E l e c t r on i c mon th l y maga z i n e f o r Eu r op ean i n t e g r a t i on - No . 3 2 , May 2 0 0 8

European pulse

AAAANNNNAAAALLLLYYYYSSSSEEEESSSSIs Montenegro a bright spotin the region or a hybridsophisticated autocracy

FFFFOOOOCCCCUUUUSSSS OOOOFFFF TTTTHHHHIIIISSSS IIIISSSSSSSSUUUUEEEEHow far is

Montenegrofrom European

work safetystandards

IIIINNNNTTTTEEEERRRRVVVVIIIIEEEEWWWW@ivorad

Kova~evi},President of

the EuropeanMovement in

Serbia

2Eur op ean pu l s e N o 3 2

May , 2 0 0 8 Cur r en t a f f a i r s

VVEERRDDIICCTT15 years ago MMoommiirr BBuullaattoovvii}} sat in theleather chair of a modestly equippedcourtroom, while his lawyer, young FFiilliippVVuujjaannoovvii}} dutifully defended his client,then president of Montenegro, from thedock. Things have barely changed inMontenegro's courtrooms since, althoughVujanovi} is now sitting in the president'sarmchair that once belonged to Bulatovi}.For all these years, it never once crossedthe mind of the judges to summon thePrime Minister to court, if only as a wit-ness. The verdicts, on the other hand,contain sentences that would not seemout of place in the party electoral cam-paign: declaring MMiilloo \\uukkaannoovvii}} "success-ful and responsible" prime minister, andhanding down three draconic fines tojournalists in less than a month, the mostspectacular being that of 20 000 euros to@@eelljjkkoo IIvvaannoovvii}},, director of "Vijesti".

In none of the three verdicts has thecourt mentioned the practice of theEuropean Court of Human Rights, althoughMontenegro ratified the EuropeanConvention of Human Rights in 2003.Article 10 of this document guarantees rightto the freedom of expression and theECHR's practice mandates that politiciansought to tolerate more criticism than othercitizens. You can, in other words, call yourpolitician "idiot" and your government"criminals", if by that you promote demo-cratic dialogue in the country.

CoE Committee of Ministers, usuallyknown for its bureaucratically reservedmanner, went out of its way to suggest thatthe processes against journalists inMontenegro may have an epilogue at thecourt in the little hometown of this pan-European human rights watchdog.

Had our judiciary been as efficient inthe matter of charges for fraud against "Mo-ntenegro Airlines", "Port Bar" or in the casesof unsolved murders as it is when it comesto journalists, Montenegro would certainlybe a few steps closer to the EU. VV..@@..

R E C E N T R E P O R T O F T H E C O M M I T T E E O F M I N I S T E R SI N T H E C O U N C I L O F E U R O P E W A R N S A B O U T T H EO L D P R O B L E M S

Montenegrin Governmentought to implement GRE-CO's recommendations for thefight against corruption andimprove the results of the pros-ecution with regard to corrup-tion and organised crime. Thosewere the conclusions of thereport on Montenegro by theCommittee of Ministers of theCouncil of Europe for the peri-od August 2007 - April 2008,whose task was to evaluate the extent towhich Montenegro fulfilled its commit-ments since it became a member of CoEon 11 May 2007.

The report of the oldest pan-European organisation emphasises con-cerns for independence of the prosecu-tor's office, since the parliament still hasthe power to appoint and dismiss pros-ecutors "even without qualified majorityvote" and recalls the warnings of theVenetian Commission which insists thatthis is detrimental to autonomy of pros-ecution.

The report also recommends adop-tion of the law on political parties, theirfinancing and financing of electoral cam-paigns in accordance to the recommen-dation of VC. CoE, as an organisationwhich is primarily concerned withhuman rights, finds "especially problem-atic" investigations and charges in thecases of crime against refugees from BiHand Kosovo during the war years of1990s.

"Montenegrin police, prosecutionand courts seem to have dropped mostof the cases of crimes committed on theMontenegrin territory against civiliansfrom Bosnia and Kosovo, as well ascrimes committed by and againstMontenegrin soldiers who served in theYugoslav People's Army in Croatia andBiH", states the report, reminding thatthe UN Working Group for disappearedpersons reported that Montenegro failedto supply any information about 15unsolved cases.

The same group reported thatMontenegro did not pay reparations tothe families of victims and persons whodisappeared during 1992, and that bothinvestigations and reparations have beenunnecessarily delayed.

The CoE report emphasises theneed to improve conditions for the workof non-governmental organisations, aswell as those regarding freedom andindependence of the media.

Representatives of the CoESecretariat who visited Montenegro agreethat the civil sector, and NGOs in par-ticular, have been facing difficulties inexpressing their opinion about publicissues.

"Non-governmental sector is dividedbetween truly independent organisationsand those affiliated with political circleswhose activities have raised suspicion.Secretariat received complaints about thelack of opportunities for participation ofthe civil sector in the debates on impor-tant policies and laws. In the absence oftruly independent public monitoringorgans for the control of public adminis-tration, non-governmental organisationsare an important actor in bridging thisgap and taking on the role of a "watch-dog" to improve accountability of publicadministration", states the report.

Independence of the media frompolitical influence ought to be strength-ened, especially with regard to the PublicService.

V.@.

Fingers pointed at corruption and crime

3Eu r op ean pu l s e N o 3 2

May , 2 0 0 8 F o cu s o f t h i s i s s u e

The same year when one Italiancompany installed a metermeasuring the number of dayswhen no worker was hurt atwork, the Parliament of Mon-tenegro adopted the law on safe-ty at work.

Four years later the Mon-tenegrin "meter" is still at zero.Unfortunately, not because of thelack of workplace accidents.

Only this April three con-struction workers died when thewall collapsed together with thescaffolding, not a rare incident onnumerous construction sites inMontenegro. The officials admit-ted what the public knows onlytoo well - local companies do notrespect the law on safety at work,and the state simply turns a blindeye. In the European Union,which dedicates much attentionto health and safety at work, 5500 persons die every year inwork-related accidents, with anadditional 4.8 million accidentscausing absences from worklonger than 3 days, and resultingin great human and economiclosses.

In Montenegro, partly due to

difficult economic conditions, thesituation is much worse and therequisite attention and invest-ments in improving working con-ditions much lower.

Expansion of the constructionsector in Montenegro is thereforea cause for concern, being con-sidered one of the most haz-ardous activities for the life andhealth of workers.

State work safety inspectorNNaattaa{{aa @@uuggii}} promised betterfuture for the employees. Aftershe informed the public that mostenterprises did not observe thelaw and have not conductedevaluation of the risks in theworkplace, she announced to the"indifferent" employers that theinspection will no more toleratesuch behaviour.

She recently said that theagency will move into action assoon as they "complete theirtraining in Cetinje".

Montenegrin legislation in thisarea is, according to theGovernment itself, only "in princi-

ple and partially harmonised" withEuropean standards. TheStabilisation and AssociationAgreement with EU envisagesimplementation of 51 directivesin the area of work safety. Theministry of health, work andsocial protection is responsible foramending the law on safety atwork by the end of the year andimplementing another 20 related

legal acts by 2011.EU countries have adopted

measures to protect safety andhealth in the workplace, protec-tion against work accidents, ill-ness, improving safety standardsand insuring workplaces. Theselaws are based on Europeandirectives which establish mini-mum responsibilities of bothemployees and the employersregarding prevention of variousrisks and sectors and activitieswhere such risks are known toexist.

In the EU, they have realisedthat every injury is a failure ofprevention.

H O W F A R I S M O N T E N E G R O F R O M E U R O P E A N W O R K S A F E T Y S T A N D A R D S

Employers violate thelaw, state indifferent,workers uninformed

by Danilo Mihajlovi}

IInn tthhee EEuurrooppeeaann UUnniioonn,, wwhhiicchh ddeeddiiccaatteess mmuucchh aatttteennttiioonn ttoo hheeaalltthhaanndd ssaaffeettyy aatt wwoorrkk,, 55 550000 ppeerrssoonnss ddiiee eevveerryy yyeeaarr iinn wwoorrkk-rreellaatteeddaacccciiddeennttss,, wwiitthh aann aaddddiittiioonnaall 44..88 mmiilllliioonn aacccciiddeennttss ccaauussiinnggaabbsseenncceess ffrroomm wwoorrkk lloonnggeerr tthhaann 33 ddaayyss,, aanndd rreessuullttiinngg iinn ggrreeaatthhuummaann aanndd eeccoonnoommiicc lloosssseess

4Eur op ean pu l s e N o 3 2

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After the law was adopted in2004 the ministry of health, workand social protection adoptednumerous acts (around 40 regula-tions guaranteeing safety at workto the workers and employers)which unfortunately remainedonly on paper. In order to makeMontenegro "resemble" the EUcountries in this area, executiveorgans will soon have to adoptregulations on procedures anddeadlines for regular healthcheck-ups for high-risk categoriesof workers, about the content andprocedures of the preventionmeasures, conditions to be ful-filled by the relevant health insti-tutions and about the proceduresfor monitoring compliance, pro-tection of the employers exposedto cancerogene or mutagenematerials, asbestos, physically orchemically dangerous agents,minimum conditions for the pro-tection and health at work fortemporary jobs, and the minimumconditions for the usage of warn-ing signs in the workplace.

The inspection for work safe-

ty reports that very few compa-nies have implemented risk eval-uation procedures, mostly in theservice sector and in big enter-prises, but almost none in the

construction sector and amongsmall and medium enterprises.

In the interview for EuropeanPulse, Secretary General of theReform wing of the council oftrade unions, SSrr||aann KKeekkoovvii}} saidthat the trade unions are not atall happy with the work safetystandards, "especially with regardto construction".

"Protection in this area isbelow any legal minimum. This isthe consequence of dissolution oflarge construction conglomeratesthat used to have organised andsomewhat controlled systems ofwork safety. On the other hand,the construction boom, greatnumbers of non-resident workersand black labour, absence oftrade unions in such companies,and the inferiority of employeesvis-a-vis the employer contributesto complete silence about thisissue, even among the workerswho are most directly affected",

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From a construction site in Montenegro

Karaniki} explains that work accidents can have negative consequences forlabour relations within the firm, while bad conditions for workers' healthand safety can damage public relations.

