Edition 04/06

newsletter

Thinking Europe

Interview
Introducing
Analysis
Activities
Information
E D I T O R I A L

Dear Reader,

Dear Reader,
The last edition of our newsletter this year
is not simply a round-up of highlights from
2006. Instead it looks forward to January
1st of 2007, which marks the start of the
German Presidency of the Council of the
European Union. Many hopes and expec-
tations are tied to this upcoming period,
both here in Germany and abroad. To find
out more about just how realistic these
are, "Thinking Europe" talked in-depth with
Professor Ingolf Pernice, the Director of the
Walter Hallstein Institute at Berlin's
Humboldt University and a respected
expert on constitutional law. As always,
this edition also contains plenty of intere-
sting tips and links, as well as more com-
prehensive reports and articles from our
European network of think-tanks. Content: Corresponding institutes and partners:

Katinka Barysch,
Centre for European Reform (CER) Britain
We hope that you will continue to subscri-
katinka@cer.org.uk
be to our service in the coming year, and Imprint: 1
that you'll recommend our newsletter to
Interview: 2 Przemyslaw Jaron,
Center for International Relations (CIR)
others. All of us here at "Thinking Europe"
would like to wish you and yours a very Introducing: 3 Poland
jaron@csm.org.pl
merry Christmas, and a wonderful begin- Analysis : 4
ning to 2007!
Activities: 5 Noelle Prins,
Centre for European Policy Studies
With warmest regards Information: 7 Belgium
noelle.prins@ceps.be

Alicia Sorroza Blanco,

Real Instituto Elcano Spain
Imprint: asorroza@r-i-elcano.org

Editor
The Newsletter "Thinking Europe" is
published by: Stefanie Wulff
wulff@lab-concepts.de
lab concepts
Anja Ostermann & Kerstin Pettenkofer The Laboratory for Conception and Subscribe to the Newsletter:
Directors, lab concepts Realisation for Politics, Education and www.lab-concepts.de
Culture
Layout
Directors:
www.meva-bonn.de
Anja Ostermann & Kerstin Pettenkofer

Am Hofgarten 18
D-53113 Bonn
Tel.: + 49 (0) 228 2498-110
Fax: + 49 (0) 228 2498-111
info@lab-concepts.de
http://www.lab-concepts.de

1
I N T E R V I E W

Ingolf Pernice

In this section, scientists and experts analy-

se current topics on the European
Agenda. Today, Ingolf Pernice, a professor
for public, international and European law
at the Humboldt University of Berlin, exa-
mines the perspectives of the German EU-
Presidency in 2007.

"Finding a way out

of the constitutional
crisis is a realistic
goal"
lab concepts:
There are a lot of expectations associated
with the upcoming German Presidency of
the Council of the European Union in the
first half of 2007, not least in terms of fin-
ding a way out of the constitutional crisis.
Do you share these hopes?

