1. Association Bourgogne Balkans Express (Loi 1901) in association with
SciencesPo. Paris, undergraduate campus of Dijon
FINANCIAL AID REQUEST FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF THE WORKSHOP
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EU ENLARGEMENT AND STATE BUILDING IN THE BALKANS – A
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
WHAT FUTURE FOR BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA AND KOSOVO ?

2. FOREWORD
Ever since its creation in 2006, the association Bourgogne Balkans
Express has been devoted to promoting relations between the European
Union and the Western Balkans. Its objective is to raise the public’s
awareness of the issues related to the countries of the region and the
perspective of their integration into the European Union. Through the
organization of numerous conferences, field trips and workshops, the
Association has progressively developed itself a wide network of
institutional players and eminent European and Balkans experts.
In 2008, the Association organized a workshop on the delicate question
of Kosovo, entitled “From the International Protectorate to a Redefinition
of International Engagement.” The following year, a second workshop
had a more regional perspective, focusing on “Stabilisation and
Integration Perspectives for the Western Balkans.” Finally, in 2009, the
Association’s goal was to establish an overview of the EU integration
process, through the workshop entitled “The Western Balkans’ EU
Accession: Evaluating a Process.”
The three workshops took place in the Town Hall of Dijon, at the
Burgundy Regional Council and at the premier cycle de Sciences Po Paris
in Dijon, specializing in the Central and Eastern Europe zone. The
conclusions of the debates have been published in the Balkans and in
Europe, to assist researchers, students and experts concerned with the
future of this region1.
Following the success of the former events, the Association is
organizing, in partnership with the premier cycle of Sciences Po Paris in
Dijon, a new workshop, this time focusing on the future of Bosnia and
Herzegovina and Kosovo, two countries which, due to their institutional,
economical and ethnic complexities, embody the difficulties which the
region is facing. This year, students from the Balkan countries will be
invited and will come to enrich the debate with the knowledge and
experience they’ve acquired in their respective home countries.
The objective is to bring together eminent experts from the Balkans and
the rest of Europe, to liven up a debate on the future of these
unaccomplished states that will soon have to – particularly in view of
their accession to the European Union – set in motion important
reforms, economical as well as institutional. Through this initiative, the
1
The publications are available at the following addresses:
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/serbia/kosovo/redefining_international_engagem
ent_in_kosovo_en.pdf
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/publication/stabilisation_and_integration_perspectives_for_th
e_western_balkans_en.pdf
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/publication/20100609_att4639135.pdf

3. association wants to sensitize the public of Dijon and Burgundy to the
problems pertaining to the Balkans, reinforce the European spirit of the
city of Dijon, and underline the uniqueness of the relations between
Burgundy and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Mr. Pierre
Mirel, Director at the General Direction for enlargement of the European
Commission said: “Dijon will assert itself as an inescapable rendezvous
in the debate on one of the great politics of the European Union, that of
enlargement”2.
2
Introductory speech to the workshop on « perspectives for stabilisation and
integration of the Western Balkans », Dijon, 21, April 2009.
3

4. CONTENTS
I. Context
II. Definition of the main objective
III. Secondary objectives
IV. Schedule
V. Detailed organization of the workshop
VI. Round tables, topics and potential participants
VII. Budget
VIII. Contacts
Annexes : History / Previous publications
4