"The employers ought to inform their workers about health and safety risks,adequate prevention, first aid measures and the adequate procedures for evac-uation in case of danger. When the worker is newly employed, changes posi-tion within the firm or is expected to work with new technologies, employersshould provide adequate training. Where appropriate, training should alsoinclude information on risks", she said.

Karaniki} says that employers have to bear in mind that some categoriesof workers are more vulnerable than others, and include these considerationsin their accident prevention programmes".

"Such categories may include foreign workers who do not speak the lan-guage and cannot read safety instructions, temporary workers who are nottrained in that particular job, or young workers and new employees withoutexperience. On the other hand, physically intensive work can become a dan-ger for workers above certain age limits", says the representative of UPCG.

EEEEMMMMPPPPLLLLOOOOYYYYEEEERRRRSSSS TTTTOOOO PPPPRRRROOOOVVVVIIIIDDDDEEEEIIIINNNNFFFFOOOORRRRMMMMAAAATTTTIIIIOOOONNNN

SSttaabbiilliissaattiioonn aanndd AAssssoocciiaattiioonn AAggrreeeemmeenntt wwiitthh EEUU eennvviissaaggeess iimmppllee-mmeennttaattiioonn ooff 5511 ddiirreeccttiivveess iinn tthhee aarreeaa ooff wwoorrkk ssaaffeettyy.. TThhee mmiinniissttrryyooff hheeaalltthh,, wwoorrkk aanndd ssoocciiaall pprrootteeccttiioonn pprroommiisseedd ttoo cchhaannggee tthhee llaawwoonn ssaaffeettyy aatt wwoorrkk bbyy tthhee eenndd ooff tthhee yyeeaarr

5Eu r op ean pu l s e N o 3 2

May , 2 0 0 8 F o cu s o f t h i s i s s u e

Kekovi} said.He claims that in Montenegro

the employers demand extremelylong working hours, regardless ofthe environmental conditions andwithout the adequate protectiveequipment.

"Tragic consequences are onlya logical end to such behaviour.The situation is in a state ofurgency", Kekovi} said.

A healthy workplace isdefined by working requirementsand environment such that anemployee can accomplish his orher tasks with reasonable effort,without danger to his or herhealth and working ability.

In other words, a job must bemade suitable for the employedperson, not the other wayaround.

The government claims it isworking on a strategy accordingto which every construction sitemust have a developed strategyfor protection in the workplacebefore any construction activity

can begin.Ministry of health, work and

social protection authorised sev-eral companies to conduct expertassistance regarding protection at

work and the procedures formonitoring working conditions.

The authorise companies areInstitute for Development andResearch on Work Safety,Montinspect, Safety, Techno-Control, Inginspect, Yugoinspectand Mezon in Podgorica; Institutefor Black Metallurgy in Nik{i},VU-TI Engineering in Bar, Rajadin Cetinje, Spinel in Kotor andLu~i} Company in Herceg Novi.

According to the current reg-ulations, the employer is notresponsible for the mistakes inevaluating risks in the workplace,as this is performed by a team ofprofessionals, but can be heldaccountable for not implementingadequate measures and updatingevaluation.

Risk evaluation procedurescost between 100 and 170 eurosper workplace.

Kekovi} believes that theMontenegrin law on safety atwork is a good one, if only itwere applied in practice. Heurges all "interested parties" tocreate the environment conduciveto adequate implementation ofthe norms.

"This is obviously a difficulttask, and the trade unions andemployees cannot do it on theirown, if the employees and rele-vant institutions remain indiffer-ent. They should, however, lookfor mechanisms to oblige these

parties to implement the laweffectively, whenever the law isviolated by negligent employersor employees", Kekovi} said.

The first man of the"reformed" trade union wing sayshe is also dissatisfied with moni-toring agencies, but adds that thenumber of inspectors is very smalland they cannot cover the entirearea.

"Besides, they powers are lim-

phot

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JEST

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TThhee uunniioonnss aarree ddiissssaattiissffiieedd wwiitthh wwoorrkk ssaaffeettyy ccoonnddiittiioonnss,, eessppeecciiaallllyyiinn ccoonnssttrruuccttiioonn wwhheerree tthhee pprrootteeccttiioonn rreemmaaiinnss bbeellooww eevveerryy lleeggaallmmiinniimmuumm.. TThhiiss iiss tthhee ccoonnsseeqquueennccee ooff ddiissssoolluuttiioonn ooff llaarrggee ccoonnssttrruucc-ttiioonn ccoonngglloommeerraatteess wwhhiicchh uusseedd ttoo hhaavvee oorrggaanniisseedd aanndd ssoommeewwhhaattccoonnttrroolllleedd wwoorrkk ssaaffeettyy ssyysstteemmss.. OOnn tthhee ootthheerr hhaanndd,, tthhee ccoonnssttrruucc-ttiioonn bboooomm,, aa mmuullttiittuuddee ooff nnoonn-rreessiiddeenntt wwoorrkkeerrss aanndd tthhee bbllaacckkmmaarrkkeett,, aabbsseennccee ooff ttrraaddee uunniioonnss iinn ssuucchh ccoommppaanniieess,, aanndd tthhee iinnffee-rriioorriittyy ooff eemmppllooyyeeeess vviiss-aa-vviiss tthhee eemmppllooyyeerr ccoonnttrriibbuutteess ttoo ccoomm-pplleettee ssiilleennccee aabboouutt tthhiiss iissssuuee,, ssaayyss SSrr||aann KKeekkoovvii}},, sseeccrreettaarryy ggeenn-eerraall ooff tthhee RReeffoorrmm wwiinngg ooff TTrraaddee UUnniioonnss'' AAssssoocciiaattiioonn

Sr|a Kekovi}

6Eur op ean pu l s e N o 3 2

May , 2 0 0 8 F o cu s o f t h i s i s s u e

ited. Penalties are very moderate,which fails to produce "education-al" effect. It makes it cheaper foremployers to pay the fine than toinvest in creating adequate work-ing conditions. However, theemployees are also often carelessand do not use protective meas-ures even when they have thechance to do so", Kekovi} said.

AAnnaa KKaarraanniikkii}}, economicadvisor in the MontenegrinEmployers' Association (UPCG)says that even existing regulationson work safety can lead to enor-mous costs. One accident in theworkplace can financially wipeout most of the small and medi-um enterprises.

She reminds that UPCG hasconducted several informativeseminars on evaluating risks in theworkplace in cooperation withtheir Slovenian colleagues.Montenegrin employers ought todevelop adequate resources inorder to find right solutions forthe work safety problems in theirown firms, she said.

This means, first of all, gettinglegal advice, appointing responsi-ble individuals and commissioningexpert advisors.

"The type of support dependson the job description, nature ofrisks, size of the company, legalspecificity etc. Our estimates indi-cate that the costs to employers inthis area can be enormous. Oneaccident in the workplace canlead to bankruptcy of small andmedium enterprises. Direct costsinclude paid leave, medicalexpenses, repair or replacement

of damaged machinery andequipment, reduced or temporar-ily interrupted production,increase in administrative ortraining costs, possible decrease inthe quality of work, negativeeffect on the workers' moraleetc.", said Karaniki} for theEuropean Pulse.

She adds that replacement ofan injured worker can also becounted as indirect cost, as thenew worker requires time andtraining to achieve the same levelof productivity.

A few days earlier, anemployee in a furniture show-room who insisted on anonymitywas fired for "neglect". Havingaccidentally broken a mirror, shewas told not to return to workeven before the doctors managedto mend her injured arm, and willalso have to pay the price of themirror out of her severance pay.

The last seminar on safety atwork in Cetinje was completedtwo weeks ago.

According to the current regulations, risk prevention acts ought to containdescription of firm in terms of usage of productive and other capacities,approach to and procedures for risk evaluation, reduction or elimination ofrisks, conclusion, as well as amendments to the risk evaluation act. The fol-lowing factors determine categories of risk in the workplace: mechanical (relat-ed to the usage of equipment, with description of the workplace), related tothe use of electric energy, dangerous materials, physical and biological agents,microclimatic conditions, psychological conditions, work organisation, as wellas those connected to external factors (work with animals, in the conditions ofhigh or low atmospheric pressure, adverse weather conditions, working underground, at high elevation or depth). The act can be altered if the establishedmeasures are found inadequate or insufficient vis-a-vis risk evaluation.

Regulations so far do not provide employers with a standardised formatfor risk evaluation acts, but the law allows employers to entrust risk evaluationprocedures to an authorised person or a registered firm.

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Ana Karaniki}

7Eu r op ean pu l s e N o 3 2

May , 2 0 0 8 Ana ly s e s

The next big challenge for theMontenegrin authorities will be toimplement the new legislation and trans-form national strategies and action plantsinto concrete, tangible results. This will bethe most important step for the Mon-tenegrin citizens, most of whom are scep-tical about the real changes in their every-day lives, states the recently publishedReport on Montenegro by the Committeeof Ministers in the Council of Europe.

The conclusions of the oldest pan-European organisation, which is not for-mally related to European Union, gave anew sense of urgency to the old dilem-ma. Is Montenegro really implementingthe reforms necessary for its rapproche-ment with the European Union, or is theGovernment only simulating reforms,unable or unwilling to turn them intoreality? Government's and Parliament'sworking reports seem to suggest thatMontenegro is grabbing towards Europein giant steps. The reality is, however,different. It takes time for the new insti-tutions to start functioning, and for theold ones to become reformed and freeof political influences, corruption, igno-rance and lack of professionalism.

Why do our "reforms" remain most-ly on paper? Two answers come tomind: weak administrative capacities andthe lack of political will.

As time goes by, the first problemwill have to find its solutions, and thepolitical will remains the keyMontenegro's entry into the company ofprosperous, orderly states where the lawsare implemented equally for all citizens.

All important areas have already beencovered by action plans, strategies andagendas, but a quick sketch of the real-ity is as follows: international organisa-tions warning about the lack of trans-parency in privatisation and partyfinances, shady connections betweenlocal politicians and Russian investors,politicised judiciary, media and adminis-tration controlled by the government andsteered by the political interests of DPS,failures of the fight against corruption,money laundering and crime... Hosts ofagencies, directorate and commissionshave been formally established but havenot started functioning, or have minimalresponsibilities which only enable themto write reports and recommendationsthat are not binding for anyone.Directory for anti-corruption initiatives,for instance, can barely do its work since

it lacks "resources, mandate and func-tional independence to enable it to playa serious role in fighting corruption", asnoted by foreign observers. Law on freeaccess to information, another importantweapon in the fight against corruptionwhich promotes transparency and publicresponsibility, is applied selectively - thecourts have mostly ignored the law,especially in the matters of privatisation.Non-governmental organisations andcivil society are confronted with a long,difficult and costly process of accessinginformation.

