European Western Balkans
TypeNews website
Owner(s)Centre for Contemporary Politics
Founder(s)Nemanja Todorović Štiplija, Nikola S. Ristić, Artan Murati
Editor-in-chiefNemanja Todorović Štiplija
Deputy editorNikola Burazer
Founded21 May 2014 (2014-05-21)
LanguageEnglish, Serbian, Albanian
HeadquartersBelgrade, Serbia
CountrySerbia
Websiteeuropeanwesternbalkans.com
europeanwesternbalkans.rs
Free online archivesYes

European Western Balkans (sometimes abbreviated EWB) is a web portal that focuses on the Western Balkans countries and reports on development of the European Union's enlargement policy towards the states of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.

The objective of European Western Balkans is to enhance understanding, raise awareness and further dialogue surrounding issues facing the democratization of Balkan nations and the desire for its integration in the European Union. The European Western Balkans website takes a more journalistic than scholarly approach with interviews and analysis from journalists, experts, analysts, writers, historians, as well as leaders and political figures from the European Union and Western Balkan states.[1]

European Western Balkans is entirely independent and it is owned and run by the Centre for Contemporary Politics think tank based in Belgrade. In 2016 the portal, along with its parent organization and Konrad Adenauer Foundation, published a guide in Serbian "Evropski parlament i Srbija" (European Parliament and Serbia) with the aim of helping Serbian MP's understand how European Parliament works. The promotion of the guide took place in National Assembly of Serbia and the speakers were David McAlister and Maja Gojković.[2][3]

Content

Besides publishing regular news, EWB has a series of interviews with key people from Western Balkans countries which are involved in European integration process of their countries and interviews with politicians and specialists in a wide range of fields especially in European Politics and European integration.[4]

In August 2020, EWB started recording weekly show called "EWB Screening" on their YouTube[5] and Facebook account. The format of the show consists of one-on-one half an hour interviews with various experts on the topic of European integration related subjects primarily of Serbia, but also of the entire Western Balkans region.

European Western Balkans Award

EWB gives out an annual award for contribution to the European integration to persons who have contributed the most to the EU integration of the Western Balkans region. The first award was awarded in 2019 to Nikola Dimitrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia.[6][7]

List of laureates
YearRecipientExplenation of the Award
2019Nikola DimitrovFor demonstrating extraordinary efforts in bringing his country and the region closer to the EU, promoting the spirit of cooperation and peace in regional affairs, with a special emphasis on normalization of relations between Greece and North Macedonia, as well as an exemplary support for democratic reforms and overcoming the burden of the past in the Western Balkans.
2020Tanja FajonFor her unwavering commitment to the European future of the Western Balkans amidst rising challenges, continued representation of the value-based EU in the region, as well as the principled promotion of democracy, freedom and tolerance.
2021Regional Cooperation CouncilFor its unwavering commitment to the European future of the region, continued strengthening of regional cooperation and connecting the region by facilitating the Roam-Free-Western-Balkans, as well as principled promotion and work on furthering economic cooperation in the Western Balkans.
2022Terry ReintkeFor unwavering support for freedoms of expression and assembly, contribution to improving the position of the LGBTI community in the region of Western Balkans, and engagement in raising awareness of the importance of respecting European values and principles of tolerance and equality.
2023Laurence Boone & Anna LührmannFor giving political momentum to the EU enlargement after a long period of stagnation and seizing the opportunity to promote the completion of the European Union, with Western Balkans as its integral part, as well as reforms bringing both the Union and the candidate countries closer to the democratic ideal.

European Western Balkans - Srbija

In April 2017, European Western Balkans - Srbija started to work.[8] New web portal, in Serbian, is focused mainly on European integration of Republic of Serbia, following negotiations of chapters of Community acquis.[9][10]

Balkanoscope

On 26 March 2018 a new project called "Balkanoscope" was presented in Brussels. It is a joint initiative of EWB and European Fund for the Balkans.[11] The aim of the project is to "present the Balkans from a different viewpoint...where real people are struggling with real issues" by publishing different stories and interviews.[12]

As of 7 August 2018 there are English and French version of the portal.

References

  1. ↑ "About European Western Balkans". European Western Balkans. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  2. ↑ "Vodič o Evropskom parlamentu za srpske parlamentarce". N1 Srbija (in Serbian (Latin script)). Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "EVROPSKI PARLAMENT I SRBIJA: Vodič za stabilnu vožnju na putu ka EU predstavljen u Beogradu". kurir.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  4. ↑ "Portfolio". European Western Balkans. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  5. ↑ "EWB SCREENING - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  6. ↑ "Nikola Dimitrov - recipient of an award for contribution to the European integration of the region". Republika English. 10 September 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  7. ↑ Noveska, Julija (10 September 2019). "Nikola Dimitrov receives the Award for Contribution to the European Integration of the region". Независен Весник (in Macedonian). Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  8. ↑ "European Western Balkans od danas i na srpskom jeziku". Radiotelevizija Vojvodine. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  9. ↑ Nenadović, Aleksandra. "European Western Balkans od sada i na srpskom jeziku". Glas Amerike (in Serbian). Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  10. ↑ "Stranica koju želite da vidite ne postoji". www.glasamerike.net. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  11. ↑ "Sutra u Briselu "Balkanoskop – priče o Balkanu u prvom licu" | Srpska dijaspora | Vesti iz dijaspore i o dijaspori". www.srpskadijaspora.info (in Serbian). Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  12. ↑ EWB (27 March 2018). "Balkanoscope presented in Brussels - European Western Balkans". European Western Balkans. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
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