The Balkan Debate and Public Policy Challenge Task Overview
For the Balkan Debate Public Policy Challenge, you are asked to write a policy brief of 1500-2000 words written in Times New Roman 12, spacing 1.5 addressing one of three topics on the overarching theme of “Joint Future of the Western Balkans in the European Union”.
Selection of the topics:
- Joint Customs Balkans: Western Balkans Union
- Joint Action Plan for the implementation of regional environmental measures on
- Air Quality
- Waste Management
- Natural Resource Management
- Improving Educational Mobility in the Western Balkans
The challenge requires you to think about the policies that regional governments should adopt in order to advance reconciliation between Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, or the Western Balkan as a whole, and to advance their preparation for a joint European future.
A policy brief provides policymakers with the essential information they need to do their jobs. It should break complex issues down into core facts, evaluate possible policy solutions and recommend a particular course of action. An effective policy brief will convince the target audience that the issues outlined require urgent action and that the policies proposed are the best way of responding to them. Your policy brief should also look at the ways in which civil society groups and other important stakeholders could interact with governments as the policy is planned and implemented.
The deadline for submission is May 10th 2019, midnight (participants’ local time). The 10 winners to go to the local forums will be announced on May 15th 2019, the latest.