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Region Building : the process of regionalization of defense and security cooperation in Visegrad and Western Balkan countries
Vanchoski, Aleksandar ; Janáč, Jiří (advisor) ; Czoch, Gábor (referee)
The process of region building and regionalization is an emerging phenomenon examined in the same time by historians, geographers, political scientists, economists diplomats and other scientific profiles. The concepts of region and regionalization could appear at different spatial scales, such as supra-state, sub-state or as a cross-border units and processes. Furthermore region and regionalization are complex for defining because they incorporate different narratives and categories as regional identity, spatial borders and delineating, cultural and social homogeneity, political and economic interdependence etc. Regions are invented, re-invented or constructed with purpose to reply to different functional, territorial and administrative purposes. In the era of ongoing globalization and deepening of the European integration, regions are becoming powerful tool for achieving different goals and interests. Nowadays regions, regional cooperation, regional identity are becoming a terms very often used in political and public discourses for different kind of mobilization. Western Balkan, similarly as Visegrad and Baltic regional formats is one of the emerging spatial formation that is appearing in the context of EU integration policies. In Macedonian political and public discourse these tendencies are...
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Impact of Serbia-Kosovo relations on the accession of Serbia to the EU
Stuchlík, Petr ; Knutelská, Viera (advisor) ; Riegl, Martin (referee)
The bachelor thesis is concerned with the use of political conditionality in the EU accession negotiations with Serbia. The work focuses on the topic of Impact of Serbia-Kosovo relations on the accession of Serbia to the EU by a case study. The European Union uses its influence on Serbia to normalize relations between Serbia and Kosovo. The European Union attaches great importance to the stabilization of relations in the Western Balkans region and proves it in this theme. European Union has become moderator of the normalization of these relations, which seeks to influence Serbia's decisions by incentives and achieve the normalization of relations between these countries. A relations between Serbia and Kosovo, which has been part of it by 2008, were complicated for a long- time. The deterioration of these relationships, however, occurred after the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo. The aim of this study is to analyze the behaviour of Serbia in the process of normalization of these relations and to evaluate the influence of the European Union on this process. The thesis uses theory of international socialization and assesses which model of this theory is the most appropriate for this case. The work evaluates the whole process of normalization and answers set out questions in the...
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IPA Bridge on the Danube: Cross-border Co-operation and Social Reconstruction in Slavonia and Vojvodina
Vienne, Cassiopee ; Králová, Kateřina (advisor) ; Kasáková, Zuzana (referee)
The relations between Croatia and Serbia are determining for regional peace and stability and for the course of the EU enlargement in the Western Balkans. The Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) is the funding mechanism designed for the implementation of the EU's enlargement policy in the Western Balkans. This research investigates the extent to which IPA has integrated to the local cross- border initiatives in culture and youth and has fostered social reconstruction between Croats and Serbs in Slavonia (Croatia) and Vojvodina (Serbia). Co-operation in the cultural sector is an important element of social reconstruction, as it favours contacts and the erosion of antagonistic prejudices against the other ethnic group. The objective of this research is defined as two-fold, firstly to test a model of cross-border co-operation devised from EU integration theories and, secondly to provide an accurate picture of the cross-border initiatives in Slavonia and Vojvodina based on ground-level experience. The analysis of the data collected shows mixed results. On one hand IPA has integrated successfully into the landscape of local cross-border initiatives by stimulating socialisation between civil society organisations. IPA has also increased local ownership of cross-border co-operation amongst the...