5. I. Context
After a global study of the Balkans region through the three previous
workshops, the association wishes this year to focus on just two
countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. These countries will
offer an excellent case study in view of their institutional, economic and
ethnic complexities. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are facing
obstacles already met by other states in the region on their paths to EU
accession.
Fifteen years after the signing of the Dayton Treaty that marked the end
of a bloody war, Bosnia and Herzegovina is still in a precarious situation.
Economically, the country still hasn’t been able to attain its pre-war life
standard while institutionally it presents an exclusive and extremely
complex political system. This system needs to be reformed, possibly
even entirely replaced, if Bosnia wants to see its European aspirations
fulfilled. The persistence of ethnic tensions within the country has been
brought to the forefront during the last elections, in October 2010.
February 17, 2008, Kosovo declared its independence after having
enjoyed a status of international protectorate for almost 10 years,
according to the UN resolution 1244. However, not all countries of the
international community and the EU recognize Kosovo, and Serbia is still
defending its territorial integrity. Economically, Kosovo remains Europe’s
poorest state while from an institutional point of view it still has a long
way to go in terms of reforms to even think of integrating into the
European Union. This is all the more true since the political crisis of 2010
has exacerbated the difficulties Kosovo is facing.
The perspective of European integration is an important impetus for
reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. In order to fulfil the
Copenhagen criteria, these two countries must reform their economical
and political systems and harmonise their legislative according to
European law. If Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina present two
distinct debates, their attachment to the European Union draws them
closer together. Both seem however far removed from accession.
The objective of this workshop will therefore be to dwell deeper into the
issues related to these two unaccomplished states and to launch a
debate in order to produce concrete proposals concerning possible
measures to promote their path into Europe.
The debate will be articulated around three major questions: the
strategy of the European Union in the region, the institutional reforms
that are to be carried out and the solutions to break current economic
deadlock in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.
An introductive conference will focus on the European strategy in the
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6. Balkans and more precisely in Kosovo and Bosnia. On this occasion, we
would like to include an intervention from a highly-ranked representative
of the European Union in order to launch the debate on the actions,
implications and strategies of the EU in the Balkans.
The round tables that will gather eminent Balkans experts will revolve
mainly around two principal questions: the institutional aspect and the
economical aspect.
Institutional issues will play an important part in the workshop. In
Bosnia, what future is there for the Dayton Treaty? How can the
Constitution be reformed? What conclusions can be drawn from the
October 2010 elections? How can a renewed friendship between the
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Serbian Republic of
Bosnia be promoted? How can the security cooperation between Bosnia
and the international forces of NATO and the EU be evaluated?
In Kosovo, how can the questions related to the non-recognition of the
states by five of the twenty-five European states be handled? How can
transparency be promoted and the government’s responsibility
increased? What conclusions can be drawn from the December 2010
elections? How can the organization of international presence in Kosovo
be evaluated?
In Bosnia like in Kosovo, the economy remains very fragile. How can the
economic difficulties these two countries face be overcome? How can the
transition between a micro economical logic to a macro economical logic
be made? What reforms should be set in motion in order to decrease the
unemployment rates? How can the competitiveness of enterprises be
improved to meet the demands of the European market? How can a
positive balance of trade be attained? How can a better economical
cooperation between countries in the region be promoted?
This year’s workshop will try to answer these numerous questions that
showcase the complexity of the process of European integration. The
analysis of these two countries will allow drawing parallels between their
particular issues and those of the rest of the Balkan states.
The integration of the Balkans in the European Union must go through a
deep knowledge and understanding of the region. The ambition of our
workshop is to contribute to it.
6

7. II. Definition of the Main Objective
The workshop’s objective is to gather, in a single event, renowned
experts in different fields concerning Bosnia and Kosovo and more
generally the Western Balkans, in order to create a genuine exchange of
ideas, information, political visions, but also to contribute a technical
illumination of the countries’ futures.
In parallel to this reflexion on the Balkans’ future, the association
Bourgogne Balkans Express wishes to bring to the attention of Sciences
Po students and Burgundy’s public the complexity of the subject, thus
offering a pedagogical dimension to the project.
This year, we would also like to invite students from Balkan countries to
attend the workshop so that the academic and cultural exchange can be
truly significant. These students will attend the conferences and round
tables as part of the public and will animate a debate that will allow
confronting the different opinions of the Balkans youth.
The academic setting of Sciences Po offers one of the most adapted
environments for this type of event: the aim of our debate will be to
confront different points of view and it will appeal to analytical discourse
in order to lead a constructive and objective reflexion.
The experts solicited during this workshop will be invited to submit
proposals and concrete solutions on precise subjects. These
contributions will form the object of a publication that will be widely
distributed, in electronic as well as in printed form, for the use of
researchers, students, national and international experts attentive to the
evolution of the region and the European questions that are raised
there.
7

8. III. Secondary objectives
Aside from the organization of a constructive debate led by experts, the
increasing of the public awareness to the issues of the future of Bosnia,
Kosovo and the Balkans, and the publications relating the workshop’s
conclusions, we have also defined more concrete objectives:
- To attain a profound analysis and concrete and pragmatic proposals
destined for European and national authorities;
- To determine and discuss different juridical, political and social
challenges which the EU, Bosnia and Kosovo will have to face in a near
future;
- To measure the costs, the objectives and the coherence of European
policies in these countries;
- To confront the students with a specialists’ debate, all the while
making them aware of the challenges that stem from the European
Union’s engagement in the region.
Furthermore, the fourth edition of our project is taking on a new
dimension: satisfying the particular character of our organization whose
goal is to promote relations between Burgundy and the Balkans on one
hand, and on the other to associate itself to projects led by the region of
Burgundy and the Dijon town Hall. The Association also aims to
organize, on the workshop fringes, a series of events that will have for
objective to acquaint the people of Dijon to the future of the Western
Balkans. The public of Dijon will be able to profit from the presence of
our guests and the quality of the interventions. More concretely, this
means:
- To organize, before and after the workshop, conferences, projections
of films/documentaries, open to the public;
- To show the Balkans students the city of Dijon as well as Burgundy
and allow them to participate in a debate concerning their respective
countries, led by experts from entire Europe;
- To organize meetings between the local authorities and the
participants of the workshop;
- To help discover to the participants of the workshop the riches of
Burgundy, by organizing a visit and a tasting along the wine route.
8