Ingolf Pernice:
Large member countries are seldom suc-
cessful in the Council Presidency when it
comes to fundamental questions or
important political concerns. There is
always a certain amount of suspicion that
they are trying to push through their own
agenda. There's less suspicion of smaller
member countries, which is why they
often have more success in the Presidency.
The German Presidency programme was
developed during the preceding
Presidencies, and in particular it will aim to
build on the achievements of the Finnish
Presidency. It is in line with the German-
Portuguese-Slovenian Presidencies "triad",
and the German government expects to
work closely with those two governments.
This mid-term strategy is why so many
people expect the German Presidency to
accomplish a lot. But any success will
depend on two conditions:
- The Portuguese and Slovenian govern-
ments will have to be intensively involved
in the upcoming planning for the concrete
realisation of the Presidency programme.
Only then can the full 18 months be used
to the best advantage.
- The European Commission was the key
to EC success, and it still is today. In an
expanded EU made up of 27 member
countries, it will be more so than ever
before. Every government wants to take
credit for any success stories. But without
unconditional support for the Commission
and its complete integration in the realisa-
tion and further development of the pro-
gramme, there will be no success.
If these preconditions are met, Germany
will be able to help blaze a trail out of the
constitutional crisis. For concrete steps,
however, we shall have to wait for the
meeting of the European Council in June
of 2007, after the French presidential elec-
tions. In that sense, finding a solution to the
constitutional crisis will depend on more
long-term strategies, and the German
Council Presidency can lay the ground-
work for these in the first few months of
2007. Expectations are high that the
German government is capable of accom-
plishing this, not only because of the initial
success chalked up by Chancellor Merkel
in finding a solution to the EU's financial cri-
sis, but also because of the extensive poli-
tical experience on a European level pos-
sessed by a remarkable number of mem-
bers of the German government and
government consultants.
lab concepts:
What realistic goals can and should the
German Presidency of the Council of the
European Union set in the coming year?
Ingolf Pernice:
Finding a way out of the constitutional cri-
sis is one realistic goal. Practically every
government in the EU agrees that this is a
necessity. A further realistic goal is forging a
common policy on climate change and a
continued reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions, both before and after 2012,
based on the Stern Review. It leaves us no
choice. If a European strategy for energy
security - another priority of the Presidency
2
I N T R o D u C I N G
programme - is conceived and implemen-
ted as a component of climate policy (the
flip side of the coin), then energy security
is also a realistic goal of the German
Council Presidency. Finally, an important
aspect for both German citizens and in
terms of cohesion within the Union is the
clarification of ideas on what European
social or societal models could look like -
as a contrast to liberalist and socialist
approaches. At what does Europe excel?
How is the EU supporting that? What can
we be proud of as Europeans? A goal of
the German presidency should also there-
fore be to show:
- that freedom and solidarity belong toget-
her in Europe, and that only an alliance of
the two will create the energies that we
need to overcome future challenges.
- that through accord, the European Union
is capable not only of protecting the peo-
ple here from the risks of globalisation, but
even helping to shape globalisation to
reflect our beliefs.
- that the concept of European integration
as a community of citizens and nations
with certain rights has secured peace and
prosperity for us in the past fifty years, and
that Europe could now offer aid in secu-
ring peace beyond its own borders.
These goals, which are far from unrealistic,
are set out in numerous individual measu-
res in the programme. However, they need
to be placed more in the limelight.
lab concepts:
We often hear of "Europe fatigue", or citi-
zen scepticism vis-à-vis Europe. What
impulses could come from German politi-
cians at a European level in general -- and
from Chancellor Merkel in particular -- that
would help convince Europe's citizens of
the advantages of the EU?
Ingolf Pernice:
Germany's European politicians, and
especially Chancellor Merkel, should
always remain positive in reference to
Europe, as they have so far … both befo-
re, during and after the Council Presidency.
It's all about including citizens in the pro-
cess, informing them about the individual
steps in it, and opening a dialogue with
them if problems arise. There are a lot of
plans in place to make these things hap-
pen. Government leaders such as Claude
Juncker and Bertie Ahern are right to say
that governments that talk down Europe
and blame the EU for failed policies can-
not then expect their citizens to vote in
favour of the EU and a constitution a day
or two later. A consistent realisation of
Council Presidency programme goals like
those discussed above will convince citi-
zens of what is good about Europe. It
requires humility rather than vanity and
arrogance, and the ability not only to work
together with the Commission and partner
governments, but also to appreciate their
contributions. Each and every one of us is
now fully aware that peace, security and
prosperity for both Europe and the world
-- and for future generations - cannot be
ensured by a single government or a single
nation.
This presents a challenge to the media as
well. Although critique is certainly necessa-
ry, reports and commentary in the press
must never slip into the kind of derision
and disparagement that only show how