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Programs of the European Union supporting regional interparliamentary cooperation in the region of Western Balkans as an instrument of regionalisation
Ročejdlová, Markéta ; Kasáková, Zuzana (advisor) ; Hauser, Jan (referee)
Presented thesis Programs of the European Union of supporting regional interparliamentary cooperation in the region of Western Balkans as an instrument of regionalisation is focusing on regional parliamentary cooperation in the region of Western Balkans and programs of the European Union which are programmed to support this particular cooperation. The study is framed in the theory of new regionalism and the approach of socialization in international relations, which both offer in the case of European integration explanation of why regionalization takes place. The aim of the thesis is to answer the question whether the European Union is successful in its support of regionalization via regional parliamentary cooperation. Meaning if the mechanism of socialization chosen by the Union is effective and if institutional capacities of the national parliament in the region to conclude this cooperation are being built either via direct engagement with the Union, or via indirect way by engaging with regional initiatives active in regional parliamentary cooperation such as Regional Cooperation Council, COSAP and Cetinje Parliamentary Forum. By analyzing the mechanism of socialization and the environment in which the socialization takes place the thesis identifies if, and how much is the European Union able to...
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Germany's European policy in the Western Balkans on the example of Croatia's accession to the EU
Radalj, Lovorka ; Handl, Vladimír (advisor) ; Zimmermann, Volker (referee)
The master thesis "Germany's European policy in the Western Balkans on the example of Croatia's accession to the EU" deals with the role of the Federal Republic of Germany in the Europeanisation of the countries of the Western Balkans in order to achieve stability in the region and peaceful resolution of the conflicts. Germany's main objectives in its European Policy in the Western Balkans have been to restore democracy, liberal economic market, rule of law, resolution of the refugee problem, protection of minorities, protection of the human rights and regional cooperation. The stabilisation of the Western Balkan should be achieved by its integration with the West: EU and NATO. Germany is intensively present in the Western Balkans since the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Through its active involvement in the crisis of Kosovo, Germany strengthened its leadership role and responsibility within the EU. At the same time it also strengthened its position in the Western Balkans by its political, economic and humanitarian engagement. The focus will be on the description and interpretation of the motives of Germany's involvement in the integration of the Western Balkan in the EU. The aim of the thesis is to interpret the steps Germany took as a strong advocate of the EU- accession by the example of Croatia's...
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New regionalism and the institutional framework of regional cooperation of the Western Balkans
Šindelář, Jan ; Králová, Kateřina (advisor) ; Šístek, František (referee)
ŠINDELÁŘ, Jan. Nový regionalismus a institucionální rámec regionální spolupráce Západního Balkánu. Praha, 2013. 101s. Rigorózní práce (PhDr.) Univerzita Karlova, Fakulta sociálních věd, Institut mezinárodních studií. Katedra ruských a východoevropských studií. Vedoucí diplomové práce PhDr. Kateřina Králová, Ph.D. Abstract The presented thesis is analyzing the regional cooperation in the Western Balkans (WB) focusing on interactions of the local actors. Theoretical background is based on the theory of new regionalism, a theoretical approach to regional interactions. Contemporary studies on new regionalism (NR) actually do not consider the Western Balkans to be part of this process and as a result we lack sufficient information about the basic characteristics of this region. The author proves that the WB is engaged in the process of the new regionalism and in fact by focusing on the institutional structure he demonstrates that several parallel processes are ongoing in the region, as for example regional cooperation, integration or cooperation with another region. For the purpose of this research two projects of regional cooperation were chosen, South Eastern European Cooperation Process (SEECP) and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) which are regarded as the main pillars of the political cooperation in...
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Legal aspects of the accession of Croatia to the European Union
Humplíková, Kateřina ; Tomášek, Michal (advisor) ; Pítrová, Lenka (referee)
Legal aspects of the accession of Croatia to the European Union Abstract The EU enlargement policy is a fundamental instrument of the EU's foreign and security policy that enables Union to achieve its goals such as creating a common area of peace, stability and prosperity. Since the Western Balkans has experienced an armed conflict in the recent past and since these countries are direct neighbors of the European Union, the Balkan region represents an essentially important area in the strategic plans of the EU. The European Union as well as the Western Balkans' countries strives for the full integration into the European structures. In the context of the ongoing post-war reconstruction in the region Croatia's accession into the EU represents a significant historical moment. Croatia has already passed through the whole accession process and can act as a model example for other Balkan countries. In this thesis author mainly aims to map in detail the course of the accession process in general and understand the specifics of the Croatian accession in the context of the European policy towards Western Balkans. Although the EU has set down the accession criteria and procedural rules, accession process of every candidate state is different and depends on the actual situation of the country in question. This thesis...