A good example of evading Euro-pean rules, simulating and repackagingthem into faded local wrapping is the lawon public broadcasting services, whichforbids authorities to interfere in the elec-tion of members for the Council of RTCG.

The ruling coalition still manages to shapethe Council in its own image, ignoringrepeated warnings that "independence ofthe media from political influence mustbe strengthened, especially with regard tothe Public Service".

If you ask the critical public, thepicture of Montenegro becomes darker:immobilised public institutions controlledby the officials of the ruling party and"elegant" suffocation of free thought andpublic expression by controlled judgesthrough libel suits. If you ask the govern-ment, Montenegro is the brightest spot inthe region, solidly advancing towards EU.The truth may be somewhere aroundthe middle, but perhaps the best meas-ure comes from the reports of EuropeanCommission and other international or-ganisations. Those from the outside havethe clearest picture of what goes inside.

One leader of the oppositiondescribes Montenegrin everyday life as"sophisticated hybrid autocracy".

"Seen from the outside, we have allcharacteristics of a democratic country. Wehave elections, multi-party parliament,coalition government, non-governmentalsector and what not. From an insiders'standpoint, however, we live in one-party,one-thought system without basic free-doms, with a dubious, perverted system ofvalues, far away from the rule of law".

Those are the words of Miodrag@ivkovi}, and the "outsiders" seem toagree on at least one thing: Due to EU'sreadiness to consider Milo \ukanovi} afactor of stability in the turbulent timessurrounding Kosovo's independence,Montenegro will continue its progresstowards membership in EU and NATO.

IIff yyoouu aasskk tthhee ccrriittiiccaall ppuubblliicc,, tthhee ppiiccttuurree ooff MMoonntteenneeggrroo bbeeccoommeessddaarrkkeerr:: iimmmmoobbiilliisseedd ppuubblliicc iinnssttiittuuttiioonnss ccoonnttrroolllleedd bbyy tthhee ooffffiicciiaallss oofftthhee rruulliinngg ppaarrttyy aanndd ""eelleeggaanntt"" ssuuffffooccaattiioonn ooff ffrreeee tthhoouugghhtt aanndd ppuubb-lliicc eexxpprreessssiioonn bbyy ccoonnttrroolllleedd jjuuddggeess tthhrroouugghh lliibbeell ssuuiittss.. IIff yyoouu aasskktthhee ggoovveerrnnmmeenntt,, MMoonntteenneeggrroo iiss tthhee bbrriigghhtteesstt ssppoott iinn tthhee rreeggiioonn,,ssoolliiddllyy aaddvvaanncciinngg ttoowwaarrddss EEUU.. TThhee ttrruutthh mmaayy bbee ssoommeewwhheerree aarroouunnddtthhee mmiiddddllee

I S M O N T E N E G R O A B R I G H T S P O T I N T H E R E G I O N O R A H Y B R I DS O P H I S T I C A T E D A U T O C R A C Y

FFrroomm aaggeennddaa ttoo KKoossoovvoo

by Ne|eljko Rudovi}

8Eur op ean pu l s e N o 3 2

May , 2 0 0 8 I n t e r v i ew

President of the EuropeanMovement in Serbia and arenowned diplomat of formerYugoslavia @@iivvoorraadd KKoovvaa~~eevvii}} saysthat the postponement of Mon-tenegro's EU membership applica-tion is not a cause for concern.

"Things have gone smoothly sofar, so there is really no reason toworry. What matters is that there isno strong anti-Montenegrin lobbyin Europe - if Brussels is on yourside, it does not really matterwhether you apply this month ornext, although every governmentwants it to be as soon as possible",says Kova~evi} for the EuropeanPulse.

He adds that democratic insti-tutions in Montenegro havematured and are well functioning,indicating that Montenegro is nowa stable country.

"Needless to say, you will haveto deal with the problems empha-sised by EU. If you chose for EU,there is no way but to acceleratereforms, and the EU will not turna blind eye - they will insist oneradicating corruption, organizedcrime, strengthening freedom ofthe media...", Kova~evi} said.

WWhhyy hhaass tthhee MMoonntteenneeggrriinnGGoovveerrnnmmeenntt ddeellaayyeedd EEUU aapppplliiccaa-ttiioonn,, aaccccoorrddiinngg ttoo yyoouu??

I can think of two reasons.One lays in the ongoing issueswithin EU, which are due to mul-tiple circumstances. EU has prob-lems of its own: it is, after all, arather cumbersome bureaucratic

structure.On the other hand, however, I

do not think that there politicalbarriers to Montenegrin applica-tion. Those immediately concernedcan get a little nervous about theprocess slowing down, but suchdelays are only to be expected.

WWhhaatt wwiillll bbee tthhee eeffffeecctt oofftthhee nneeww ggoovveerrnnmmeenntt iinn SSeerrbbiiaa oonnEEuurrooppeeaann iinntteeggrraattiioonn ooff tthheeWWeesstteerrnn BBaallkkaannss??

The very consolidation of ademocratic government in Serbia,regardless of its structure, would bea positive development for thewhole region. It is perfectly clearthat anti-democratic forces in the

Serbian government, now led by(Vojislav) Ko{tunica, would be fatalfor Serbia, but also for the region.Even if such a government wouldbe willing to cooperate, the rela-tions within the region and withEU would not be easy.

DDooeess tthhaatt mmeeaann tthhee WWeessttBBaallkkaann ccoouunnttrriieess wwiillll jjooiinn EEUUttooggeetthheerr,, rreeggaarrddlleessss ooff tthhee ooffffiicciiaall""rreeggaattttaa ppoolliiccyy"" ooff BBrruusssseellss??

The principle of accession byindividual merit remains, but inhistorical perspective it is theregion that matters. I believe thatthese countries will join more orless at the same time, with Croatialeading the way. Afterwards, stabil-isation of relations within theregion will contribute to accelera-tion of the accession process.

AAccccoorrddiinngg ttoo aaddvvooccaatteess ooffMMoonntteenneeggrroo''ss mmeemmbbeerrsshhiipp iinn tthheeNNAATTOO,, EEuurroo-AAttllaannttiicc aannddEEuurrooppeeaann iinntteeggrraattiioonnss aarree iinnsseeppaa-rraabbllee,, eemmpphhaassiissiinngg tthhee llaasstt ttwwoowwaavveess ooff aacccceessssiioonn aass aann eexxaammppllee..OOnn tthhee ootthheerr hhaanndd,, MMaallttaa aannddCCyypprruuss aarree oonnllyy mmeemmbbeerrss ooff EEUUaanndd nnoott ooff NNAATTOO.. CCaannMMoonntteenneeggrroo jjooiinn EEUU wwiitthhoouutteenntteerriinngg tthhee NNAATTOO ffiirrsstt??

This argument reminds me ofthe usual "Why should Serbia joinEU if Switzerland and Norway didnot?". If we were Switzerland orNorway, we could afford to ponder

P R E S I D E N T O F T H E E U R O P E A N M O V E M E N T I N S E R B I A @ I V O R A D K O V A ^ E V I ]S A Y S T H E P O S T P O N E M E N T O F A P P L I C A T I O N I S N O R E A S O N T O W O R R Y

@ivorad Kova~evi}

Delays will always be there, whatmatters is that Brussels is on your side

IIff yyoouu cchhoossee ffoorr EEUU,, tthheerree iiss nnoo wwaayy bbuutt ttoo aacccceelleerraattee rreeffoorrmmss,, aannddtthhee EEUU wwiillll nnoott ttuurrnn aa bblliinndd eeyyee - tthheeyy wwiillll iinnssiisstt oonn eerraaddiiccaattiinnggccoorrrruuppttiioonn,, oorrggaanniizzeedd ccrriimmee,, ssttrreennggtthheenniinngg ffrreeeeddoomm ooff tthhee mmeeddiiaa

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about it. These two things areclosely related - a safety umbrellais the key to Europe - they aresuspicious of the countries refusingto get under the same umbrella.The EU will never tell you that youcannot join because you are not aNATO member, but the door willremain locked.

HHooww wwoouulldd yyoouu ccoommmmeennttoonn tthhee ccrriittiicciissmm bbyy MMoonntteenneeggrriinniinntteelllleeccttuuaallss ddiirreecctteedd ttoowwaarrddss EEUUbbeeccaauussee ooff iittss lleenniieennccee ttoowwaarrddss\\uukkaannoovvii}},, wwhhoomm tthheeyy ccoonnssiiddeerriimmppoorrttaanntt ffoorr tthhee ssttaabbiilliittyy ooff tthheerreeggiioonn,, rreeggaarrddlleessss ooff tthhee pprroobblleemmsswwiitthh ccoorrrruuppttiioonn aanndd ccrriimmee??

I am not in a position to takesides in the internal Montenegrindebate. Those who follow integra-tion processes closely know that

the same EU has supportedKo{tunica's government, even

before he entered a coalition withthe democrats.

They only insist on the criteriawhich are necessary for the nextphase of European integrations,which is already enough to supportdemocracy in Montenegro, andwill certainly not go out of theirway to change things. The leadingEU members prefer to steer clearof the internal affairs in the region,unless something really drastictakes place.

IIssnn''tt SSoollaannaa ppaattttiinngg \\uukkaa-nnoovvii}}''ss sshhoouullddeerr ffeeww ddaayyss bbeeffoorreetthhee pprreessiiddeennttiiaall eelleeccttiioonnss aa ssoommee-wwhhaatt ddrraassttiicc iinntteerrffeerreennccee??

To put it bluntly, EU has itspriorities. Stability in the region isthe absolute priority. We hadBelgrade agreement only becausethe EU and Solana himselfbelieved that Montenegro was toodivided and that a referendumcould explode precarious peace inthe region. So they gave theirblessing to SCG without a secondthought about the structural impactof this political curiosity. EU's insis-tence on stability above politicalpreferences is something to becounted with.