little the reporter understands the comple-
xity of the processes involved. The
"Thinking Europe" initiative is quite clearly
in no danger of that, which is why I am
happy to be able to contribute to the
ongoing dialogue in this way.
This section provides a short portrait of
the Centre for Eastern Studies (CES),
Warsaw.
Centre for Eastern
Studies (CES)
The Centre for Eastern Studies (CES,
Polanad) was established in 1990. Its task
is to monitor and analyse the political,
economic and social situation in the
Central and Eastern European countries, in
the Balkans, in the Caucasus and in Central
Asia.
At the moment, CES employs 54 analysts.
Jacek Cichocki is the centre's Director, and
Jolanta Darczewska and Katarzyna
Pelczynska-Nalecz are its Deputy Directors.
The institute is financed out of the state
budget.
The main objects of CES research are:
- the internal situations and stabili-
ty of the countries in the area of
CES' interests,
- the systems of power,
- relations between particular poli-
tical centres,
- foreign policies,
- issues related to NATO and EU
enlargement,
- the ways that states in the region
aspire to integrate with Western
structures,
- energy supply security,
- existing and potential conflicts, as
well as other issues pertaining to
the security of Central and
Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the
Caucasus and Central Asia.
Publications:
- "News" - a daily brief,
- "A Week in the East" - a newslet-
ter,
- "Policy Briefs" - short analytical
papers,
- "CES Studies" - comprehensive
analytical papers,
- "CES Report" - an annual synthe-
tic study.
More information available at
http://www.osw.waw.pl
3
A n a l y s i s
In this section, pundits and commentators
examine central political and social fields
in the EU. In this issue, you will find reflec-
tions on "Post-ssocialism", Kosovo and EU
Integration, the Eastern Dimension of the
European Neighbourhood Policy, and
Global Challenges and European Reform.
What is Post-
Socialism?
A New Branch of
Research in East
European Studies
by Prof. Dieter Segert, University of Vienna
In 1989, most people believed that
Eastern Europe would quickly come to
resemble Western Europe. A few sceptics,
however, said that the East would soon
become the new 'South' - in other worlds,
part of the 'Third World'. More than 15
years after the 'Annus mirabilis', the time is
right to look back and see what became
of these hopes and fears. In this article,
Dieter Segert introduces the new area of
research known as post-socialism, which
experts recently helped define at an inter-
national workshop. The results will be
published in volume form in spring of
2007 under the title Postsozialismus.
Hinterlassenschaften des Staatssozialismus
und neue Kapitalismen.
Professor Dieter Segert holds a chair for
"Transformation Processes in Central, East
and Southeast Europe" at the University of
Vienna's Department of Social Sciences.
He is a member of lab concept's advisory
committee.
Read full article in German:
http://www.lab-concepts.de/sg46pdf
Kosovo and EU
Integration:
Challenges and
Perspectives
by Bekim Baliqi, University of Vienna
Although the buildings that house the
Kosovan government and the European
Union in the region's capital Pristina are just
a few meters apart, the path that Kosovo
must follow towards integration in the
European Union is a long one. Even so, the
efforts on the part of Kosovan institutions
to achieve the recommended precondi-
tions for the integration process have
intensified. There is also an ongoing com-
mitment on the part of the EU to support
the development of internal mechanisms
that will cooperate more closely with EU
structures, as well as to prepare the requi-
red legal framework on the integration
issue. Bekim Baliqi, a political scientist at
the University of Vienna, summarizes what
has been done so far for stabilization and
development in Kosovo, and examines
Kosovan chances and perspectives for joi-
ning the European Union.
Read full article:
http://www.lab-concepts.de/bb46.pdf
Global Challenges
Will Drive European
Reform
by Nick Butler, London
Today, the EU's agenda is largely driven by
events and developments taking place
well beyond its borders. Current challen-
ges include: the worsening situation in the
Middle East and the accompanying thre-
ats of terrorism and ethnic conflict,
America's diminishing appetite for engage-
ment in the world in the face of military set-
backs and political hostility, the re-emer-
gence of Russia as an international power,
the development of a global economy in
which the Pacific is as important as the
Atlantic, the rapid expansion of global
markets in talent and knowledge, and the
growing weight of evidence that human
activity could disrupt the subtle balance of
the world's climate.
Nick Butler takes a closer look into global
challenges for the EU. The author is Group
Vice President, Strategy for BP. He co-foun-
ded the Centre for European Reform (CER)
London and chairs its advisory board.
Read full article:
http://www.lab-concepts.de/nb46.pdf
The Eastern
Dimension of the
European
Neighbourhood
Policy
by Przemyslaw Jaron, Warsaw
The European Neighbourhood Policy
(ENP) and its eastern dimension are cruci-
al for the European Union, and will deter-
mine the character of the EU for many
years to come. The basic difference bet-
ween the eastern and southern dimen-
sions of the ENP is that eastern countries,
which are situated between the EU and
the Russian Federation, have a more or less
clear European perspective. Russia, which
is extremely important and the EU's largest
neighbour -- in both political and econo-
mic terms -- has not been included in the
neighbourhood policy for a variety of rea-
sons. Przemyslaw Jaron from the Center
for International Relations (CIR), Warsaw,
analyses these challenges of the European
Neighbourhood Policy.ramework of the
Hague programme.
Read full article:
http://www.notre-
europe.asso.fr/article.php3?id_arti-
cle=1126&lang=en
4
A C T I V I T I E S

