Conference Agenda

One of the flagship strategies emanating from the EU in supporting the spread and consolidation of democracy in the Eastern Neighbourhood countries was the implementation of the ‘good governance’ agenda. Setting out a clear set of criteria (openness, participation, responsibility, efficiency and coherence), the EU has worked closely with other international organisations such as the World Bank, the OECD, and the UNDP, to effectively create an instrument of foreign policy. Criticisms around the agenda itself have focused precisely on its capacity to facilitate democracy promotion to the countries to which it extends and, on its ability to respond to the needs of the targeted populations in each country. The purpose of this paper is to take stock of the EU’s good governance agenda, discussing (a) the objectives of the EU’s strategy around good governance; (b) the channels that the strategy is using to promote this agenda and (c) the monitoring and implementation of the agenda on the countries of the ENP. Focusing specifically on the countries of the Eastern Neighbourhood, this paper offers a comparative insight into the impact of the good governance agenda on Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus and provides an assessment of its link to democracy promotion in these countries. The paper is a springboard for the theoretical framework of the REDEMOS project.

The EU enlargement toward the Western Balkans has re-entered the EU political agenda, though accession prospects appear distant amidst the EU's internal reflection on its future and membership extension. Unlike the previous Eastern European enlargement, the traditional EU membership requirements for the Western Balkans have significantly changed to include conditions primarily focused on regional reconciliation. These aimed to address conflicts from over two decades ago. However, a new set of bilateral conditions, introduced by individual EU member states, has emerged. These additional conditions predominantly relate to identity, language, and cultural heritage. EU member states are increasingly capitalizing on opportunities within the existing enlargement framework, given that issues of identity are gaining, rather than diminishing, significance in political dynamics. Over the past fifteen years, we have observed and documented a notable emergence of new identity issues in the relationships between EU candidates and newly admitted member states. Examples include the recent language dispute between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, as well as the disagreement between Croatia and Serbia regarding shared cultural heritage. This paper focuses on the latest instances of the culturalization of bilateral conditionality, encouraging a broader debate on how to enhance the impact of knowledge from social sciences and humanities. We argue that utilization of cultural heritage in reconciliation processes and post-conflict stabilization, based on models provided by UNESCO, the Council of Europe, and the World Bank, adapted to the specific context of the Western Balkans, continue to offer solutions if carefully nurtured and should be utilized to overcome the existing disputes.

As an EU candidate, adherence to and implementation of EU values is a fundamental prerequisite for membership. The fight against corruption, underscored by the principles of transparency, accountability, and justice—cornerstones of the EU's foundational values—emerges as a crucial requirement in this context. However, it remains a consistently criticized aspect in Turkey's progress reports. Since EU membership is unattainable without meeting these conditions, Turkey needs to enhance not only its legal framework regarding corruption but also the practical measures taken to combat it.

This paper critically examines the progress Turkey has made in combating corruption on its path towards European Union (EU) membership. The evaluation aims to shed light on the country's position in transparency and accountability, analyzing its performance according to international corruption perception indices. It also seeks to assess the adequacy of the anti-corruption measures, institutional reforms, and administrative changes implemented by Turkey during the EU accession process in meeting the conditions set by the EU. The assessment, based on current data, international reports, and relevant indices, concludes with recommendations for the legal steps Turkey needs to take to effectively combat corruption in accordance with EU standards.