VV.. @@UUGGII]]

European integrations in Montenegro are still a matter of "high politics"and political phrases. When will Montenegrin citizens realise what Europeanstandards mean in their everyday life?

The history of countries that have joined EU shows that a year, year anda half before they join EU Euroscepticism soars among the public. This is tobe expected - on the one hand, there is the fear of losing identity, on theother the fact that people do not realise the benefits.

I am the president of an NGO that, since 1992, has worked on explain-ing EU to the common citizens. The result of the Serbian elections has beeninfluenced by two events that took place the day after the Stabilisation andAssociation Agreement was signed. One was the offer to eliminate visa fees for17 EU countries and the other the agreement signed with FIAT.

The president of FIAT said: "We are signing this agreement today becauseyou signed the other one yesterday". Although the link is not as direct as itappears to the Serbian citizens, they have clearly understood the advantagesof signing SAA.

I believe that during this campaign the pro-European forces did more thanever before, for their own sake, to explain EU and European integrations tothe citizens. This issue was thoroughly underestimated on previous occasions,by these same forces, it all ended with empty rhetoric. One commonplacephrase is easily countered by another. So the pro-European forces - theGovernment, the non-governmental sector, the media, ought to help to explainwhat EU really means, without hiding anything, because Europe is no paradiseon earth. People should know both the good and the bad sides of EU.

YYOOUU MMUUSSTT TTEELLLL TTHHEE PPEEOOPPLLEE WWHHAATTTTHHEE EEUU MMEEMMBBEERRSSHHIIPP BBRRIINNGGSS

II bbeelliieevvee tthhaatt tthheessee ccoouunnttrriieess wwiillll jjooiinn mmoorree oorr lleessss aatt tthhee ssaammeettiimmee,, wwiitthh CCrrooaattiiaa lleeaaddiinngg tthhee wwaayy.. AAfftteerrwwaarrddss,, ssttaabbiilliissaattiioonn ooffrreellaattiioonnss wwiitthhiinn tthhee rreeggiioonn wwiillll ccoonnttrriibbuuttee ttoo aacccceelleerraattiioonn ooff tthheeaacccceessssiioonn pprroocceessss

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There would be no happy endingto that fairy tale if Cinderella for-got all about deadlines. Although EUis hardly an evil stepmother (or soour politicians would have usbelieve), Montenegro still needs tofinish up the chores before applyingfor the grace of the young prince, i.e.the much desired EU membership.

Compared to the earlier exam-ples of great historical goals, author-ities have changed the rhetoric. Onthe eve of the referendum, deadlineswere a preferred subject of specula-tions, even among the politicians.Ever since there is no alternative toEU, however, deadlines have becomea taboo.

Instead, \\uukkaannoovvii}}, RRoo}}eenn and\\uurroovvii}} propose that the publicshould rather focus on achievingEuropean living standards.

Ro}en said: "the date of applica-tion is unnecessarily politicised. Weshould not be forcing the dilemmawhether to apply or not right now, asif it were to be or not to be of ourfurther European progress".

Well, there would be no bone-picking about deadlines in our tran-sition to the "European road" if therewas any other way to measure this

progress except by concrete agree-ments with Brussels such as theStabilisation and Association Agree-ment and, by the same token, mem-bership application.

\ukanovi}'s inspired fascinationwith European living standardssounds credible enough, but for usmortals the dates are the only con-crete forms of recognition that the

applicant country and its prime min-ister can receive from Brussels, withthe exception of pre-electoral patson the shoulder.

In translation, the sooner acountry signs such an agreement withEU, applies or becomes a candidate,the more credible are its officials'speeches about progress in attainingEuropean standards. (EuropeanCommission reports would be excel-lent measuring rods to evaluate theprogress, but the practice has shownthat the government and the oppo-sition tend to derive diametricallyopposed interpretations of these sim-

ple messages from Brussels). The proposition that "we are

interested in substance, not in dead-lines" is touching, demonstratingGovernment's mature ability of intro-spection, and justifying all imaginabledelays. When \ukanovi} said that hehas no intention of courtingEuropean Union, he suggests that hehas his pride, which is good if you

are a politician, but also that there isno point in courting the wondrousBrussels try as we may (not) to doour chores.

"There is a tendency towardsclosure in the EU, they have electionsand interests of their own, but weought to qualify for entry, as before,by concrete results and desire tobecome an EU member as soon aspossible", admits president of theParliament RRaannkkoo KKrriivvookkaappii}}.

Podgorica knows all to well thatcorruption, nationalism and crimenever prevented Bulgaria frombecoming a member of the eliteclub. At the same time, eradicatingthis pestilence is no guarantee forentry to Montenegro.

If Brussels is using the rhetoric ofEuropean standards to cover up itsreal-politics reasons, we could alsoask whether Montenegrin govern-ment is fetishising European stan-dards in order to hide its own inabil-ity to win this political match withinreasonable deadlines.

Gordana \urovi} can pull ironiccomments at the "journalists' favouritequestion" - when will we join EU -but the fact is that the only more

by Brano Mandi}

WWhhyy nnoott bbootthheerr wwiitthh ddeeaaddlliinneess

TThhee pprrooppoossiittiioonn tthhaatt ""wwee aarree iinntteerreesstteedd iinn ssuubbssttaannccee,, nnoott iinn ddeeaadd-lliinneess"" iiss ttoouucchhiinngg,, ddeemmoonnssttrraattiinngg GGoovveerrnnmmeenntt''ss mmaattuurree aabbiilliittyy ooffiinnttrroossppeeccttiioonn,, aanndd jjuussttiiffyyiinngg aallll iimmaaggiinnaabbllee ddeellaayyss

11Eu r op ean pu l s e N o 3 2

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important question at this moment is- when will we ask for membership?

If it is true that the governmentin Podgorica has to move cautiouslybecause of the dangers of the Lisbontreaty failing at the referendum inIreland, our politicians should alsotell us why would it bother an aver-age Irishman so much to open thenewspapers on the day of the refer-endum and read that Montenegrohas just applied for membership.They should also explain who left thenational priorities at the mercy ofsome Irish journalist who would dec-orate the name of Montenegro onthe cover page with a pile of data onsmuggling, corruption and organisedcrime, also used by the script writersof the last James Bond.

Still, there is some justificationfor their fears in the real image ofthe European Unions which is care-fully camouflaged and hidden fromthe citizens - the dark side of thesinging squares and helium balloonsharmoniously flown by the local andBrussels' politicians on the Day ofEurope.

Accession is a political decision.A candidate country can achieveadministrative stability of Luxembour

or lower its crime rates belowPortugal's and still not get the mem-bership. Which is not something youwould mention in a decent compa-ny in this country devoid ofEurosceptics. The only critique of theEU's real politics in Montenegrocame from the pen of professor

MMiillaann PPooppoovvii}} who is now a personanon grata not only for the authorities,but also for the department where hehas taught for years.

The price of political illiteracy inthe Montenegrin public is paid at theelections, but if even the Universityrefuses to host a sensible debate onEuropean dilemmas and ratherchooses to accept the process lockstock and barrel - we have an idealsituation in which the governmentcan indefinitely purr its story about

the EU as the secret medicine of thepale face. The public is so ignorantindeed that our ministers are onlymissing the alchemist's hood whenthey start talking about Europeanintegrations as a process beyond timeand deadlines which cannot becomprehended through standard

cognitive operations. This is why it is heresy to ask in

which five-year plan can the middleclass expect to live by the standardsit had in SFRY, and which it is nowto recover through membership inthe EU.

Finally, instead of bluffing thatthey do not care about deadlines, itis more realistic to say that they hadno chance to decide on any dead-lines, mostly because of the politicalhistory they have pursued since 1989.They could be honest and takeresponsibility for it, but instead theyare just human, like a party that hasjust won the elections where the cit-izens did not ask for any remorse oraccountability. This is why, may Godhelp him, president FFiilliipp VVuujjaannoovvii}}took his oath a few days ago. "Like noother"…way to demonstrate his dem-agogic potential from a quote, bornto be translated to Latin:

"Membership in the EuropeanUnion is the condition and a guar-antee for a better life for all our cit-izens. When, through these stan-dards, Montenegro becomes EU, theintegration of our country will be thejob of European Union".

TThhee aauutthhoorr iiss aa jjoouurrnnaalliisstt ooff tthheeddaaiillyy nneewwssppaappeerr ""VViijjeessttii""

IIff iitt iiss ttrruuee tthhaatt tthhee ggoovveerrnnmmeenntt iinn PPooddggoorriiccaa hhaass ttoo mmoovvee ccaauuttiioouuss-llyy bbeeccaauussee ooff tthhee ddaannggeerrss ooff tthhee LLiissbboonn ttrreeaattyy ffaaiilliinngg aatt tthhee rreeffeerr-eenndduumm iinn IIrreellaanndd,, oouurr ppoolliittiicciiaannss sshhoouulldd aallssoo tteellll uuss wwhhyy wwoouulldd iittbbootthheerr aann aavveerraaggee IIrriisshhmmaann ssoo mmuucchh ttoo ooppeenn tthhee nneewwssppaappeerrss oonn tthheeddaayy ooff tthhee rreeffeerreenndduumm aanndd rreeaadd tthhaatt MMoonntteenneeggrroo hhaass jjuusstt aapppplliieeddffoorr mmeemmbbeerrsshhiipp.. TThheeyy sshhoouulldd aallssoo eexxppllaaiinn wwhhoo lleefftt tthhee nnaattiioonnaall pprrii-oorriittiieess aatt tthhee mmeerrccyy ooff ssoommee IIrriisshh jjoouurrnnaalliisstt wwhhoo wwoouulldd ddeeccoorraattee tthheennaammee ooff MMoonntteenneeggrroo oonn tthhee ccoovveerr ppaaggee wwiitthh aa ppiillee ooff ddaattaa oonnssmmuugggglliinngg,, ccoorrrruuppttiioonn aanndd oorrggaanniisseedd ccrriimmee,, aallssoo uusseedd bbyy tthhee ssccrriippttwwrriitteerrss ooff tthhee llaasstt JJaammeess BBoonndd

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Montenegrin Gover-nment and theParliament ought toadopt a single adminis-trative act regulating payin all units of publicadministration, includingindependent agencieswhere salaries are high-est, in order to preventoutflow of quality cadrefrom public to inde-pendent and privatesector. Employees shouldbe motivated by clear,transparent criteria regu-lating promotions andcompensation.