9. IV. SCHEDULE (TEMPORARY)
The workshop will take place Tuesday April 12, 2011 in the buildings of
Sciences Po Paris in Dijon – specialized in the Central and Eastern
Europe zone, including the Balkan countries and welcoming students
from more than twenty different states –, the Regional Council of
Burgundy and the Dijon Town Hall.
The organization of the project is divided into three steps:
A. Research and organization (December – March)
During this period, members of the association Bourgogne Balkans
Express will commit to:
- making contact with experts concerned by the subject of the workshop
- find funding
- promote the project
B. Course of the workshop
If the workshop takes place in the week of April 12 2011, the film
projections and conferences will take place prior to the event. The
workshop will take place in the buildings of Sciences Po Paris in Dijon,
the Regional Council of Burgundy and the Dijon Town Hall. The week will
include:
- The workshop, which will take place over the course of one day
- The meetings between the guests and the Burgundy
representatives
- The projections of films/documentaries
The conferences organized by the association Bourgogne Balkans
Express but also by other associations
The workshop participants, in total eighteen and of whom approximately
a half will be from the Balkans, will be divided around two round tables
which will treat several predefined subjects and will be accessible to
Sciences Po students and guests such as representatives of the
diplomatic corps of Balkan countries.
C. Publication (early June 2011)
The publication of works produced by the workshop will take place in
several stages:
- layout and publication
- promotion and distribution
9

10. V. Detailed organization of the workshop (to be confirmed)
Day Events/Schedule Potential participants Place
Projection of the film
“Na putu “ by Jasmila
Wednesday
Zbanic (Bosnia and Public of Dijon Eldorado Cinema
April 6th
Herzegovina)
20h
Projection of the film
Sunday “A View from the
April 10th Bridge” by Laura Public of Dijon Eldorado Cinema
Bialis
20h
« The Western Balkans, 20 years
Introductive
Monday after the independence of Croatia The campus of Sciences
conference
April 11th and Slovenia» Po Paris in Dijon
18h
Jacques Rupnik, CERI
M. Stefan Füle, European
Enlargment commissioner
Opening conference Regional Council of
9h-10h30 Burgundy
“What results for the EU strategy
in the Western Balkans?”
Round Tables Workshop participants and
Tuesday Dijon Town Hall
11h00 – 16h30 moderators
April 12th
Closing conference Campus of Sciences Po
Round table moderators
17h - 18h00 Paris in Dijon
“Balkans Youth presents
Students explain what it means Wine Bar “La part des
itself” to be a young person from the Anges”, Rue Vauban,
21h Balkans today Dijon
10

11. VI. Round tables, themes and potential participants
The workshop will be organized around two round tables:
Round table n°1: Bosnia & Herzegovina
1) A balance sheet of the articulation between multi-ethnicity and
democracy in Bosnia
What are the perspectives for Constitutional reform? Do the results of the
2010 elections change the situation? How to explain the persistence of the
nationalist parties’ success? What place is there for new emerging parties
like Naša Stranka? How to accelerate the census law, in compliance with the
European Convention on Human Rights?
2) The visa liberalisation process: a vector for improving internal
institutional abilities?
To which extent has the visa liberalisation contributed to setting in motion
reforms for better governance? Could the policy of comparing Bosnia with
neighbouring countries favour reforms? Could the means by which the EU
exerts pressure over the issue of visa liberalisation be used in situations
involving other EU policies? How can we be certain that the post-visa-
liberalisation monitoring would be carried out efficiently?
3) International presence in the region: what benefits and
restrictions in the state-building framework?
Are the present international forces sufficiently coordinated? Can the
passing of the control over country’s security from NATO to the EU be
considered satisfactory? How can the remaining role of NATO in Bosnia
today be evaluated? How does the population perceive the European
presence? What are the consequences of diminishing the staff of the OHR?
Is maintaining the OHR relevant today? When will Bosnia be able to
guarantee the country’s security itself?
4) Economic reform and the perspective of a single economic space
How can the country be stabilised on a macro economic level? How can a
privatisation policy and property reform be attained? What reforms must
take place in order to make Bosnian enterprises competitive within the
European economy? What are the assessments of the regional cooperation?
What benefits and what restrictions are there for the creation of a single
economic space between the two entities?
11