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The New Regionalism and the institutional framework of the regional cooperation in the Western Balkans
Šindelář, Jan ; Králová, Kateřina (advisor) ; Šístek, František (referee)
The presented thesis is analyzing the regional cooperation in the Western Balkans (WB) focusing on interactions of local actors. Theoretical background is based on the new regionalism, a theoretical approach to regional interactions. Contemporary studies on New Regionalism (NR) actually do not consider the Western Balkans to be part of this process and as a result we lack sufficient information about the basic characteristics of this region. The author proves that the WB is engaged in the process of the new regionalism and in fact by focusing on the institutional structure he demonstrates that several parallel processes are ongoing in the region as for example regional cooperation, integration or cooperation with another region. For the purpose of this research two projects of regional cooperation were chosen, South Eastern European Cooperation Process (SEECP) and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) which are regarded as the main pillars of the political cooperation in the WB. By examining their structure we may understand the relevance of the region as an independent actor and the general aims of the regional cooperation.
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The strategic importance of Serbia to the European Union
Janković, Vukica ; Vošta, Milan (advisor) ; Karpová, Eva (referee) ; Němcová, Ingeborg (referee) ; Kazanský, Rastislav (referee)
Doctoral dissertation presents an analysis of the Serbian economy in the mutual relations between the European Union (EU) and the Western Balkans. The assumption that the EU and Serbia, as an integral part of the Balkan region, have interests in the partnership and cooperation is the baseline of the research. The following aspects have been singled out, by method of ranking, which is based on achieving the highest turnover in the last six years: trade, foreign direct investment and energy. Gravity model was used to analyze routes of trade and energy. A models of trade import and export between Serbia and the EU 28 member countries and the countries of the Western Balkans, as well as models of imports and exports of energy between Serbia and the EU 28 member countries and the countries of the Western Balkans, were used in order to assess the potential of trade and energy trade. Method of trend line and trend extrapolation of foreign direct investment (FDI) was used in order to determine the degree of the presence of FDI in Serbia and their predictions, which could be an indicator of investment climate in Serbia. The conclusion is that Serbia has strategic importance as a candidate for membership in the EU because of its regional importance. Entering the Western Balkan countries in the EU should not happen without Serbia, because Serbia has a regional importance, which arise from the economic, historical, cultural, infrastructural and geopolitical links with countries in the region, of which some are already members of the EU.
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Expansion strategy of Žatec brewery into a foreign market
Ježková, Barbora ; Zadražilová, Dana (advisor) ; Křečková Kroupová, Zuzana (referee)
The Master's thesis focuses on international expansion process of a company. For the application part of the thesis I have chosen a company called Žatec brewery Ltd. which belongs into a category of small and medium enterprises. The main objectives of the thesis comprise selection of a convenient Western Balkans region market for expansion of the brewery and subsequent formulation of a specific market entry strategy. The market entry strategy consists of a market entry mode selection, competitive strategy and marketing strategy as well as marketing mix 4P. The minor objectives include characteristics of the brewery's business strategy and the role of international expansion in it and also the company's financial analysis whose results underpine its expansion possibilities. The other minor objectives comprise multi-criteria decision model creation in order to decide for the most attractive target market and the expansion key success factors identification. As for the methods used, analyzes like financial analysis, PEST analysis, Porter's model of five forces and SWOT analysis, and then comparisons dominate. Croatia was finally identified as the most suitable regional market for the brewery's expansion and the company was advised to enter it with its gluten-free lager product. It was suggested, at the same time, that the brewery use to its advantage the background provided by its current owner - beer brewing company Carlsberg.
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