These are conclu-sions of the report"Public Administration inMontenegro" by NGOInstitute Alternative (IA).The document provides adetailed overview of current leg-islation and practices, as well as

comparative analyses. Relying on the evaluations by

foreign experts, internationaldocuments and own research in

public institutions, IAprovides clear recom-mendations about thefuture strategies for theMontenegrin authoritiesregarding administrativecapacities. This area hasbeen singled out as oneof the key stumblingstones for Montenegroon its road to EU andoverall integration intomodern global develop-ments. The executiveand legislative branch,for instance, shouldestablish a clear systemof job descriptions andindicate responsibilitiesfor each position.

Heads of state insti-tutions and agenciesshould attend trainings

to help them evaluate theiremployees better, whereas thosewho fail to provide written eval-uations should be sanctioned,recommends IA.

Even though written evalua-tions have become obligatory bylaw, IA reports that many publicinstitutions have failed to imple-ment these procedures. Morethan 40% of civil servants inleading positions have not beenevaluated, although things haveslightly improved since 2005.

IA reminds that the law pre-scribes skill evaluation proce-dures as a measure to be imple-mented by the head manager incase an employee receives

R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S O F T H E I N S T I T U T E A L T E R N A T I V E F O R T H E S T R E N G T H E N I N GO F M O N T E N E G R I N A D M I N I S T R A T I V E C A P A C I T I E S

MMoottiivvaattee aanndd ssaannccttiioonn ttoo ccrreeaattee ggoooodd cciivviill sseerrvvaannttss

There should be a standard procedure for rewarding civil servants workingin the field of European integrations, and full information about their futurecareer opportunities, says IA.

"Perhaps Montenegrin civil administration should learn from the examplesof Hungary and Romania. EU provided subsidies for civil servants in Romaniaaccording to the principle of inverted pyramid (biggest subsidies for the leastpaid to balance compensations). In Hungary, all employees of public adminis-tration dealing with EU integrations received salaries twice the amount of wagesin other public sectors. The effect of these policies is increased motivation ofexpert staff to work on the matters of European integrations, which greatlyimproved the performance of Hungarian public administration during the stage

of negotiations", states the document.

RRRREEEEWWWWAAAARRRRDDDDSSSS FFFFOOOORRRR TTTTHHHHOOOOSSSSEEEE WWWWOOOORRRRKKKKIIIINNNNGGGGOOOONNNN EEEEUUUURRRROOOOPPPPEEEEAAAANNNN IIIINNNNTTTTEEEEGGGGRRRRAAAATTTTIIIIOOOONNNNSSSS

13Eu r op ean pu l s e N o 3 2

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"unsatisfactory" grade, as well asdisciplinary measures againstthose who fail to demonstrateprofessionalism.

Ministry of Health and SocialProtection, for instance, used thismeasure against two of itsemployees, reducing their wageby 30%.

"Other areas of publicadministration, such as theSecretariat for European Integ-ration, have no similar discipli-nary measures. This largelymeans that employees cannot beheld accountable for theirbehaviour in the workplace.Evaluation mechanisms are stillnot functioning and employeescannot be adequately evaluatedas long as the sanctioning mech-anisms are not standardised",states the report.

IA also warns that top man-agement should not have theright to refuse applicants whofulfil all job criteria. Instead,there should be a transparent set

of regulations regarding selectionand complaint procedures.

The trade unions should beinvolved in negotiating changesin the General CollectiveAgreement in order to graduallydecrease the importance of sen-iority in pay and promotions forcivil servants.

According to the current leg-islation, years of working experi-ence provide for a difference ofup to 35% between the new-comers and their more seniorcolleagues, which can haveadverse effect on motivatingyounger cadres.

Interns who achieve bestresults during the trial periodshould be motivated to stay inpublic administration, allowingthem opportunities for horizontaland vertical career advancebased on merit and quality ofwork instead of automatic sen-iority promotions, and providingspecial rewards in order to stim-ulate quality performance.

IA recommends to create aninternal on-job training system bybringing best civil servants to traininterns and young employees.

According to the Directory for Human Resources, in September last yearMontenegrin state administration counted 12.640 employees, with 10.211employed on permanent basis.

Most employees are in the Police Directory (without policemen) - 5.071,followed by Ministry for Internal Affairs and Public Administration (1.154) andTax Administration (744). Directory of Customs has 669 employees, Agency forNational Security 210, Bureau for sanctions 405, and Ministry of Defence 374.

As a comparison, Ministry for the Protection of Human Rights has 11employees, Ministry of Justice 40, Finance Ministry 170, and Secretariat forEuropean Integrations 39.

"This suggests that a large number of civil servants work for security-relat-ed institutions. At the same time, in some areas dealing directly withCopenhagen criteria (e.g. judicial reform, protection of minority rights, eco-nomic stability and the adoption of Acquis) the number of employees is muchsmaller", concludes the analysis.

General classification of civil servants according to their gender, education-al level, years of experience etc. does not exist yet. However, a research con-ducted in eight public institutions suggests that women working in publicadministration outnumber men by 100%, most employees have tertiary diplo-ma and are between 30 and 50 years of age.

Public administration has no information on the national/ethnic profile ofemployees, but the poll conducted among the civil servants suggests that thestructure of public employees in state and local administration as well as in thejudiciary fails to reflect the national structure of overall population.

SSSSEEEECCCCUUUURRRRIIIITTTTYYYY CCCCLLLLOOOOSSSSEEEE TTTTOOOOTTTTHHHHEEEE HHHHEEEEAAAARRRRTTTT

Government of Montenegro

14Eur op ean pu l s e N o 3 2

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The example ofSlovenia demon-strates that the stateought to provide anumber of scholar-ships for the beststudents and gener-ally expand itsbudget for educa-tion and training.

"The procedurefor awarding schol-arships and stipendshas to be developedafter detailed analy-sis of the needs ofpublic administra-tion in the Euro-pean integrationprocess. The procedure forawarding stipends has to be

transparent, based on clear crite-ria and public ranking. The

recipients ofstipends will beobliged to returnafter the completionof studies and workseveral years forpublic administra-tion", the documentexplains.

It also recom-mends establishinga special office or apersonnel officer inevery public organwho would be incharge of profes-sional development,in cooperation withemployees and

management. This person wouldat the same time work with theDirection for Cadres, providinginformation for future trainingsand seminars for civil servants.

"Criteria for professionaldevelopment and promotionsought to be clear. For instance,in order to receive a promotion,every employee will have to col-lect a number of points, receivedafter a successful completion oftrainings/seminars. The numberof points per seminar will beclearly indicated and based ontheir length, difficulty and evalu-ation methods. The second sug-gested criteria for professionaladvancement should be efficien-cy in the workplace, also evalu-ated through transparent mecha-nisms", states the document.

It is also recommended thatthe central register of cadresshould contain all data, includingstatistics on the number of civilservants according to the years ofexperience, gender, nationality,knowledge of foreign languagesand completed trainings.

VV..@@..

Average net wage of civil servants in 2008 is 345 euros, similar to the aver-age wage in 2007. "Taking into account inflationary pressures, and the estimates of the living

costs for 2008, public employees continue to be paid less than average", con-cludes IA.

Regulations on the system of compensations in public administration dividetotal salaries into fixed wage, additional compensation and variable part.

Most of the wage is fixed, and the accounting system is geared towardscredible evaluation of efforts on the part of the civil servants, which shouldresult in merit-based salaries.

However, expert on wages in the European Agency for ReconstructionHugh Grant warns that opportunities for horizontal mobility remain limited. InWestern Europe, where there is less vertical segmentation on the wage ladder,opportunities for horizontal mobility within these segments are greater, leadingto promotions based on merit instead of automatic seniority advances.

Authors provide reflections on the report by World Bank (WB), whichindicates that the Montenegrin system of wages heavily relies on seniority.

"WB experts have shown that Montenegrin civil servants have right to upto 35% of their basic wage as a bonus for the years of experience", explainsthe document. It reminds that 10 years of experience lead to 0.75% extra payper year of work, while the percentage climbs to 1% for more than 20 yearsof experience.

"Montenegrin case is exceptional in this region. Similar bonuses in Serbiaand BiH are limited to about 0.5%. Such practice hampers the progress ofthose less experienced workers whose higher productivity and better educationcould greatly contribute to the realisation of tasks in public administration",concludes the report of Institute Alternative.

OOLLDDEERR CCOOLLLLEEAAGGUUEESS HHAAVVEEGGRREEAATTEERR PPRRIIVVIILLEEGGEESS

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The need to build up theMontenegrin state with a full rangeof requisite institutions in the image ofbigger EU states can lead to a lack ofcritical attitude and create unfortunateresults, says BBrraanniissllaavv RRaadduulloovvii}},Secretary General of the MontenegrinLawyers' Association. According to him,Montenegro ought to adopt a morecautious policy in creating new stateagencies than did, for instance, Poland.

"In the course of this process,which is a fundamentally positive one,two elements are usually forgotten.First, the size of Montenegrin territoryand population and second, the num-ber of newly founded institutions,which are all financed from the publiccoffers, causing greater strain on thebudget and bloating the already cum-bersome state apparatus", Radulovi}said.

He adds that excessive dispersionof state functions can be equally detri-mental for the efficiency oft he systemas excessive centralisation.

"In the past decade Montenegrorelocated a number of traditional statefunctions, especially in the area ofexecutive, regulatory and monitoringfunctions. The trend is that every func-tion gets an institution of its own, withthe result that Montenegro today has13 ministries, 14 directorates, 3 secre-tariats, 10 bureaus, 4 directions, twonational agencies, 3 regulatory agen-cies, 5 national funds...", Radulovi}said.

He stresses that Montenegroshould already reconsider the structureof its public administration and theenormous number of new administra-tive organs which are still multiplying ata steady rate. The example is the draftLaw on state property which envisagesestablishment of two new institutions -the bureau for state property and office

of the protector of state property.Radulovi} suggests "zipping" certain

segments of the state apparatus andassigning future or missing responsibil-ities to the existing institutional struc-

ture."Thus we could avoid having sev-

eral agencies working in the samedomain with more or less identicaladministrative functions. The section ofadministration dealing with foreigninvestments alone has three separateinstitutions which together account formillion euros in state expenditures:Privatisation Council, Agency for pri-vatisation and foreign investments,Agency for the promotion of foreigninvestments, plus the "regular" stateapparatus and the appropriate ministry.Add the Direction for small and medi-um enterprises, Development fundetc.", Radulovi} said.