12. Moderator
► Piotr Smolar, Le Monde
Participants
Exponents
► Nenad Stojanovic, political ► Tanja Fajon, European
scientist, expert on constitutional Deputy, Rapporteur on visa
reform in Bosnia & Herzegovina, liberalisation
Zentrum für Demokratie Aarau.
► Srdjan Dizdarevic, Former
► Alexandra Stiglmayer, president of the Helsinki
Senior Analyst and General Committee for Human Rights in
Secretary at the ESI Bosnia and Herzegovina,
member of Nasa Stranka
► Florian Bieber, political
scientist, expert for the Balkans ► Paola Pampaloni, Chief of
region the Bosnia and Herzegovina unit
within the enlargement DG of
► Fikret Causevic, Member of the European Commission
the Governing Board of the
Central Bank of Bosnia & ► Alex Vahlas, Former advisor
Herzegovina for SFOR in Bosnia &
Herzegovina
12

13. Round table n°2 : Kosovo
1) Kosovo governance after its independence: what assessments?
What assessments can be made concerning the December 2010 elections?
How can the problem of representation of the Serbian minority be resolved?
What role can emerging parties like “Fryma e Re” play in Kosovo? What are
the relations between Kosovo and the Albanian populations across the
borders? How much importance should the Greater Albania claims be given?
2) The benefits of a plan for visa liberalisation in Kosovo
What would the consequences of visa liberalisation for Kosovo whose
neighbours already benefit from it be? Does Kosovo run the risk of becoming
the last “European ghetto”? What obstacles remain for visa liberalisation and
when could it be contemplated?
3) The efficiency of the presence of international forces in Kosovo
What is the current assessment for the EULEX mission of the past two
years? What control does it exert over the North of Kosovo? How can the
local population’s perception of this mission be evaluated – is EULEX
perceived as a new UNMIK? What are the consequences of the decrease of
KFOR troops? What is the current assessment of the cooperation between
Kosovo and international authorities?
4) Leaving a precarious economical situation: the reforms to be set
in motion
How can regional cooperation between Kosovo and other Balkan countries
be intensified? What is the current assessment of the privatisation of state
companies? How can the exploitation of natural resources in Kosovo be
improved? How can the quality of education and professional careers of
young people be improved?
13

14. Moderator
►Tim Judah, Journalist, The
Economist
Exponents Participants
► Gordana Delić, Director of the ►Pierre Mirel, Director of the DG
Balkan Trust for Democracy, enlargement, European
Belgrade Commission
►Eduard Kukan, European ► General Erhard Bühler,
deputy, Chair of Delegation for Commander of KFOR forces
relations with Albania, Bosnia &
Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro. ► Shqipe Mjekiqi, Political
advisor for European integration
► Engjellushe Morina, IKS of the Kosovo President
executive director
►Alan Paic, OCDE, Administrator ► Dick Marty, Rapporteur on
of Investment Compact for South Kosovo and Member of the
East Europe. Parliamentary Assembly of Council
of Europe
14

15. VII. Budget
Expendit
Expenses Detail Revenue
ure
Secretarial expenses
Administrative 150 € BBExpress
Mail 150 € 750€
Organizational trips 250 €
Telephone 200 €
Subtotal : 750 € 750 €
Transport and accommodation expenses
6 participants from the Balkans / 5 participants from Brussels / 5 participants
from Paris/ 2 participants from London
Airplane:
Sarajevo – Paris (return)
2 participants x 500 €
1000 €
Pristina – Paris (return) 3 participants x 500 €
1500 €
Belgrade – Paris (return) 1 participant x 450 €
450 €
RER Airport – Gare de 6 participants from the Balkans x
120 €
Lyon (AR) 20 €
Train :
Brussels – Dijon (return) 5 participants from Brussels x 700 €
140 €
Paris – Dijon (return) 69 participants from the Balkans
x 80 € 480 €
Paris – Dijon (return) 54 participants from Paris
x 80 € 400 €
Londres-Dijon 2 participants from London x 150
€ 300 €
Paris – Dijon (return) 6 organizers x 40 €
240 €
Accommodation:
15

