Economy

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

The fourth edition of "Terra Madre Balkans", held in early June in Tirana, focused on challenges and hopes of small farmers in the region

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?

Media Observatory explores the entry and impact of global news media, such as Sputnik and N1, in the Serbian media market

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).

Bulgaria is the EU country with the highest rate of elderly people at risk of poverty, isolation and social exclusion. Our report

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

The port of Giurgiuleşti, via a system of canals, represents Moldavia's only access to the sea. All around it, though, is void

A place for meetings and exchanges, the market at Şile, in Turkey, faces up to both the opportunities and the challenges presented by its proximity to the megalopolis of Istanbul

Five miners have lost their lives in Kakanj, central Bosnia, bringing to fourteen the number of victims in this sector in the last year alone. Interview

After years of mistrust, thanks to massive international support and political changes, Georgian agriculture has learned that unity makes for strength

The story of Bobar Banka Bijeljina highlights the possible reasons for the convocation of a referendum in Republika Srpska against the judiciary of Bosnia and Herzegovina

A rally in the Armenian capital against yet another electricity price increase triggers the police. Beatings, insults, and even violence against journalists

Once one of the city's symbols, now in ruins, the Holiday Inn hotel was declared bankrupt last June, but continues its activity. Illegaly

Northwestern Bulgaria: the poorest region in the EU, hit by the fierce depopulation of rural areas. Yet, despite the difficulties of the present, some do resist – and start back, in small steps - from the treasures of a centenary cultural and culinary tradition

Bulgaria is among the few European countries that have announced the achievement of the objectives of the "Europe 2020" strategy on renewable energy. At the same time, the sector is said to be in crisis and unsustainable. Our report

Young Kosovo citizens are leaving the country in growing numbers, looking for a better future in the EU, as they realize that independence did not entail economic growth

At Foça, on Turkey's Aegean coast, there's a market with a magical miscellany of colours, aromas and flavours. Among the treasures displayed on the stalls you can find the “tarhana”, distilled from the generous abundance of summer

A year ago, Belle Air failed, the only airline flying the flag of Albania. Its failure was hailed by many as the end of a nepotistic monopoly, but no alternative project has come as a result of its destruction

Low-consumption buildings, revamp of the regional economy, and environmental benefits: all thanks to wood. A review on European projects on energy efficiency carried out by Slovenia

After the enlargement stop set by President Juncker, some fear the risk of a Turkish scenario for the Western Balkans, i.e. negotiations that never end. Renzo Daviddi, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, thinks different. Interview

Italian company Enel wants to sell its assets in six Romanian energy distribution companies, but Bucharest announces battle

Despite the crisis, years of investment have led to the construction of 139 wind farms. Greece's wind is today one of the most attractive energy resources in Europe, and the trend is likely to continue

The Bosnian capital has a new shopping centre, the “Sarajevo City Center”. It is the fourth within a radius of a kilometre, in a country where the population is increasingly poor. But the city loves its malls

The first book on the history of motoring in Serbia, and Yugoslavia, will soon be released. An interview with the author, Marko Miljković

Protests are continuing after Friday's uprising, but media hype and national issues are looming upon the demonstrators. The European maze

Turning an area of Belgrade into a Dubai of the Balkans. The Serbian government project for the right bank of the Sava, issued during the election campaign, appears unsustainable to critics