Germany, with 82 million inhabi-tants, has recently merged three inde-pendent organs for the control ofinsurance, banks and stock market,justifying it by the need to cut downon state expenditure and reduceadministration.

"While here in Montenegro the

quality of legislation is usually meas-ured in the number of laws, the morenumerous and territorially and eco-nomically larger states are employingthe "regulatory guillotine" in order toeliminate the burden of legislation andadministration. They are also financial-ly assisted in this process by the WorldBank - in 2007, Croatia used the assis-tance to execute a "speed-cut", reduc-ing state administration", says SecretaryGeneral of the Lawyers' Association.

He warns, however, against thedanger of going into the other extreme,promoting the "homemade" concept of"micro-stat with 333 civil servants"."Aside for drawing media attention byits flashiness, the proposal has nothingto contribute to the serious debate onthis topic", Radulovi} said.

"Hyperproduction and indiscrimi-nate approach to legislation are typi-cally explained in Montenegro by the"requirements of the internationalcommunity". The need to harmonisewith acquis, however, must not turninto "hoarding" of new bodies andinstitutions, especially because theinternational community itself prefersefficiency over normative compliance",he added.

Mere accumulation of legal provi-sions without sound structural funda-ments will not yield a "European gov-ernment".

"Fortunately, professor SSttiigglliittzz lea-ves no place for dilemma. The winnerof the Nobel Prize for economics claimsthat only private monopolies are worsethan public monopolies", Radulovi}said. He concludes that the phase ofquantitative legislation must be sup-planted by qualitative phase, in orderto avoid reading in one of the nextreports of the European Parliament that"the plan to build a state through leg-islative hyperproduction and excessivedilution of state functions can only leadto state dissolution".

VV..@@..

MMoonntteenneeggrroo oouugghhtt ttoo rreeccoonnssiiddeerr tthhee ssttrruuccttuurree ooff iittss ppuubblliicc aaddmmiinn-iissttrraattiioonn aanndd tthhee eennoorrmmoouuss nnuummbbeerr ooff nneeww aaddmmiinniissttrraattiivvee oorrggaannss

Branislav Radulovi}

B R A N I S L A V R A D U L O V I } , S E C R E T A R Y G E N E R A L O F T H E M O N T E N E G R I N L A W Y E R S 'A S S O C I A T I O N

European or a mammoth state

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Aless than three percent chanceof getting the job. Months ofstudying, learning hundreds ofacronyms and obscure politicians'names to be able to answer trickyquiz questions in seconds. Wouldyou go for it?

Every year, tens of thousands ofEuropeans do, entering theEuropean Union's public service jobmarathon. The prize is a 21st-cen-tury rarity: a highly paid, low-tax,job for life.

"Preparing for the competitionis a big adventure, it invades allyour time, your life," said oneHungarian EU parliamentary assis-tant who took part in several ofthese competitions.

"It's like a sport ... you need totrain every day," said the Brussels-based woman, who requestedanonymity to keep her job bids pri-vate from her employer and col-leagues.

She failed to get in.In the past five years, more

than 290,000 hopefuls have appliedfor EU jobs. A mere 7,049 wereeventually recruited by the 27-nation bloc's institutions, mostlybased in Brussels, but also inLuxembourg and a few other EUstates.

They got in at the end of agruelling process which takes atleast a year, sometimes three to

four, starting with a multiple choicequiz on the EU's history, financingand politics, as well as verbal andnumerical reasoning tests.

"You have to be the type for

exams, you can't just be good forthe job," said JJaassmmiinnee SSeeiiffffeerrtt, a 39-year-old German who tried to get ajob as an EU proof-reader.

The quiz stage is most candi-dates' nightmare and the reason

why the most determined spendweekend after weekend learningabout EU programmes. This is alsowhere most candidates fail.

Some of the quiz questionswould-be EU officials train to

answer:- In the latest EU opinion poll, how

many people thought their coun-try had benefited from EU mem-bership?

- What is the "Intelligent energy forEurope" programme?

- What are PRINCE, CAFE, the"Petersberg missions"?

Verbal reasoning tests can be onvirtually everything, from nature con-servation and the Bible to BBrraadd PPiitttt'spro-Tibet policies, sample tests onthe EU's recruitment Web site show(http://europa.eu/epso/index_en.htm).

"It's hard not to panic whenyou see the table on the screen,and you need to solve it in 120seconds," said the Hungarian appli-cant.

For the lucky ones, the benefitsare significant.

Child, house and expatriateallowances add up to a low-taxedwage so that at the lowest range ofthe pay scale, an EU official withtwo children earns 3,681 euros net

per month, after paying a mere39.40 euros of taxes.

GGuuyy vvaann BBiieesseenn, a senior offi-cial at the European PersonnelSelection Office, the body in chargeof recruiting for EU institutions, saidit was at this lower end of thespectrum that the EU was mostattractive, compared with the pri-vate sector.

At the very top of the EU pub-lic service -- secretary-general ofone of the bloc's institutions forexample -- the net revenue per

D E M A N D I N G E X A M I N A T I O N P R O C E D U R E S I N E U I N S T I T U T I O N S R E P U L S E G O O DC A N D I D A T E S

MMaarraatthhoonn ttoo wwiinn aa wweellll-ppaaiidd EEUU jjoobb

EEvveerryy yyeeaarr,, tteennss ooff tthhoouussaanndd ooff EEuurrooppeeaann ssttuuddyy ffoorr mmoonntthhss,, mmeemm-oorriissiinngg hhuunnddrreeddss ooff aaccrroonnyymmss aanndd oobbssccuurree ppoolliittiicciiaannss'' nnaammeesswwhheenn tthheeyy ddeecciiddee ttoo eenntteerr aa mmaarraatthhoonn ffoorr aa jjoobb iinn EEuurrooppeeaannUUnniioonn''ss ppuubblliicc sseerrvviiccee.. IInn tthhee ppaasstt ffiivvee yyeeaarrss,, mmoorree tthhaann 229900,,000000hhooppeeffuullss hhaavvee aapppplliieedd ffoorr EEUU jjoobbss.. AA mmeerree 77,,004499 wweerree eevveennttuuaall-llyy rreeccrruuiitteedd bbyy tthhee 2277-nnaattiioonn bblloocc''ss iinnssttiittuuttiioonnss,, mmoossttllyy bbaasseedd iinnBBrruusssseellss,, bbuutt aallssoo iinn LLuuxxeemmbboouurrgg aanndd aa ffeeww ootthheerr EEUU ssttaatteess

""PPrreeppaarriinngg ffoorr tthhee ccoommppeettiittiioonn iiss aa bbiigg aaddvveennttuurree,, iitt iinnvvaaddeess aallllyyoouurr ttiimmee,, yyoouurr lliiffee,,"" ssaayyss oonnee EEUU ppaarrlliiaammeennttaarryy aassssiissttaanntt

17Eu r op ean pu l s e N o 3 2

May , 2 0 0 8 EU cha l l eng e s

month after taxes can exceed15,000 euros.

Jobs in the various EU institu-

tions range from adviser on airtransport issues to translator, com-munications officer, Latin Americatrade expert or working for the EU'stop courts.

Asked why she had entered thecompetition, German-Polish EEvveelliinnaaSScchhuullzz, said: "It's for a guaranteedjob in a European environment."

"Of course, it's also for themoney," she added.

But she said she had notapplied for jobs for which she wasover-qualified, unlike many Polishfriends who were attracted by bet-ter wages than they would get formore senior jobs at home.

"I did not go for that, I do notwant to be a secretary for threeyears," said Schulz, who works asassistant to an EU lawmaker, whichdoes not make her an EU official.

A niche industry of training and

sample-test books has developedaround the EU tests.

Schulz paid 150 euros for a

one-day course organised by theGerman foreign ministry to boostthe chances of its nationals, andtrained every weekend for threemonths on sample-test books.

"If you live outside of Brussels

you don't even know (these books)exist, your chances of succeedingare very low," the Brussels-based28-year-old said.

Those who succeed in the quiztake a written exam testing theircompetence in the area they runfor, followed by an interview.Successful applicants' names are

then put on a list, from which theEU institutions can pick andchoose. Even then getting a job isnot guaranteed and can take acouple of years.

Are such tests the best way todecide who can join the over30,000-strong EU staff and takepart in shaping the bloc's competi-tion, transport or migration policies?

Many candidates say peoplewho would be good for the job getstuck on the quiz.

Schulz, still waiting for theresults of a competition launched ayear and a half ago, said thelengthy process damages the bloc'sability to attract the best candidates.

But van Biesen said the systemprovided EU institutions with high-value recruits, even if some poten-tially good ones were lost on theway.

"With a system that handlesthousands of applications youalways lose good candidates ... it isa pity for the individual person, butnot for the institution," van Biesentold Reuters.

Nevertheless, the EU recruit-ment office was working on makingchanges to the tests, to focus moreon checking competence ratherthan learning about the EU byheart, he said.

Seiffert said the EU did nothave any other option.

"It's easy to say it's long andcomplicated, but how are yougoing to do it otherwise ... theycan't take 13,000 people for aninterview."

PPrreeppaarreedd bbyy:: VV.. [[]]EEPPAANNOOVVII]]

AArree ssuucchh tteessttss tthhee bbeesstt wwaayy ttoo ddeecciiddee wwhhoo ccaann jjooiinn tthhee oovveerr3300,,000000-ssttrroonngg EEUU ssttaaffff aanndd ttaakkee ppaarrtt iinn sshhaappiinngg tthhee bblloocc''ss ccoomm-ppeettiittiioonn,, ttrraannssppoorrtt oorr mmiiggrraattiioonn ppoolliicciieess??

