining EU, European Union security policy and its defence capacities.
The project is financed by the European Union throughout the European Agency for Reconstruction in cooperation with European Movement in Serbia.
The implications of EU accession for Serbian economy
Kragujevac, 23 November 2005 - "The implications of EU accession for Serbian economy" was the topic of media debate held in the amphitheatre of Economic Faculty in Kragujevac. For the audience comprising of 250 students and media representatives, the economic aspects of European integrations was represented by: Professor Slobodan Malinic (Dean of Economic Faculty in Kragujevac), Professor Ilija Rosic (Professor at the Economic Faculty in Kragujevac), Professor Miroslav Prokopijevic (Free market center, Belgrade), Andrija Pejovic (Serbian European Integration Office) and Sladjan Radovanovic (chief expert for international cooperation in Kragujevac).
This programme is a continuation of campaign “My Europe”, dedicated to promotion of European integrations. It is realised in Sumadija region by the NGO Millennium from Kragujevac within the Fund for European integrations and funded by the European Union through European Agency for Reconstruction. The partners in realization of this programme are European Movement in Serbia, Kragujevac Municipality, Radio Television Kragujevac, “Svetlost” newspapers and other public institutions and organisations.
Towards the white Schengen list
What does Serbia and Montenegro need to accomplish to enter the positive visa regime list of EU (white Schengen list)? The answer to this question will be given through the project that we call “Towards the white Schengen list”*
‘Towards the white Schengen list’ is the project that Group 484 realises in the cooperation with the European Agency for Reconstruction and European Movement in Serbia, funded by European Integration Fund – EIF.
The goals of the project are informing citizens about ‘where we are and where we should be’, concerning the white Schengen list, initiating cooperation and coordination among competent institutions, and introducing the experiences of the countries from the region.
During the three months (the duration of the project) Group 484 will organise four panel discussions on the visa regime, asylum system, integrated border management, illegal migrations, as well as the technical and other standards that are necessary to be accomplished in order to enter the ‘white Schengen list’.
Panel discussions will be held during October 2005, in Užice, Dimitrovgrad and Subotica, and the last one at the beginning of November in Belgrade.
Participants of the panel discussions will be the representatives of the relevant state, local and European institutions, UN agencies, local and international governmental and nongovernmental organisations, as well as the representatives of the youth and student organisations.
Apart from the panel discussions, the project envisages the educational and informational TV programme, the creation of the informative material, and finally the report containing recommendations.
The first coordination meeting between Serbian European Integration Office and non-government organizations
Belgrade, 3 November 2005 – Serbian European Integration Office and non-government organisations, parties to the Memorandum of cooperation in the European integration process, held the first coordination meeting and discussed further cooperation between the Government and non-government organisations in the European integration process.
Tanja Miscevic, Director of the Serbian European Integration Office, represented the possibilities for future cooperation, primarily in the areas of education and training, agriculture, youth-related issues, protection of human rights and environmental protection. Tanja Miscevic also introduced the participants to the new section of the Office website –Cooperation with the non-government organisations, dedicated for the exchange of information on NGO’s activities and projects relating to the European integration process. Ms Miscevic also represented the results of recent public polls on European integrations.
Svetlana Lucic-Djukic from the European Agency for Reconstruction talked about the projects of assistance to the non-government sector within CARDS programme. She also informed the NGO representatives that the new public invitation of the Fund for European Integrations will be announced in May 2006.
NGO representatives expressed their opinions and suggestions relating to future cooperation with the Serbian European Integration Office. The most discussed topics included the issue of visas for our citizens, problem of youth education on SCG’s European integration process and the need for youth engagement in the activities within the framework of SCG’s EU association. Other important topics related to restitution and health system, the need to organize a more intensive information exchange through the Internet, the establishment of new education agendas so as to ensure the enhanced knowledge of European Union at the Universities and to prepare students to take an active part in the European integration process, as well as the Law on Non-government Organisations.
Participants in this meeting agreed to continue with cooperation and to organize such meetings four times a year.
High school students introduced to the European integrations
Belgrade, 26 October 2005 – Belgrade Human Rights Centre organised seminars in 15 towns in Serbia in September and October 2005 within the project “Login the EU”
and with the financial assistance of the European Agency for Reconstruction. These seminars were aimed at introducing the European Union to the third and fourth grade high-school students.
Each seminar was attended by 30-40 students. Lecturers in these seminars were eminent experts from various fields (lawyers, economists, politicologists, historians, ethnologists), whose lectures and the book printed for this purpose were completely adjusted to the students` level.
The lectures covered the following topics: Europe my home – the history of European integrations; What is the European Union; European culture; Prejudice about Europe and the Balkans; European Union member states – their rights and obligations; European Union enlargement; Economy and requirements for European Union accession; What is the European Union doing for our country; Human rights – inspiration and basis for European integrations; System of human rights protection in the EU and prohibition of discrimination.
Project »Login the EU« was supported by the Ministry of Education and Sports of the Republic of Serbia, and the seminars were realised with the assistance of the Serbian European Integration Office, SCG Foreign Ministry and the Economic Faculty in Belgrade.
SEIO initiated the signing of Memorandum of cooperation in the European integration process with the non-governmental organizations
European Integration Office initiated the signing of Memorandum of cooperation in the European integration process with the non-governmental organizations, having in mind previous role of non-governmental organizations in the democratization of Serbian society, as well as their role in spreading of European ideas and values.
The aim of this Memorandum is to institutionalize cooperation with non-governmental organizations in the process of our country’s approximation to the EU, to promote the coordination of activities and cooperation aimed at regular and objective citizen information on our country’s European integration process.
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