In this section, our corresponding institutes

present their new publications and activi-
The Centre for "Justice and Home Affairs Issues at
European Union Level", by Elspeth Guild
ties: European Policy and Florian Geyer

Studies (CEPS),
The Center for More information available at

Belgium http://www.ceps.be
International
Relations (CIR), Latest CEPS Publications:

Poland "Towards communication?", by Michael

Forthcoming CIR events:
Middle of January, 2007:
International conference on the "European
System of Human Rights Protection",
Warsaw
Recent publications:
"The Fundamental Rights Agency - views
from the new member states and
Germany", by Przemyslaw Jaron
"The Transatlantic Security Challenges and
Dilemmas for the European Migration
Policy Project, vol. 4, Brain Drain or Brain
Gain - a Global Dilemma", by K. Gmaj & K.
Iglicka (ed.)
Brüggemann, Julia De Clerck-Sachsse and
Sebastian Kurpas The Centre for
"Informing European citizens?", by
Sebastian Kurpas, Julia De Clerck-Sachsse European Reform
and Michael Brüggemann
(CER), UK
"Citizenship & Education Policies - Value
Forthcoming events:
for money?", by Christoph O. Meyer
January 15th:
"Ex post evaluation of the MAP 2001-
Launch of "Will the eurozone crack?", with
2005 initiative and suggestions for the CIP
Martin Wolf, London
2007-2013", by Andrea Renda, Lorna
Schrefler and Frederik A. von Dewall
:January 23rd
Breakfast meeting with Commissioner Peter
Mandelson, Brussels

"The Transatlantic Security Challenges and

Dilemmas for the European Migration
Policy Project, vol. 3, Migration and Human
Trafficking - Challenges for Southern Eastern
European Region", by K. Iglicka (ed.)

More information available at

http://www.csm.org.pl or contact
Przemyslaw Jaron, jaron@csm.org.pl

5
A C T I V I T I E S

Recent CER publications:

Elcano Royal Institute
"The EU and Russia: From principle to prag- for International and
matism?", CER policy brief by Katinka
Barysch Strategic Studies,
"Europe's flawed approach to Arab
democracy", CER essay by Richard Youngs
Spain
"Europe's blurred boundaries: Rethinking
Publication:
enlargement and neighbourhood policy",
CER pamphlet by Charles Grant
"From Threat to Opportunity: Making
"Will the eurozone crack?" CER pamphlet
Flexible Integration Work"
by Simon Tilford
This new Working Paper is the result of joint
research carried out within the framework
"The EU must keep its promise to the
of the EPIN Network by Julia De Clerck-
Western Balkans", CER policy brief by Tim
Sachsse, Sebastian Kurpas, Gaëtane
Judah
Ricard-Nihou and José Ignacio
Torreblanca. The latter is the Elcano Royal
"Cyprus, Turkey and the EU: Time for a
Institute's senior analyst for Europe. The
sense of proportion and compromise",
paper argues for a thorough reappraisal of
CER policy brief by David Hannay
flexibility as an instrument of integration,
and outlines the conditions under which it
"How to strengthen EU foreign policy", CER
would help the enlarged EU to move for-
policy brief by Charles Grant and Mark
ward. Too often in the past, flexibility has
Leonard
been used as an (efficient) threat to indu-
ce reluctant or laggard member states to
keep pace with the integration process. It
Forthcoming CER publications:
should therefore come as no surprise that
flexibility has such a poor image in many
"The role of business in Turkish EU acces-
member states.
sion", essay by Sinan Ulgen

