Chinese presence in the Balkans is rapidly growing, mainly through its "Belt and Road Initiative" - the new Silk road linking East and West - which brings opportunities but also risks to the region. An interview with the financial analyst Jens Bastian
Over 17,000 Syrian-Armenians have fled to Armenia over the past five years. While many expected this to be a temporary move, they are now setting down firm roots in the country
More and more professionals from the Western Balkans choose to seek a better life by going east – opting for countries such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland
After ten years of economic crisis, many women in Greece have begun to explore alternatives to make their living, revaluing traditional handicraft activities from the previous decades
Where new developments in European tourism are concerned, the substantial and steady growth of the Balkans as a destination for vacations and travel is one of the most significant trends in recent years
Some of the world's largest amber deposits are located on Ukrainian territory. Extraction is in the hands of criminal organisations, and institutions are hesitant or connivant – meanwhile, the environment is devastated
Sofia is enjoying a tourism boom, especially thanks to the ever-increasing number of low-cost flights. The economy benefits from it, but a long-term sustainable tourism strategy is still missing
The structural economic weakness of the Western Balkans is likely to become a political problem, but the EU so far has not addressed it adequately in its Enlargement policy. A commentary
Tourism in Greece is the driving force behind the economy. Many, even with higher education, seek opportunities in this industry, often falling to painful compromises with their rights
The European Commission's proposal to create a European Pillar of Social Rights is a step towards an integrated and coherent framework on social rights at the European level. This will also provide member states with a frame of reference for developing their own individual policies
Cleaners, care-givers, baby-sitters: 9 out of 10 are women, often exploited. MEP Konstantina Kuneva, who was personally attacked for her activism, now fights for female workers' rights in Europe
While the United Nations designated 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, Armenia is struggling to manage and make the best out of the potential of this sector
It is estimated that in Turkey one Syrian minor in ten is working to provide for the family. A situation that threatens to cancel an entire generation. An analysis
Finding work for refugees is key for their integration into the EU. But neither national governments nor EU institutions have yet been able to find an adequate response to this question
Massive land and real estate sale to foreign nationals in the central Balkan country points to growing corruption and brings little benefit to the country
The support of the Ministry of Agriculture with grants for farmers in Kosovo has not produced the desired result. Often leading to abuses and injustice. An investigation
Serbia has taken a commitment to produce energy from renewable sources, but it is building a new block of Kostolac B thermal power plant which will be using lignite coal
Despite the commitments defined by the Energy Community Treaty, most of the investments in the energy sector in the Western Balkans are still directed to coal plants
The healthcare sector in Ukraine is in crisis: low quality, stagnant reforms and dwindling budgets. Is it the result of a widespread habit to pay doctors under the table?
In October 2014, the EU launched its Macro-Regional Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian area, EUSAIR. One year later, OBC and CeSPI analysed its first steps, challenges and opportunities, in the frame of the project “The Adriatic-Ionian macro-region: a hurdle process. The start of the Adriatic-Ionian Regional Strategy in the perspective of Italian foreign policy and the European integration of the Western Balkans”, funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI).
Greece has the opportunity to attract Russian tourists seeking an alternative to the Turkish and Egyptian beaches. The Hellenic bureaucracy, though, appears incapable of accepting the challenge