CChhiilldd,, hhoouussee aanndd eexxppaattrriiaattee aalllloowwaanncceess aadddd uupp ttoo aa llooww-ttaaxxeedd wwaaggeessoo tthhaatt aatt tthhee lloowweesstt rraannggee ooff tthhee ppaayy ssccaallee,, aann EEUU ooffffiicciiaall wwiitthh ttwwoocchhiillddrreenn eeaarrnnss 33,,668811 eeuurrooss nneett ppeerr mmoonntthh,, aafftteerr ppaayyiinngg aa mmeerree3399..4400 eeuurrooss ooff ttaaxxeess.. AAtt tthhee vveerryy ttoopp ooff tthhee EEUU ppuubblliicc sseerrvviiccee --sseeccrreettaarryy-ggeenneerraall ooff oonnee ooff tthhee bblloocc''ss iinnssttiittuuttiioonnss ffoorr eexxaammppllee --tthhee nneett rreevveennuuee ppeerr mmoonntthh aafftteerr ttaaxxeess ccaann eexxcceeeedd 1155,,000000 eeuurrooss

18Eur op ean pu l s e N o 3 2

May , 2 0 0 8 F r om my p o in t o f v i ew

WWhhyy ddoo II wwaanntt ttoo bbeeaa cciittiizzeenn ooff EEuurrooppee??

Afew months ago my PC becamericher for another constantlyopen window for diverting attentionfrom my daily work. Worldwide

disease called Facebook spreadthrough Montenegro too in theform of an epidemic. Incrediblewhat a person can learn whenstuck with this, admittedly creative,form of time-wasting - from dailyhoroscopes, long-term weatherforecasts, to ongoing insights intoyour friends' physical and psycho-logical state of being and theirreflections on personal events.Inspired by that, I use this oppor-tunity to share one reflectioncaused by a simple informationfrom this webpage.

On a sunny Monday few weeksago I was checking what my friendswere up to. My eyes froze on thesentence "S is going to fly:"

It may be that this sentencemeans nothing to you. It is nothingspecial for the Montenegrin societythat one 20-year old person shouldboard a plane for the first time inher life, on the inevitable and wellknown relation Podgorica-Belgrade.

The idea that this 20-year old, thebest student in the history of herdepartment and the future pillar ofthis society, has never seen a planefrom close up until the age of 20would, however, sound ratherincredible to an average European.Renowned universities in GreatBritain, Italy and France have longopened their doors for the best stu-dents from across Europe. Even stu-dents from this region have had achance to participate in exchangeprogrammes to several Europeancountries. In the EU mobility is not

a problem. Sky Europe flies fromWarsaw to Madrid for 29 euros. InMontenegro, a bus fare fromPljevlja to Herzeg Novi is 14 euros.

After many years of practicingthe same procedure, the stageshave come to approximate combi-nations of number 3 - 13 minutesto put together all necessary docu-ments, 33 minutes to fill out on-line application, 133 euros for thevisa fee, waiting for 333 otherapplications to be processed beforeit's your turn, all that for a 3-dayvisit to London, my favouriteEuropean city. Subject to this pro-cedure, an average Briton wouldnot come to visit Montenegro evenfor free.

West Balkans, an unusualcoinage used to distance the fiveex-SFRY republics and Albania fromSlovenia, has declared its readinessto become a part of the family ofEuropean nations and thus improvethe quality of life of its citizens.

by Jelena Mitrovi}

SSkkyy EEuurrooppee fflliieess ffrroomm WWaarrssaaww ttoo MMaaddrriidd ffoorr 2299 eeuurrooss.. IInnMMoonntteenneeggrroo,, aa bbuuss ffaarree ffrroomm PPlljjeevvlljjaa ttoo HHeerrzzeegg NNoovvii iiss 1144 eeuurrooss

1133 mmiinnuutteess ttoo ppuutt ttooggeetthheerr aallll nneecceessssaarryy ddooccuummeennttss,, 3333 mmiinnuutteessttoo ffiillll oouutt oonn-lliinnee aapppplliiccaattiioonn,, 113333 eeuurrooss ffoorr tthhee vviissaa ffeeee,, wwaaiittiinnggffoorr 333333 ootthheerr aapppplliiccaattiioonnss ttoo bbee pprroocceesssseedd bbeeffoorree iitt''ss yyoouurr ttuurrnn,,aallll tthhaatt ffoorr aa 33-ddaayy vviissiitt ttoo LLoonnddoonn,, mmyy ffaavvoouurriittee EEuurrooppeeaann cciittyy..SSuubbjjeecctt ttoo tthhiiss pprroocceedduurree,, aann aavveerraaggee BBrriittoonn wwoouulldd nnoott ccoommee ttoovviissiitt MMoonntteenneeggrroo eevveenn ffoorr ffrreeee

19Eur op ean pu l s e N o 3 2

May , 2 0 0 8 F r om my p o in t o f v i ew

Bilateral agreements are beingsigned, laws ratified, while the lifegoes on as usual and remains whereit was, stuck by the word "reciproc-ity". One cannot live from lovealone, some things must be sacri-ficed. That something cannot besafely called the commodity of ourexistence.

It is hard to have adequateadministrative capacities forEuropean integrations if 10 yearsago we have not had a single stu-dent abroad that could be enlistedas the necessary cadre. EU budgetdoes not contain resources for fur-ther enlargements until 2013, the

number of years that one highschool student from Kola{in wouldtake to complete his or her studiesin Belgium or France.

A country with two years ofhistory has a long way to go tojoin EU.

Sitting in a local Starbucks atWestminster, the Babel of London

offers you sounds from the street inSpanish, Italian, Greek, but also inex-YU Esperanto. I like to think thatmaybe all these people are just vis-iting Britain, that they are not per-manent Balkan migrants with noticket home who remember theircountries from the old photos ofhigh-school trips to Be~i}i.

It's up to us. Europe will notrun away, we are the ones thatneed to get closer to it in order tomake our dreams come true,dreams of all the advantages givento an average Irishman which todayan average Montenegrin can onlyhop for.

I want to be a citizen of Mon-

tenegro in Europe so that 600 000of my compatriots can earnenough to live decently both inPodgorica and Prague, where a tripbetween the two will cost them 30euros, where our master studentsfrom Bruges can representMontenegrin interests in Brussels,where my friend S will not have toanswer millions of questions fornon-residents at every "NON-EUCountries" window, where myfriends could go for a holiday tripto Lisbon without fist queuing forhours at +40°C of Belgradeasphalt and where my parents willnot have to fret over every one ofmy trips "abroad" but will knowthat we are still together and in thesame house.

TThhee aauutthhoorr iiss sseeccrreettaarryy ffoorriinntteerrnnaattiioonnaall rreellaattiioonnss ooff SSoocciiaallDDeemmooccrraattiicc PPaarrttyy

IItt iiss hhaarrdd ttoo hhaavvee aaddeeqquuaattee aaddmmiinniissttrraattiivvee ccaappaacciittiieess ffoorr EEuurrooppeeaanniinntteeggrraattiioonnss iiff 1100 yyeeaarrss aaggoo wwee hhaavvee nnoott hhaadd aa ssiinnggllee ssttuuddeennttaabbrrooaadd tthhaatt ccoouulldd bbee eennlliisstteedd aass tthhee nneecceessssaarryy ccaaddrree.. EEUU bbuuddggeettddooeess nnoott ccoonnttaaiinn rreessoouurrcceess ffoorr ffuurrtthheerr eennllaarrggeemmeennttss uunnttiill 22001133,, tthheennuummbbeerr ooff yyeeaarrss tthhaatt oonnee hhiigghh sscchhooooll ssttuuddeenntt ffrroomm KKoollaa{{iinn wwoouullddttaakkee ttoo ccoommpplleettee hhiiss oorr hheerr ssttuuddiieess iinn BBeellggiiuumm oorr FFrraannccee.. AA ccoouunn-ttrryy wwiitthh ttwwoo yyeeaarrss ooff hhiissttoorryy hhaass aa lloonngg wwaayy ttoo EEUU

II wwaanntt ttoo bbee aa cciittiizzeenn ooff MMoonntteenneeggrroo iinn EEuurrooppee ssoo tthhaatt 660000 000000ooff mmyy ccoommppaattrriioottss ccaann eeaarrnn eennoouugghh ttoo lliivvee ddeecceennttllyy bbootthh iinnPPooddggoorriiccaa aanndd PPrraagguuee,, wwhheerree aa ttrriipp bbeettwweeeenn tthhee ttwwoo wwiillll ccoosstttthheemm 3300 eeuurrooss,, wwhheerree oouurr mmaasstteerr ssttuuddeennttss ffrroomm BBrruuggeess ccaann rreepprree-sseenntt MMoonntteenneeggrriinn iinntteerreessttss iinn BBrruusssseellss

20Eur op ean pu l s e N o 3 2

May , 2 0 0 8 O f f t h e w i r e

IIrriisshh ""NNoo"" aa ddiissaasstteerr ffoorr EEUU

Possible rejection of the Lisbon Treaty atthe referendum in Ireland on 12 Junecould be a disaster for Europe, as there isno viable "Plan B".

These are the conclusions of the newreport by Bertelsmann Foundation. Thereare four possible scenarios in case the Irish

reject the agreement, but none of them isvery realistic.

Repeated referendum, like in 2002when the Irish rejected the Nice Treaty ayear earlier is not "particularly realistic".Amendments to the EU treaty are evenless so, as it is not clear what Irelandwould like to change in order to make thetreaty palatable to its voters in the secondreferendum. Besides, the amendmentswould have to be accepted by all EUmembers, which implies significant delaysand a return to sensitive institutional andpolitical debates.

The document also suggest the "dark-est" option: that the EU abandons allefforts to adopt a general treaty and focusinstead on minimal reforms implementedthrough a mini-agreement or inter-institu-tional agreements. Simply put, concludesthe analysis, an Irish "no" would be a dis-aster for EU.

Sofia loses half a billion on corruption charges

Czechs budget shopping in GermanyCzechs have started buying their newSkoda "Octavias" in Germany, wherethis car, produced in the CzechRepublic, is 15% cheaper and betterequipped, warn the free Czech econom-ic daily E-15, claiming that this is a con-sequence of the appreciation of Czechcurrency.

According to the daily, in some EUcountries the same Skoda can be boughtfor up to 20% less - in Finland, Greeceor Slovenia.

One single dealer in Dresden, whoinsisted on anonymity, sells 15-20Octavias per day to Czech nationals.Czech are also fond of shopping forelectrical gadgets in Germany, which is a

large market where competition bringsdown prices, while in the CzechRepublic the prices are sticky and nottoo well adjusted to the appreciatingcrown. Tourist arrangements are also sig-nificantly cheaper, so Germany featuresas a convenient starting point for a mul-titude of holiday-goers.