Past Event:
"The Shanghai Co-operation Organisation",
policy brief by Okasan Antonenko
A seminar was organised in September as
part of the celebrations of the 20th anni-
"Divided world: The EU and the struggle
versary of Spain's membership of the
for supremacy in 2020", essay by Mark
European Union. In addition to the
Leonard
President of the European Parliament,
Josep Borrell, and Spain's Minister of
"EU Defence in 2020", essay by Daniel
Foreign Affairs, Miguel Ángel Moratinos,
Keohane
participants included current and former
Spanish MEPs. The debate focused on
"European policy co-operation", working
Spain's twenty years in the EU, the current
paper by Hugo Brady
European agenda - especially in regards
to foreign policy, immigration and energy -
"The EU's emerging energy policy", policy
and the future of Europe and the
brief by Katinka Barysch and Vendeline
European Constitution. All the topics were
von Bredow
analysed from a Spanish point of view.
Further information is available in the
"The future of the EU constitutional treaty",
Elcano Royal Institute Website.
policy brief by Katinka Barysch and Hugo
Brady
More information available at
http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org
More information available at
http://www.cer.org.uk
6
I N F O R M A T I O N
This section gives an overview of events,
publications and public reports from
European think tanks, as well as presenting
a list of websites and pages that offer even
more information.
Publication
Topical Journal: Poland
Edited by the Society for Eastern
European Studies
The current edition of the journal, which is
dedicated to a "Critique of Polish Reason",
analyses the situation in the country's poli-
tics, economy and society a year after the
election of the Kaczynski brothers. 23
Polish and German writers draw a picture
of a nation in the midst of a crisis of confi-
dence over democratic politics, the liberal
constitutional state, the free market society,
and European integration.
http://osteuropa.dgo-online.org/
160.0.html
"Turkey and Ukraine: Wanted or not?
Central European Reflections of Their EU
Membership Perspectives"
by David Král and Piotr Kazmierkiewicz,
Europeum Institute for European Policy,
Praha
This publication examines the Czech attitu-
des towards the EU membership pro-
spects of two applicant countries: Turkey
and Ukraine. It examines the attitudes of
political representatives, including those
from the political parties, government and
diplomatic service (Ministry of Foreign
Affairs) and other governmental stakehol-
ders, and seeks to account for how the
issue has been treated in the media, espe-
cially in the major newspapers that shape
opinion.
http://www.europeum.org/
disp_publications.php?lang=en
"A Preview of the Issues Facing the
German Presidency"
by Jill Donoghue, Dublin
Germany will take over the EU Presidency
on January 1st, 2007. In the words of
Germany's Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter
Steinmeier, for the first six months of next
year Germany will be the face and voice
of Europe. Jill Donoghue, Director of
Research at the Institute of European
Affairs, Dublin, looks at the challenges
facing the next Presidency of the EU.
http://www.iiea.com/
newsx.php?news_id=97
"Wider Europe
Nordic and Baltic Lessons to Post-
Enlargement Europe"
by Fabrizio Tassinari, Pertti Joenniemi and
Uffe Jakobsen (ed.), Copenhagen
This volume departs from the idea that the
Baltic Sea region can be regarded as a sig-
nificant laboratory in view of wider
European developments. In recent years,
local and regional resources have been
mobilized rather successfully. This has
been done by transcending previous bor-
ders in order to create social well-being
and economic prosperity, as well as stabi-
lity. The contributions in this book explore
this development and the policies of the
various relevant actors.
http://www.diis.dk/sw28710.asp
"Promoting Democratic Values in the
Enlarging Europe:
The Changing Role of the Baltic States from
Importers to Exporters"
by Andres Kasekamp and Heiko Pääbo
(ed.), Tartu
This publication presents the results of the
international conference "Promoting
Democratic Values in the Enlarging Europe:
The Changing Role of the Baltic States from
Importers to Exporters" organised by the
EuroCollege of the University of Tartu,
Estonia. The conference brought together
international and interdisciplinary acade-
mics as well as experienced top figures
from European politics and civil-society
networks. The objective of the conference
was to facilitate the learning process of
democratisation in post-Soviet societies
using the experience gained in the Baltic
States during the last 15 years of national
independence.
http://www.evi.ee/english/publi.html
Events
January 10th-1
12th, Paris
Democracy, European
Governance and Social
Science
By confronting the views of academics,
practitioners and observers of European
governance, this conference seeks to pro-
voke a very frank and open discussion
about the actual or potential contribution
of social sciences research to political,
economic and social governance, at the
local, regional, national, European and
international levels.
http://www.thinkandact.eu/
accueil-M2-R8.html
January 22nd, Germany
EU Project Day in
German schools
An initiative in honour of the German take-
over of the EU Council Presidency, EU
Project Day is intended to help spark inte-
rest and awareness of the European
Union among German students while tea-
ching them more about how the EU func-
tions.
http://www.bpb.de/themen/7WGKPC,0,
