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The European Union was facing the biggest wave of disorderly migration since World War II. The European Commission has very seriously started to seek the response to the migrant crisis, which has, by character, become a humanitarian in the first half of 2015. The influx of migrants in the EU went over many migrant routes. One was the Balkan route that went through Serbia. The European Commission adopted two key documents: the European Agenda on Security and the European Agenda for Migration. The implementation of these documents has not proceeded as was expected, and the crisis has been continued. The author of this article explores migrants’ assessments of the benefits and consequences of arriving, staying, and leaving the country and indicates the push and pull factors that generate legal and asylum migration through the European Union. For a majority of migrants crossing through the Balkan route in 2015, Serbia has not been preferred as a destination country by asylum-seekers, but as a transit only. However, the number of asylum seekers in Serbia was significantly higher in 2015 compared to the previous year.

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The study is dealing with the issue of a wage optimization in SMEs as an instrument for optimal economic policy and for good corporate governance. The main idea of wage optimization in different economic conditions is, inter alia, the introducing of a law- based minimum wage in order to have the optimal economic policy, social justice and good corporate governance. The minimum-wage legislation now exists in more than ninety (90%) percent of all countries, although the laws vary greatly. In the European Union (EU), most Member States have national minimum wages. The social importance of minimum-wage derives from the need to ensure social safety for employed people and their dependents. Many companies have recently shifted to a fluctuating wage rate based upon productivity, but in no event shall the amount paid be lesser than minimum wage. The impacts of a minimum wage are the following: Employment impact, Economic impact and Productivity impact. Concluding remarks accentuate that it is necessary to set the minimum wage so as to provide a minimum acceptable standard of living for low-paid workers. It is recommendable not to extend sector collective agreements regarding minimum wages to non-participating employers, and to provide an “opt out” option for employers – especially small ones i.e. small and medium enterprises, for whom it is too costly to comply with sector agreements. Such employers from small and medium enterprises should be bound only by the national minimum wage.

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What can be said about Bolivia and Paraguay, the countries that are characterised by fragile democracy, high poverty rate, socio-economic and gender inequality, and the lack of the appropriate way to settle the inter-state disputes? Drawing on these characteristics, this paper aims to indicate that Bolivia and Paraguay, as the only two land-locked countries of South America, are able to find a way to cope with fragile democracy, poverty, socio-economic and gender inequality, and build a long-term peace based on mutual co-operation. Thanks to this ability, Bolivia and Paraguay are involved in the intricate process of regional integration. In this regard, they are responsible for preserving peace in South America through the resolution of internal issues. Instead of being prone to interstate conflicts, both countries are determined to resist the geopolitical transition of the global power that ranges from co-operation to conflict, working on the decision-making process in regional international organisations of South America.

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Based on the fact that none the economic nor the political strength of China can be ignored by any of the international relations actors, in the last decade, numerous agreements were signed between China and worldwide countries. The European Union, without any doubt, is among those who are not neglecting the strength of China and its influence. Although it is not fond of possible interfering of China within the European relations or even with the possibility that China will succeed in building better relations with (particularly) Western Balkans country, the European Union has limited ground for action. Due to a fact that the EU officials expressed their will to cooperate with China on the basis of the strategic partnership it is evident that the EU has to design such mechanism that will lead to efficient policy coordination of “One Road One Belt Strategy” since this strategy represents a solid base for better cooperation and further development of all partners. This article will examine the current situation and give foresight of possible policy coordination between China and the EU as viewed from Serbian perspective.

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Two parallel, but intrinsically intermingled processes today mark the process of the European integration of Serbia: the implementation of the obligations assumed under the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and the membership negotiations that should enable the adoption of all political, economic and legal obligations arising from European Union (EU) membership. But many other issues are of a grave importance in this process, many challenges which equally Serbia, as well as the EU, has to face. We argue that success of Serbia to meet all conditions for the EU membership is much more shaped by those challenges than by fulfillment of technical criteria

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The introductory part of the paper focuses on the importance of biodiversity. This is followed by referencing the most important international agreements in the field of biodiversity protection. The paper gives an overview of the membership status of the Southeast European (SEE) countries in the international agreements in the field of biodiversity: both EU Member States (Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia), and those in the process of joining the EU (Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania and Turkey). It also provides a basic overview of the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive. The author points to the issue of the relevance of transitional measures (deadlines) for the implementation of regulations in the field of nature protection (agreed by the countries that have become EU members in the last three rounds of the enlargement). The importance and types of protected areas in the EU and non-EU countries are emphasised. The final part of the paper discusses the issue of the similarities and differences between the countries from the region of SEE in the process of joining the EU, in terms of assessment of the achieved level of harmonization of national legislation with the EU legislation. The paper considers the thesis that in terms of membership in international agreements there are no significant differences between SEE countries that are in the process of joining the EU and EU Member States. However, in regards to the protected areas, there are differences. The relevance and the nature of the differences between the countries which are not members of the EU in terms of the dynamics and level of harmonization of national regulations with the EU should be researched.

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India-EU relations date to the early 1960s, with India being amongst the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community. A cooperation agreement signed in 1994 took the bilateral relationship beyond trade and economic cooperation. At the 5th India-EU Summit held at The Hague in 2004, the relationship was upgraded to a ‘Strategic Partnership’. The two sides adopted a Joint Action Plan in 2005 (which was reviewed in 2008) that provided for strengthening dialogue and consultation mechanisms in the political and economic spheres, enhancing trade and investment, and bringing peoples and cultures together.