About AEUPSC
The general objective of the project is to promote the idea of European integration and fundamental values of the European Union. It will also to contribute to the better understanding of the processes of association and accession of Western Balkans countries, particularly Serbia, to the European Union. The project is focused on the fundamental principles and values of the European Union and their implementation in the internal and external policies of the candidate states. Observance of the fundamental values is one of the two conditions for the membership in the EU prescribed by article 49 of the Treaty on the European Union.
All the countries of the region of Western Balkans are on the path towards the European Union. Most of them are candidates for the EU membership (Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro) and some of them have status of potential candidates (Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo*). Montenegro and Serbia are in the middle of the process of accession negotiation. In case of Serbia, the pace of negotiations has slowed significantly in the recent years, which have resulted in diminished public interest and support for this process. Limited progress or lack of progress in priority chapters 23 – Judiciary and fundamental rights; 24 – Justice, freedom and security, has resulted in the slow opening of other negotiation chapters, what causes some frustration in general public opinion. Instead of responding to the challenges posed and making the necessary political and economic reforms, governments in the Western Balkans are increasingly seeking an alternative in cooperation with other international actors who promote significantly different values from those on which the EU is based.
In addition, most of the citizens are not aware that observance of these values represent the basic political condition for the membership of third states in the European Union and that their breach may be ground for the suspension of the accession process. Contrary to popular belief, these values are not only expressed in chapters 23 and 24. They must also be applied in all other internal as well as regional and external policies of the candidate states. In some cases, identifying these values in these policies may be difficult. To make the problem more complex, the European Union itself is going through a crisis of values. Commencement of proceedings under Article 7 TEU against in Poland and Hungary represent a major challenge for the EU. These actions, on the other hand, represent an opportunity to formulate clear criteria against which to assess whether Member States are in breach of EU values. The same or similar criteria may be applied in the accession process of third states.
In order to raise awareness among students, academia and relevant national actors, it is of utmost importance to develop additional teaching activities and teaching materials, based on research of EU policies, which will provide clear and relevant information on the application of EU values and principles. Therefore, the key project objective is to increase knowledge and provide better dissemination of the information on EU values and accession process to the students, graduate professionals and academics, decision makers, employees in state and provincial institutions, media and civil society. Moreover, the main characteristic of this project is its actuality, given the current stage of Stabilization and association process of the Western Balkans countries and ongoing accession negotiations between Serbia and EU Member States. This project also coincides with ongoing discussions on the reform of the accession process, which is generally perceived as too technical and without clear benefits to the citizens of the candidate states. It is expected that the new approach will be more value orientated.
Relevance and content of the proposed project activities is interdisciplinary approach that should improve the existing range of available academic courses on the EU. The existing courses on EU at the University and other universities in Serbia are manly limited to political, economic and legal aspects of the EU. The added value of this project is that it contributes to better understanding of the fundamental EU values and their application in the internal and external policies as well as in the accession policy of EU. The project activities include development and publication of new teaching materials, web site, research, and training of target groups, student debates, roundtable debate and parallel activities aiming at the improvement of the modern EU modules. The introduction of new teaching techniques such as online teaching instruments that will enhance and secure better dissemination of the project actions and results. Main target group of the project are students of all levels of the studies and from all faculties and departments of University, including those not related to social science, who will obtain necessary theoretical and practical knowledge and skills, which will provide them with further career development in public but as well as in private and civil sector too. Additionally, the project targets are academic professionals, legal professionals: members of the judiciary, attorneys and attorney’s trainees, officials and employees of state and local/regional administrations who perform tasks that are directly or indirectly linked to the process of European integrations, political decision makers and media. The attention will also be given to the social media groups whose activities are of importance for the dissemination of information about the EU.