EUProjekttag.html
February 23rd-2
24th, London
Neo-colonial Mentalities in
Contemporary Europe?
Language and Discourse in the
Construction of Identities.
7
I N F O R M A T I O N
The aim of our workshop is to explore
some of the major cultural groupings wit-
hin the EU by investigating the emergent
discourse that reflects their own and
others' sense of their evolving identity.
http://igrs.sas.ac.uk/events/
conf_neocolonial1.htm
January 29th-FFebruary 2nd, Europe
Under the umbrella of the Sustainable
Energy Europe Campaign (SEE), the
European Commission's Directorate-
General for Energy and Transport, the
European Institutions and major stakehol-
ders concerned with sustainable energy
are together putting on the first EU
Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW). It will
take place in Brussels, Belgium, and in
other cities across Europe.
http://www.eusew.eu
March 20th-2
21st, Maastricht
Implementing Plan-D - How to
Communicate Europe
Effectively
Given the European Commission's publi-
cation of "Plan-D for Democracy, Dialogue
and Debate" and the need for increasing
the competence of public officials and
others to deliver successful communica-
tions campaigns and compete effectively
in today's information-laden society, this
seminar will provide an introduction to
planning, implementing and monitoring
modern communications campaigns.
http://www.eipa.nl/index.asp?option=pro
ducts&section=M&id=1432&fct=Open
March 27th-2
28th, Rome
Citizenship and Identity in the
European Union
The overall objective of the Rome con-
ference is to improve policymaking at
national, regional and local levels in the
European Union through the evaluation of
research results on the topic of
'Citizenship and Identity'.
http://www.thinkandact.eu/aims-of-the-
conference-M1-R46.html
April 26th-2
28th, Lisbon
NECE - Networking European
Citizenship Education
European Conference: Rethinking
Citizenship Education in European
Migration Societies:
Political Strategies - Social Changes -
Educational Concepts
By looking closely at the most pressing
challenges of migration and integration in
Europe, the organisers hope to contribute
to a more informed debate on such basic
concepts as citizenship, social inclusion,
pluralism and tolerance. One defining fea-
ture of the conference will be the presen-
tation and exchange of best practices of
citizenship education in immigration socie-
ties, and it will bring academics and politi-
cians together with experts, multipliers and
practitioners involved in citizenship educa-
tion in Europe.
http://www.bpb.de/nece
Links
Speak up Europe
The "Speak up Europe" campaign has
been launched to facilitate the debate
about the European Union. Set in the fra-
mework of the European Commission's
'Plan D', it seeks to collect the opinions
and concerns of European citizens on a
range of topics.
http://www.speakupeurope.eu
Eurasisches Magazin
The German-language webzine
"Eurasisches Magazin" seeks to increase
awareness that the Eurasian continent
does not end at the River Oder, the
Bosphorus, or the Urals. Seeking to bring
Asia and Europe closer together, the web-
zine has taken on the task of reporting on
developments all over the continent.
http://www.eurasischesmagazin.de/bibli
othek/rezensionen.asp
Changing Europe
The mailing list "Changing Europe" is inten-
ded for young social scientists working in
or on Central and Eastern Europe. The
mailing list serves as a forum for the
exchange of participant ideas and ques-
tions. It also provides regular information
on conferences, publications, grants, etc.
related to the social sciences in Central
and Eastern Europe. "Changing Europe" is
organised and moderated by the
Research Centre for East European Studies
at the University of Bremen, Germany.
http://www.changing-europe.de
Pour la Solidarité
The European Think Tank "Pour la
Solidarité" is a forum for study and thought
whose main aim is to promote solidarity in
all its forms. To achieve this, it works with a
network of partners at both a European
and a local level, and conducts cross-cut-
ting and multidisciplinary work on the fol-
lowing themes: citizenship and participa-
tory democracy, sustainable local deve-
lopment, and social cohesion and the
social economy.
http://www.pourlasolidarite.be
PLOTKI
The PLOTKI network brings together writers,
photographers and graphic artists from
Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe.
It was founded in 2000 by a group of stu-
dents from Berlin, Warsaw and Prague.
Since then, PLOTKISTY from all over Central,
Eastern and South Eastern Europe have
joined the network. Their goal is to increa-
se and intensify the contact between for-
mer East and West, and between neigh-
bouring countries and people.
http://www.plotki.net
Between Caucasus and Europe
Caucaz.com is a Tbilisi-based weekly onli-
ne magazine. An independent media
source created in October of 2004 by
European and South-Caucasian journalists,
it has helped to revitalise European media
coverage of the South Caucasus. The
South Caucasus editors are based in
Tbilisi, with correspondents in Yerevan and
Baku. European editors are based in both
Paris and Brussels. Every Monday,
Caucaz.com publishes articles, investigati-
ve reports and analysis of the news and
main issues in the South Caucasus, on
topics as diverse as the democratisation
process, civil society, conflicts, minorities,
domestic, regional and foreign policy, and
the European Union's New
Neighbourhood Strategy.
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http://www.caucaz.com