European Union (EU) | Innovations for Successful Societies

In this interview, Delevic explains the role of Serbia’s European Integration Office (SEIO) in the country’s European Union ascension process. She describes the conditions in the country prior to the decision to pursue EU membership, clarifying the Serbian and Montenegro relationship at that time. She talks about the necessity to harmonize Serbian and Montenegro interests, and the role of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). She discusses the reorganization of the SEIO in a transparent process. She explains how trade agreements fit into the broader accession process, and how this was conveyed to members of Serbian civil society. She talks about the SEIO’s relationship with the ministries in regard to the National Program for Integration (NPI), and how the SEIO was able to manage the European Commission (EC) questionnaire for ministries. Finally, she reflects on the SEIO’s ability to monitor integration units within the ministries and to publicly publish the ministries’ NPI progress.

Other Key Terms: ascension process, National Program for Integration (NPI), free trade zone, visa-free travel, Stabilization and Association Agreement (SSA), International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Serbian European Integration Office (SEIO)

Transcript

C5_NS_MS_Delevic_AE_Final.pdf

C5_NS_MS_Delevic_AE_Final.txt

Profile

At the time of this interview, Mr. Delevic was Deputy Secretary General of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. She served as former Director of Serbia’s European Integration Office, tasked with helping promote and oversee the country’s European Union ascension process. She received a Bachelor’s degree in economics at the University of Belgrade in 1992, a Master’s degree from the Central European University in Budapest in 1996, and obtained her Doctorate in International Relations and Politics from University of Kent in Canterbury in 2003. She served as the Assistant Minister for EU Affairs and Regional Cooperation for Serbia’s Ministry of Affairs from 2007-2008, and was lecturer in Foreign Policy and European Integration at the University of Belgrade. From 2012-2013 she was a Member of Serbia’s Parliament and Chairperson of the government’s European Integration Committee.

Katrin Höövelson

Read more about Katrin Höövelson

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Focus Area(s)

Strategy

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Country of Reform

Estonia

Interviewers

Elena Lesley

Name

Katrin Höövelson

Interviewee's Position

Advisor on Economic Governance

Interviewee's Organization

European Commission

Language

English

Town/City

Tallinn

Country

Estonia

Date of Interview

Wed, 05/21/2014 - 12:00 pm

Reform Profile

Keywords

Europe 2020

European Commission

European Union (EU)

Abstract

Katrin Höövelson, who served as a policy adviser to the Government Office of Estonia from 2009 to 2012, discusses Estonian adoption of the Europe 2020 strategy in 2010 and the prioritization of Estonian national objectives within that framework. First, she discusses the in-country intensive analysis of the Europe 2020 targets that the Estonian government conducted, as well as other development indicators. Höövelson explains the findings of the analysis and how the results motivated the priorities of the Estonian national reform strategy from the bottom up. Throughout the interview, Höövelson sheds light on the relationship between the Estonian national strategy plan and Europe 2020 strategy: where the two coincided and where Estonia may have diverged from or expanded upon the goals. She also discusses the requirements Estonia must meet as a member of the European Commission, such as the annual measuring and reporting of results to Brussels, where the commission is located. Höövelson concludes by discussing the successes of the Estonian strategy, as well as challenges that lie ahead.

Case Study: Improving Consultation and Cooperation to Create a National Strategy: Drafting Estonia 2020

Transcript

B8 NS EL Katrin Hoovelson_FINAL.pdf

B8 NS EL Katrin Hoovelson_final.txt

Profile

At the time of this interview, Katrin Höövelson was a European semester officer of the European Commission in Estonia, working on economic issues and Europe 2020. Before that, Höövelson worked with the European Commission in Brussels on employment policies and European Union funding to Estonia. Born in Estonia, Höövelson was with Estonian public administration as head of the labor market department in the ministry of social affairs as well as a policy adviser in the strategy unit. She graduated from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.