EEuurroo bblloocckkssrreeffoorrmmss

European Monetary Union could be agood thing if it could have protectedits members from painful and necessarystructural reforms, concludes Londonbased Financial Times regarding thetenth anniversary of EMU. Economicgrowth in the Eurozone hovers around2%, with small inflations and low inter-est rates, and since 1999 sixteen millionnew jobs have been created in theEurozone. Euro has not, however, forcedthe governments to implement structuralreforms. Recent difficulties confrontingSpain, Ireland and Greece will be asevere test of EMU's long-term viability.

SSaanncctt iioonnss ffoorrRRuuppeell

Slovenian minister of foreign affairsDimitrij Rupel and Secretary Generalof the ministry of internal affairs, IgorJuki~, have been fined with 1.660 euros,according to the verdict by the secretaryfor information of public importance,Nata{a Pirc Musar.

In the course of the process itturned out that Rupel and Juki~ havebeen part of the "Washington affair" inthe Slovenian ministry of internal affairs,where they illegally allowed companySinfonica to gain access to personal dataof all MIA employees.

In the course of the affair, US havedemanded that Slovenia be among thefirst countries to recognise Kosovo's inde-pendence, as the presiding EU member.The decision is not legally confirmed yet.

5500 mmii ll ll iioonnss ffoorrccuull ttuurree

EU has allocated around 50 millioneuros for reconstruction of 26 cultur-al monuments in the Western Balkans inorder to assist integration of this region.The money will be available from 2008to 2010. The monuments scheduled forreconstruction include archeological sites,churches and mosques in Montenegro,Serbia, Albania, BiH, Bulgaria, Mace-donia, Kosovo, Romania and Croatia.European Commission explained that itwill finance reconstruction of one site ineach of this countries, while the otherproject will be financed by national gov-ernments and private investors.

European Commission will take 500million euros from the EU funds avail-able to Bulgaria because of corruption,reports Reuters. According to this agency,Sofia will lose the already approvedfinancing from the PHARE and SAPHARDprogrammes, because of the fears offraud.

EU will also strengthen its controlover the distribution of the remaining 11

billion euros, which is the amountBulgaria can claim from the current EUbudget until 2013.

EC will submit its proposal on judi-cial reforms and fight against crime andcorruption in Bulgaria and Romania inJuly. While Bulgaria will most probablyreceive fierce criticism and lose themoney, Romania will only be warned tostep up its fight against corruption.

21Eu r op ean pu l s e N o 3 2

May , 2 0 0 8 Do cumen t s

On 7 May, in Cetinje, representa-tives of the Secretariat forEuropean Integrations (SEI) signedCooperation Agreement with non-gov-ernmental organisations (NGO) for theintroduction of reforms necessary forthe implementation of Stabilisation andAssociation Agreement, strengthening ofadministrative capacities for the har-monisation of Montenegrin legislationwith acquis communautaire and imple-mentation of the Communication strat-egy for informing the public about theprocess of Montenegro's associationwith EU.

Secretariat will cooperate with ADPZid, Centre for Democracy and HumanRights (CEDEM), Centre for CivicEducation (CCE), Centre for Monitoring(CEMI), Centre for Development ofNon-Governmental organisations (CD-NGO), European Movement in Mon-tenegro (EMiM), Institute Alternative(IA), Montenegrin Media Institute (MMI),Network for Affirmation of IntegrativeProcesses and Nansen Dialogue Centre(NDC) on conducting preparations forpre-accession funds, development ofsocial and economic cohesion, preser-vation of cultural herigate, environmentand sustainable development.

SEI and NGOs will maintain regu-lar, timely exchange of information onactivities regarding preparation, adop-tion and implementation of strategicdocuments which are in the domain ofSecretariat's responsibilities.

Secretariat promised to invite NGOrepresentatives to submit their writtenrecommendations and suggestions onthe strategic documents created by thedepartment led by AAnnaa VVuukkaaddiinnoovvii}}..

Secretariat also announced that itwill organised public debates on draftdocuments in its area of responsibility,where it will invite NGOs to participateafter first allowing for a reasonable timeperiod for the analysis of proposals.

"Where appropriate, Secretariat willcommission NGO representatives toparticipate in its working groups. SEI willalso appoint a person for communica-tion with NGOs who will be in chargeof disseminating information, maintain-ing a database of NGOs signatories ofthis agreement, coordinate relevantactivities by the Secretariat and proposethe appropriate modes of cooperation.SEI and NGOs will together organiseround tables and other gatherings forthe purpose of the promotion ofEuropean integration processes and dis-cussions about evaluation and improve-ment of the policies related to EU inte-grations", states the Agreement.

SEI also promised to establish andmaintain a website in order to provideaccess to all data regarding its work,especially on the draft strategic docu-ments. NGOs, on the other hand, willmake sure that their programmes, proj-ects and activities in the field ofEuropean integrations are complemen-tary with SEI's objectives.

"Non-governmental organisationswill regularly invite and involveSecretariat in their activities regardingthe process of European integrations,NGOs will propose qualified representa-tives to SEI's working groups as well asconcrete modes of cooperation with SEIand will, to the best of their abilities,contribute to improvement and strength-ening of mutual cooperation. NGOs willalso contribute to the maintenance of awebsite dedicated to European integra-tions", states the Agreement.

For the purposes of cooperation,the two parties will create a joint work-ing group for coordination of activitiesand monitoring of implementation ofthe Communication Strategy.

The said working group will consistof seven members: three form theSecretariat and four NGO representa-tives. The working group will be coor-dinated by a contact person in theSecretariat for European Integrations.

"When appointing representativesto the working group, NGOs will care-fully asses their qualifications in thearea of European integrations. NGOrepresentatives to the working groupwill be elected by NGOs by a proce-dure established by the Secretary ofSEI. Their mandate in the workinggroup will be two years", states theagreement.

The working group will meet fourtimes a year. All disagreements over theinterpretation and implementation ofthe Agreement will be resolved coop-eratively, in the spirit of mutual friend-ship and respect.

"The Agreement is open to all othernon-governmental organisations andcivil society organisations which agree toits terms", concludes the document.

V.@.

TTooggee tthhee rrttoo BBrruusssseellss

R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S O F T H E S E C R E T A R I A T F O R E U R O P E A N I N T E G R A T I O N S S I G N E DA C O O P E R A T I O N A G R E E M E N T W I T H A G R O U P O F N O N - GG O V E R N M E N T A LO R G A N I S A T I O N

22Eur op ean pu l s e N o 3 2

May , 2 0 0 8 G e t t i ng a c qua in t e d w i t h Eur op ean Un i on

People within the EU institutionsand in the media dealing withEU affairs often use 'eurojargon'words and expressions that theyalone understand. Eurojargon can bevery confusing to the general public,which is the reason we decided tointroduce those terms for the bene-fit of those who are new yet entire-ly comfortable with the field of EUintegrations.

Lisbon strategy: To competewith other major world players, theEU needs a modern efficient econ-omy. Meeting in Lisbon in March2000, the EU's political leaders set ita new goal: to become, within adecade, "the most competitive anddynamic knowledge-based economyin the world, capable of sustainablegrowth with more and better jobsand greater social cohesion." TheEU's leaders also agreed on adetailed strategy for achieving thisgoal. The 'Lisbon strategy' coverssuch matters as research, education,training, Internet access and on-linebusiness. It also covers reform ofEurope's social protection systems,which must be made sustainable sothat their benefits can be enjoyed byfuture generations. Every spring theEuropean Council meets to reviewprogress in implementing the Lisbonstrategy.

Maastricht criteria: These arefive criteria that determine whetheran EU country is ready to adopt theeuro. They relate to: - Price stability: The inflation rate

should be no more than 1.5 per-centage points above the rate forthe three EU countries with thelowest inflation over the previousyear;

- Budget deficit: This must generallybe below 3% of gross domesticproduct (GDP);

- Debt: The national debt should notexceed 60% of GDP, but a countrywith a higher level of debt can stilladopt the euro provided its debtlevel are falling steadily;

- Interest rates: The long-term rateshould be no more than two per-centage points above the rate inthe three EU countries with thelowest inflation over the previousyear;

- Exchange rate stability: The nation-al currency's exchange rate shouldhave stayed within certain pre-setmargins of fluctuation for two years.

These criteria were laid down inthe Maastricht Treaty - hence theirname.

Mainstreaming: Put simply,mainstreaming an issue means mak-ing sure it is fully taken into accountin all EU polices. For example, everypolicy decision must now takeaccount of its environmental impli-cations.

Member state: The countries thatbelong to an international organisa-tion are its 'member states'. The termis also often used to mean the gov-ernments of those countries. Since2007, EU has 27 member states.

A G U I D E T O W O R D S A N D E X P R E S S I O N SF R E Q U E N T L Y U S E D B Y T H E P E O P L E W H O A R EP R O F E S S I O N A L L Y D E A L I N G W I T H E U I N T E G R A T I O N

NON - GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS IN EUROPEAN UNION

YYOOUUTTHHAACCTTIIOONN FFOORR

PPEEAACCEEYouth Action for Peace is an internation-al peace movement which aims for soci-eties of peace, justice, and self determina-tion. Since 1923 Youth Action for Peace hasbeen committed to promote peace and dia-logue in local communities through theactive participation of young people. YouthAction for Peace has 17 member organisa-tions and numerous partner organisations inclose cooperation in more than 40 countriesof the world.

YAP's programs raise awareness aboutthe impacts and actions against discrimina-tion, social exclusion, injustice, and violentconflicts. The movement believes that activeparticipation of young people from allaround the world in local community proj-ects and international training coursestogether with the support from the localcommunities helps to transform societytowards social inclusion, justice, and peace.Consequently, working in conflict and post-conflict areas such as Algeria, the Balkans,Palestine, and West Sahara is one of thepriorities of YAP.

YAP believes in dialogue and non-for-mal education to promote non-violentbehaviour, attitudes, values, and actionsdirected towards "Culture for Peace". YouthAction for Peace organizes internationalexchanges of volunteers into non-profit ini-tiatives, international training courses andseminars and other activities such as confer-ences, campaigns and various publications.

The programs of Youth Action