16. 1 night in Paris (Hotel Lyon 6 participants from the Balkans x
690 €
Bastille) 115 €
2 nights in Dijon (Hotel du
Nord Dijon)
1200 €
2 x (6 participants from the
Balkans x 100)
2 x (5 participants from Paris + 5
2 nights in Dijon (Hotel du from Brussels+ 2 from London x 2400 €
Nord Dijon) 100)
Meals:
dinner night in Paris and lunch 1st 6 participants from the
180 €
day in Dijon Balkans x 30 €
Dinner 1st evening in Dijon 30 people x 25 € 750 €
nd
Lunch and dinner in Dijon on the 2 Lunch 30 people x 15 € +
1650 €
day dinner 30 people x 40 €
Buffet break 2nd day
200 €
(coffee, cake)
Lunch and dinner in Dijon on the 3rd Lunch 30 people x 30 € +
1800 €
day dinner 30 people x 30 €
Transport :
Dijon Taxi 100€
Bus rental 180€
Visa for participants from Kosovo 3 participants x 40 € 120€
Subtotal : 15 210 €
Transport and accommodation expenses for Balkan students:
10 participants
Airplane
Tirana – Paris (return) 3 x 500 1500 €
Sarajevo – Paris (return) 3 x 500 1500 €
Skopje - Paris 2 x 500 1000 €
Belgrade - Paris 2 x 500 1000 €
Paris – Dijon (return) 10 students x 80 € 800 €
16

17. Accommodation:
10 students
(covered by Sciences Po)
Meals
Dinner 1st evening in Dijon 10 people x 25 € 2500 €
Lunch at dinner in Dijon on the 2nd Lunch 10 people x 15 € +
550 €
day dinner 10 people x
Visa expenses for Kosovo students 3 students x 40 € 120 €
Subotal :8970 €
Film projections
Copyright and renting of the 2 x 300 € 600 €
screening room at Eldorado
Cinema
Subtotal : 600 €
Printing expenses
Final publication 40 copies of 50 pages 1400 €
Publication layout + Internet 50 €
upload
Subtotal : 1450 €
Total (without unforeseen expenses): 26 230 €
Unforeseen expenses (5 % of the total) 1311,5 €
Total : 27541,5 €
17

18. VIII. Contacts – Association Bourgogne Balkans Express
• Céline ANTONINI, President
Contact : celine.antonini@sciences-po.org +41.76.596.60.40
• Blandine CLERC, Vice-president
Contact : blandine.clerc@gmail.com +381.63.70.44.348
• Elena CHUTROVA, General secretary
Contact : Elena.chutrova@sciences-po.org
• Hélène LEGAY, Treasurer +33.(0)6.81.14.08.24
Contact : helene.legay@sciences-po.org
• Veselin Penchev, in charge of communications
penchev.veselin@gmail.com
• Kristine Lunde-Tellefsen, Joint-treasurer +33.(0)6.98.97.11.83
kristine.lundetellefsen@sciences-po.org
Write to us
Association Bourgogne Balkans Express (loi 1901)
Premier cycle de Sciences Po Paris à Dijon
14 Avenue Victor Hugo
21000 Dijon
FRANCE
18

19. Annexes : History/ Previous publications
The Association Bourgogne Balkans Express was created in 2005 on the
initiative of two Sciences Po students, of Albanian and Serbian
nationality. Its objective is to organize various activities promoting the
relations between the European Union and the Balkans.
In 2006, several conference-debates open to Dijon’s public were
organized to raise the awareness to issues related to the Balkans and
the EU. In April of the same year, an excursion of one week in the
Balkans was offered to thirty-four students of the Dijon campus of
Sciences Po.
In 2007, the association took part in organizing a festival, the
Festi’Balkans in Dijon. Among the proposed events were: a photography
exhibition entitled “Faces from the Balkans” and the projection of a film
by A. Peeva, “Whose is this song?” (Adela-Media 2003).
In 2008, the members of the association Bourgogne Balkans Express
entered a new stage by gathering researchers and experts of different
horizons, European and Balkan, through various events engaging in
reflexion on the issues and perspectives of the Balkans region.
In May 2008, a workshop was dedicated to the Kosovo question: “From
the international protectorate to a redefinition of international
engagement.”
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/serbia/kosovo/redefini
ng_international_engagement_in_kosovo_en.pdf
The following year, a second workshop on “Stabilisation and integration
perspectives for the Western Balkans”, was organized at the campus of
Sciences Po Paris in Dijon.
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/publication/stabilisatio
n_and_integration_perspectives_for_the_western_balkans_e
n.pdf
In 2010, a third workshop focused on “Accession of the Western Balkans
to the EU: evaluating a process.”
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/publication/20100609
_att4639135.pdf
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