Closing seminar in Brussels of 2015 TRAIN Programme
The seminar in Brussels marked the conclusion of this year’s TRAIN Programme, the guiding theme of which was “strengthening democratic institutions.” Participants sought to increase awareness of the reform processes currently underway in their respective countries. In the course of the year, 11 participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia developed policy research on topics on topics related to the EU integration of their respective countries. After a series of workshops and meetings in Belgrade and Berlin, the think tank representatives concluded the year with a seminar in Brussels in which they discussed their findings with European decision makers.
In addition to attending meetings at the European Commission and the Council of the EU, as well as with members of the European Parliament, the group visited the permanent representations to the EU of Germany and Croatia. During a panel discussion jointly organized with the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), the participants joined Brussels-based policy analysts in discussing such central topics as the prospects for EU enlargement policy and the mutual expectations of (potential) candidate Western Balkan states and EU member states.
The acronym TRAIN stands for “Think Tanks Providing Research and Advice through Interaction and Networking” and offers training and networking opportunities to experts working for independent think tanks in the Western Balkans. It aims to support civil society and strengthen national and European policy discussions of topics relevant to each candidate country’s EU integration process.
