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During the seven rounds of enlargement, the number of original members of the former European Coal and Steel Community (and the EEC) almost quintupled from six in 1957 to 27, that is, 28 in July 2013. This article considers the basic geopolitical circumstances of the successive enlargement of the European Union, especially its conditions, political motives and objectives. We will present the basic conditions and dynamics of the enlargement of the Union, which will gradually spread, to the Western Balkans in the next decade. In the essential sense, the processes of negotiations for membership or joining the EU on a long-term way change the structure of the candidate country, affect the stability of its political system, contribute to democratization, promote and modernize the economy and the state apparatus and the entire legal system. In this way, the effects of EU accession are multiple and generally very positive.

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In this paper, the author analyses the situation in Kosovo related to the efforts of the international community to regulate and improve relations between ethnic communities through enhanced role of local authorities –- through decentralization and local self-government. Special attention was paid to the efforts and ambitions of the international community, especially the United States and the European Union, to improve the status of non-Albanian communities at the local authorities level in the period between 2005 and 2008, with particular emphasis on the conclusions of the Contact Group (November 2005) and the Comprehensive Proposal for the Kosovo Status Settlement (Ahtisaari Plan, 2007). The unilateral declaration of Kosovo’s independence on 17 February 2008 was followed by the adoption of a new constitutive act as well as a number of laws and by-laws in the sphere of local self-government, which have taken over the solutions of the Ahtisaari Plan. In this sense, the First Agreement of Principles Governing the Normalization of Relations between Belgrade and Pristina (Brussels Agreement, 19 April 2013), starting from the above-mentioned solutions, envisaged the formation of a Community/ Association of Serb majority municipalities, the gradual integration of police in northern Kosovo into the Kosovo Police and modus operandi of the judiciary. The community/Association of Serb majority municipalities will have a legal basis (the Statute), administrative bodies and responsibilities in the areas of health, education, urban and rural planning and economic development planning. The aforementioned Agreement, according to the author, is the most important in a series of agreements reached between Belgrade and Priština since 2011 and ensures the continuation of Serbia’s European integration, the gradual relaxation of relations in the wider region of the Western Balkans and Southeast Europe. The author believes that it certainly has been one of the major achievements of the EU diplomacy over the past few years.

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The paper emphasizes certain general elements and the existing literature relevant to the understanding of the role of the civil society organizations in the contemporary society in the context of the importance of citizen participation in decision-making, contributing to the democratization of the society, the improvement of relations between public authorities and interested citizens, strengthening European integrations and solving environmental problems in general. The importance of the CSOs participation is especially emphasized in the following activities: participation of CSOs in harmonization of national legislation with the EU regulation and participation of CSOs in decision-making regarding environmental issues. In the second part of the paper, the assessment of CSOs capacities in this respect in the RS is provided. The main thesis examined in this article is that the role of CSOs in European integration is partly regulated but the question of the capacity of CSOs to participate in the activities related to accomplishing objectives of the European integration is not adequately overviewed.

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With the fast growth of economic and trade cooperation between China and CEE2, flourishing Chinese investment in CEE has given a boost to the further development of bilateral relations. This article will concentrate on the investment opportunities brought to China by the CEECs, the main characteristics of the Chinese investment in CEE, and the problems and challenges faced by China against this background. Besides, it will also offer some relative policy suggestions on the investment in the region for China.

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Topic of this paper is contemporary European concept of services of general economic interest and its application in two member states of European Union- Germany and England. Contemporary European Union concept of services of general economic interest is characterized by introduction of market mehanisms, competition and treatment of citizens as cosumers of services. On the basis of chosen examples, aim of this paper is to point at strategic commitment of the EU member states to strenghten the market competition in the filed of services of general economic interest. The review of the current regulatory framework in the field of public services in the Republic of Serbia aims to show the level at which the principles defined by the concept of services of general economic interest are integrated into national legislation.

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Monetary effects have an impact on the financial aspect of creativity and innovation in financial markets, particularly in terms of financial crises. Money is not just an economic phenomenon than the total social facts, which chooses the way of life almost all people. Long monetary policy defined as a set of rules, regulations, measures and instruments which in the monetary sphere of social reproduction regulate the level, structure and dynamics of money supply and circulation of money in busy channels reprodukcije.Pošto monetary policy is the applied science area, which consists of emission, credit and foreign exchange policy, and is closely linked to fiscal policy, a financial or macroeconomic policy, is necessary to consider the financial effects of monetary and financial creativity, innovation, long-term strategic management in the context of these changes. The essence of financial innovation consists in a strong action to strengthen the market mechanism in the financial sector of the economy. There has been escalating money market instruments, provided that these instruments represent the substitute transaction of money. The process of financial innovation and creativity go three phases. At least three interrelated, phases.

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The article deals with the possibility of the fundamental shift of traditional state behaviour from national to global security and ultimately to human security. The article departs from the genesis of the security concept, subsequently it deals with some new elements of the content of contemporary security and deliberates on issues of global security. It continues with human security and its origins, especially also with some theoretical and practical dimensions of the concept of human security. At the end the article summarizes the challenges and the dilemmas of contemporary security and brings concluding remarks. The authors believe it is time that the principles on which human security is based becomean integral part of contemporary national as well as world security policies.

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In this paper we are concentrating on the issue of global power shifts brought on by financial crisis since 2008, its repercussions on European Union’s Common Security and Foreign Policy and its relation to NATO’s position of ultimate security underwriter in Europe. This relation is burdened with defense budget cuts in majority of EU countries, stability of European continent that pushes NATO into searching for new and unclear strategic goals within complex environment in Africa, Middle East and Central Asia. Then we are looking at what aspects of this relation should Serbia put emphasis on in the process of EU accession which will last at least until the end of this decade. We argue that the security cooperation offered within CFSP is more suitable for Serbia’s needs, capabilities and social specifics than NATO’s focus on far-reaching goals outside Europe.