EU-Balkans thematic TV newspackages

Getting a better grasp of the EU integration process

After the successful accession of Central and Eastern European countries to the EU in 2004, it`s now the turn of the Western Balkans to progress on the road that will lead them to European Union membership. EU accession is a complex process that requires considerable effort by the countries concerned, in order to gradually become Euro-compatible in many fields.

SEETV prepares a series of thematic TV newspackages to better understand the issues at stake for the Western Balkans on the road towards EU membership. Each TV newspackage focuses on a particular subject, and includes interviews with selected EU personalities and experts as well as relevant illustration shots. It is accompanied by the necessary background information.

See below the list of available newspackages.
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Understanding the Stabilisation and Association Process

February-March 2006

The Stabilisation and Association Process is the main strategy of the EU to assist the Western Balkan countries on the road to EU integration. Description of the contents of the newspackage:

EU-Balkans TRADE

March-April 2006

TV newspackage on Trade between the EU and the Western Balkans, in the run-up to the 6 April event in Bucharest, with the political launch of the creation of the single Free Trade Agreement for South East Europe. This is a High Level event where all Prime Ministers of the Western Balkans participate, together with EU Commissioners for Trade and Enlargement.

Description of the contents of the newspackage (background pictures and interviews): 
  • pictures of products originating in the Western Balkans, on the EU market
    (bycicles from Macedonia imported by Belgian company, juice from Serbia in Belgian supermarket chain, food products from Croatia in shops
  • pictures of an EU company who has invested in the Balkans (Puratos in Belgium, specialised in products for bakeries, with factories in Serbia, Romania, Croatia and Moldova...)
  • interview with Reinhard PRIEBE, Director for Western Balkans, European
    Commission DG Enlargement
  • interview with K. FALKENBERG, Deputy Director General, European Commission DG TRADE
  • interview Mary O'Mahony, Trade expert, Stability Pact for SEE
  • interviews with Belgian importer of Macedonian bycicles, and with Mr Piet
    Sanders, Head of SEE unit at PURATOS company

  • Click here to view the full transcript and shot list

EU-Balkans: towards visa facilitation?

View the newspackage (warning: this is pre-edited footage for TV professionals - not an edited programme)

A thematic TV newspackage – background pictures and interviews

Context: The Council of the EU should give a green light to start the negotiations on visa facilitation with the Western Balkan countries in the next few days. The European Union agreed in December 2005 on a common approach to visa facilitation for the Western Balkan countries. The European Commission started exploratory talks with all Western Balkan states in 2006 in order to present to the Member States a draft mandate for the negotiations for visa facilitation. Two key factors will play a role in the visa facilitation process:

  • the signing of readmission agreements with the EU
  • the progress in reforms in relevant areas (ex: border management).

What will be precisely the contents of these negotiations? How long will they last? What will change in the procedures for the delivery of visas? How will these measures really impact on the mobility of Western Balkan people in the Schengen zone? Can the Western Balkans expect full liberalisation of the visa regime any time soon? What do European citizens think about this? These are the questions we try to answer in this TV newspackage.

Proposed interviews:

  • Special interview with European Commissioner for Justice, Libertyand Security, Franco Frattini
  • Statement of Olli Rehn, European Commissioner for Enlargement
  • Interview with Bakir Dautpasic, chief negotiator of the visa facilitation for Bosnia
  • Vox Pop Brussels: what do European citizens think about visa facilitation for the Western Balkans
  • Vox Pop Paris: what do European citizens think about visa facilitation for the Western Balkans

Background pictures: border management, passport checks at EU borders, etc.

Instrument for Pre-Accession: a new Financial Instrument for EU assistance to Western Balkans

View the newspackage (warning: this is pre-edited footage for TV professionals - not an edited programme)

Special TV newspackage on the new shape of EU financial assistance to the Balkans

EU promises 11,5 billion EURO to assist EU hopefuls over next 7 years

On 17 July, the Council of the EU (EU Member States) has adopted the new financial instrument for all candidate and potential candidate countries. The new instrument is called IPA: Instrument for Pre-Accession.

We have prepared for you a thematic TV newspackage on this issue, to better understand what IPA means politically and what it will mean concretely to Western Balkan countries. The TV newspackage includes the following elements:

  • Special interviews:
      • Michael Leigh, Director-General of Enlargement DG, European Commission
      • Dirk Meganck, director for financial assistance in European Commission DG Enlargement
      • Maros Sefcovic, ambassador of Slovakia to the EU (on the use of pre-accession funds)
      • Istvan Szent Ivanyi, Member of the European Parliament, rapporteur on IPA
  • Illustration shots of EU pre-accession assistance

  • Click here to read the full transcript and shot list

Regional Collaboration in the Balkans: Energy market

This special background TV newspackage deals with the implications of the ENERGY COMMUNITY TREATY for the Western Balkans. The Treaty, signed exactly one year ago, has now entered into force. On 17 November 2006, a Ministerial Meeting in Skopje will tackle the concrete implementation of the treaty. At times when a possible energy crisis topples the agenda, what will this Treaty concretely bring to Balkan countries? What are the energy challenges ahead? Will prices raise? How important is this Treaty to the Balkan economies and social cohesion?

We have asked these questions to key experts, including:
  • Fabrizio BARBASO, Deputy Director General, European Commission, Energy and Transport Directorate General
  • Ulrich WEINS, Energy expert, European Commission Enlargement Directorate General
  • Radomir NAUMOV, Serbian Minister for Energy
  • Renaud Van der Elst, Energy expert, Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe

    The TV newspackage also includes relevant stockshots to illustrate energy issues and challenges. Click here to read the full transcript and shot list.

    Special TV newspackage on EC Annual Progress Reports for Western Balkan countries (10 November 2006)

    On the occasion of the publications by the European Commission of its annual progress reports on the Western Balkan countries on 8 November 2006, SEETV has prepared special interviews with experts from the European Commission DG Enlargement who have been involved in the drafting of the progress reports, for a more detailed analysis per country.

    The newspackage contains interviews with the following experts:

    • Pierre Mirel on Macedonia and Croatia
    • Alberto Cammarata on Serbia
    • Clive Rumbold on Albania
    • José Sanchez Alegre on Bosnia and Herzegovina
    • Vassilis Maragos on Montenegro
    • Khaldoun Sinno on Kosovo

      Click here to read the full transcript and shot list.

       

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