Analysis and Promotion of Policy Debate on the European Future of Turkey and Ukraine in Four Central European States
Politics | Project duration: 1/4/2005 - 1/4/2006
The Peace Institute is currently involved in the implementation of a project ‘Analysis and Promotion of Policy Debate on the European Future of Turkey and Ukraine in Four Central European States’ within a consortium of policy institutes from the following states: Czech Republic (EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy), Hungary (Center for Policy Studies) and Poland (Institute of Public Affairs). The main goal of the project is investigation of the prevailing social attitudes to the question of further enlargement including Turkey and Ukraine and presentation of factors influencing state and character of the debate concerning the enlargement. In light of the recent EU decision to open accession negotiations with Turkey and efforts to offer a European perspective to Ukraine, relations with these countries represent a key question for the future of European integration. While the issue of further enlargement is hotly debated in some older EU countries, the gulf between an elite-driven European policy agenda on the one hand and the public discourse on the other is ever widening in some others. The project is a joint initiative of four policy centres of the Policy Association for an Open Society (PASOS) and runs from 1 April 2005 until 1 April 2006.
The project is intended to meet the following broad objectives.
- First, to map the state of current expert and public debates in the four countries so as to identify the prevailing social attitudes on the questions of both the desirability and feasibility of further enlargements to include Turkey and Ukraine in the EU.
- Second, to shape the civil society agenda in all four countries by informing the new Europe debate and raising the profile and common voice of independent policy institutes on this issue.
- Third, to identify possible opposition to enlargement to Ukraine and Turkey, and assess the relevance and weight of arguments for and against their EU accession in each national debate.
- Finally, to address public concerns by presenting the relevant facts on issues such as civilisational and historical differences, financial costs, shift in political balance, “democratic deficit” and human rights concerns.
The comparative aspect of the project will also enable the researchers to assess the possible similarities and differences among the positions of the national policy makers and the public in the four central European states and assess the extent to which they could be relevant for shaping EU policy on these issues, and especially whether there are any particular points by which each of the countries can contribute to the EU-wide debate. The recommendations from a Ukrainian and Turkish partner will constitute important part of comparative base of the project.