On July 1, 2013 Croatia joined the European Union as the first country of the “Western Balkans” group. Six more accession candidates of the region – Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia – aspire to follow Croatia into the EU in the years to come. However, the EU association of the Western Balkan countries is stipulating comprehensive reform efforts. In addition to taking over the Acquis communautaire in its entirety, strengthening democracy and rule of law as well as implementing economic reforms are at the center of the accession process.

Think tanks play a significant role in designing and putting into practice these diverse reform projects. They can contribute their ideas and expertise in different policy areas, while at the same time enhancing the transparency and inclusiveness of the decision-making process.

With the aim of fostering policy dialogue between independent think tanks and policy makers, the TRAIN Programme has since 2010 supported think tanks in the EU candidate countries and potential candidate countries of South Eastern Europe. Driving this is the conviction that research on issues of EU integration should not only take place behind desks but also find its way into actual policy making and public debate.

Twelve researchers from eight think tanks across the region developed their policy research within the framework of TRAIN 2013 and documented their findings in a brief. Their policy papers identify current obstacles in their respective countries to the EU integration process and contain concrete recommendations for how these problems can be addressed.

Many of the challenges related to the reform and association process do not stop at national borders but concern the region as a whole. The participants of the TRAIN Programme thus sought to share their experiences with think tank colleagues from other states of the region. In addition to four country-specific papers, which address the topical issues of EU integration in Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania, two cross-country papers assembled by two research teams from Serbia and Kosovo as well as from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia take up common problems.

The practical consequences of the EU-facilitated dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo are at the center of the research conducted by the Belgrade-based Institute for Territorial Economic Development (InTER) and the Pristina-based Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS). They analyze the early-bird experiences with the implementation of three key agreements on freedom of movement, customs and Integrated Border/Boundary Management (IBM) as well as the effects of these on the free movement of people and goods between Kosovo and Serbia. While the agreements have led to tangible improvements, the authors point to remaining obstacles and outstanding issues to be addressed in further talks.

In their joint policy brief, the Institute for Democracy ‘Societas Civilis’ from Skopje and the Sarajevo-based civil society association ‘Zašto ne?’ (‘Why not?’)treat the phenomenon of ethnically segregated schools in Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. They address the roots of the problem in conflict-torn societies, the scope and framework of the segregation practices that are currently in place, and their consequences. Drawing from successful examples on integrated education in both countries, the paper spells out a number of recommendations to national policy makers, school representatives, the international community, civil society actors, and the media.

Researchers from the Montenegrin Network for the Affirmation of the NGO Sector (MANS) address the misuse of public funds and offices in recent election campaigns in Montenegro as a problem of political corruption. To restore citizens’ severely shaken trust in the election process and allow for the advancement of Montenegro in EU accession negotiations, MANS points to the urgent need to overcome these shortcomings and investigate all irregularities. Their policy brief demands enhancing the transparency and accuracy of voter lists and proposes a number of legal amendments and practical changes, which have also been submitted to the Parliamentary Working Group for Building Trust in the Election Process.

The Skopje-based think tank Analytica looks into the participation of civil society in the traditionally “closed” policy sectors of energy and security. While a strategy for government cooperation with civil society and a number of corresponding mechanisms have been established in Macedonia in the past years, their implementation by various ministries remains uneven. In particular the areas of energy and security still lack transparency and openness. Recommendations by the authors include the establishment of clear contact points in the responsible ministries as well as a better use of online communication tools for information purposes and inclusive consultation processes. At the same time, the authors stress the necessity for CSOs working in the energy and security sector to constantly build up their expertise and visibility in order to be credible partners.

The Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM) promotes inter-municipal cooperation (IMC) as an instrument to enhance regional development in Albania. Given the small size of many local government units as well as their lack of financial and technical resources, IMC is seen as a way to help local authorities cope with market constraints and growing demand for a more efficient and qualitative service delivery at the local level. After screening the existing policies, the legal framework and current structures for IMC in Albania, the paper provides two case studies of IMC development practices that show promising results. The analysis is followed by a set of recommendations for facilitating the establishment of further IMC initiatives.

The Zagreb-based organization GONG dedicates its policy brief to the question of pluralism and media ownership in Croatia. While Croatia had to adopt the acquis on Information Society and Media in preparation for its EU accession, the authors see a remaining gap between legal criteria and the actual situation in the local media. Focusing on radio as the most popular local media, the authors examine ownership structures and thus also the possibilities of influencing electronic media content pluralism, and they identify a trend toward creating networks within the fragmented Croatian radio market. Their analysis is followed by a set of concrete recommendations for a more effective implementation of legal obligations on media ownership transparency and for the promotion of stronger transparency standards.

The 2013 TRAIN Programme accompanied the participating think tank representatives in the development of their policy research and sought to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas and best practices. The opening seminar took place in Zagreb in April 2013 with a two-day workshop dedicated to policy paper writing and advocacy. After a research and write-up period, the participants gathered in Berlin in June 2013, where they conducted an interim review of their policy research and focused on elaborating communication strategies. The subsequent TRAIN Network Conference provided a forum for going beyond particular country contexts and research topics and exchanging views with other programme alumni on the specific challenges of think tank work in the Western Balkans

In November 2013 the policy researchers traveled to Brussels in order to discuss their findings with representatives of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Enlargement, with members of the Western Balkans Working Group at the European Parliament as well as with Brussels-based policy analysts. The communication of research findings then continued at the national level, with participants reaching out to the policy communities in their respective countries during a series of round tables and public debates.

Funded by the German Federal Foreign Office (Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe), over fifty researchers from more than twenty think tanks across the Western Balkans have participated in the TRAIN Programme since 2010. In 2014, moreover, the next round of the Programme will enhance existing capacities on communication and strategy development as well as the cooperation among research institutes. The Call for Applications for the TRAIN Programme 2014 is available here.