CEP's Miloš Pavković conversed with Luisa Chiodi, Director of Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) and Miloš Đorđević, Legal advisor at Transparency International Serbia about the fightning corruption in the Western Balkans.

In our new European Talks episode, we sat down with Ms. Bojana Bajić, Public Policies Innovations and Digitalization Officer at Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA) to talk about service delivery and digitalisation and what the key takeaways are for the Western Balkans.

Koja prava potrošača su najugroženija u Srbiji? Ko spada u „ranjive“ potrošače? Koje su najčešće prevare, zloupotrebe i poteškoće sa kojima se susreću socijalno ugroženi i stariji potrošači. Kako državne institucije i civilno društvo u Srbiji sarađuju na zaštiti prava ugroženih potrošača, a šta bi još mogli da učine?

O svemu ovome slušajte u novoj epizodi našeg podkasta posvećenoj ugroženim potrošačima u kojem razgovaramo sa Petrom Bogosavljevićem, predsednikom Pokreta za zaštitu potrošača Srbije.

Podkast epizoda je objavljena u okviru projekta Unapređenje položaja potrošača kroz jačanje politike konkurencije, koji sprovodi Centar za evropske politike u okviru projekta EU Resurs Centar za civilno društvo u Srbiji koji realizuje Beogradska otvorena škola, a podržava Evropska unija. Stavovi izneti u podkastu ne odražavaju nužno stavove Evropske unije.

Zašto su potrošačka prava zapravo prava malog čoveka? Šta je u Nacrtu novog Zakona o zaštiti potrošača dobro, a šta loše za građane? Šta svako od nas može da preduzme da poboljša svoj položaj na tržištu? Kakvu pravnu zaštitu regulatorni okvir u Srbiji pruža potrošačima? Koje izmene Srbija treba da usvoji na putu ka Evropskoj uniji? Koja potrošačka prava se najčešće krše?

O svemu ovome slušajte u novoj epizodi našeg podkasta posvećenoj pravima potrošača u kojem razgovaramo sa Jovanom Ristićem, pravnikom u Udruženju potrošača i bankarskih korisnika Efektiva.

Podkast epizoda je objavljena u okviru projekta Unapređenje položaja potrošača kroz jačanje politike konkurencije, koji sprovodi Centar za evropske politike u okviru projekta EU Resurs Centar za civilno društvo u Srbiji koji realizuje Beogradska otvorena škola, a podržava Evropska unija. Stavovi izneti u podkastu ne odražavaju nužno stavove Evropske unije.

In the new episode of the #REACHingCitizens podcast, we talk with Andro Demiri, a law student and young activist from Rijeka, who took part in a local consultation in Rijeka and a national consultation in Zagreb as part of the REACH project.

Andro shares what motivated him to participate, how he experienced the discussions on the rule of law, the environment, and the European Union, and how he views the potential of mandatory voting as a way to increase citizens' political participation.

He places special emphasis on the role of young people in democratic processes, the importance of civic education and engagement, and the challenges youth face today – from apathy to a lack of opportunities – while also highlighting Rijeka as a community that offers many opportunities for young people.

Through his own experience in the European Youth Parliament of Croatia and his collaboration with numerous organizations, Andro shares insights into how participation can become a part of everyday community life.

In this episode of our #REACHingCitizens podcast we are talking to Vladimir Krasenov, a legal advisor in a local law firm in Bulgaria. Through our talk, we explore the effects of AI on the current political situation, as well as discussing what the future of law in the European Union.

In this episode, we dive back into the local consultation of the Reinventing Engagement through Citizens’ Consultations (REACH) project, held in Dijon on January 25th. Our conversation brings together two participants of this consulation, Gaëlle Boucher, a teacher in Dijon, and Roman Sobine, a student at the Dijon campus of SciencesPo, with whom we reflected on the consultation, on the recommendations that emerged from the discussions, and on the vision French people have on the environment, the rule of law, and the enlargement of the EU. This initiative, led by CEP, aims at strengthening the voice of citizens in the European decision-making process, both within the EU and in candidate countries.

In this episode, we dive back into the local consultation of the Reinventing Engagement through Citizens’ Consultations (REACH) project, held in Paris on March 3rd. Our conversation brings together two insightful participants, Anne-Sophie de Quercize, a former teacher specialising in the history of religions and Jules Paindessous, a young project engineer, with whom we reflected on the consultation: how it unfolded, the key themes discussed—environment, the rule of law, and EU enlargement—and the recommendations formulated by citizens. This initiative, led by CEP, aims at strengthening the voice of citizens in the European decision-making process, both within the EU and in candidate countries.

In this episode, we dive back into the local consultation of the Reinventing Engagement through Citizens’ Consultations (REACH) project, held in Dijon on January 25th. Our conversation brings together two participants of this consulation, Gaëlle Boucher, a teacher in Dijon, and Roman Sobine, a student at the Dijon campus of SciencesPo, with whom we reflected on the consultation, on the recommendations that emerged from the discussions, and on the vision French people have on the environment, the rule of law, and the enlargement of the EU. This initiative, led by CEP, aims at strengthening the voice of citizens in the European decision-making process, both within the EU and in candidate countries.

Welcome to our podcast series, REACHing Citizens, part of the “Reshaping Engagement through Affirmative Citizen Consultations (REACH)” project. Launched in 2024 and funded by the European Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), the REACH project brings together organisations from across Europe, including Serbia, Belgium, Kosovo, BiH, Bulgaria, France, Croatia, and Greece.

In this episode, we welcome Vladimir Krasenov, a young Bulgarian legal advisor with a strong interest in the European Union (EU) and its legal system. Vladimir became involved with the REACH project after attending a local citizen consultation in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in November 2024. He also contributed an article to the Mladirini youth portal titled “The rule of law and the U.S. elections: The influence of perspectives as a premise of people’s decisions.”

In the podcast, Vladimir explores recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and their implications for the rule of law in the EU, with a focus on Bulgaria. He discusses core legal principles such as respect for human rights, regulatory enforcement, transparency, and fairness in the application of law.

Vladimir begins by examining how AI is transforming society, particularly in education and business. While these changes offer significant benefits, they also pose major risks. In the legal field, AI enhances efficiency—streamlining legal research, improving contract analysis, detecting infringements, and reducing fraud. Yet serious concerns remain, especially around lack of transparency, difficulty verifying algorithmic impartiality, and risks of bias in automated decision-making.

The conversation then shifts to the role of the EU and other global players in shaping and regulating AI. Vladimir highlights the significance of the AI Act, approved by the European Parliament in 2024. This legislation marks a major step in safeguarding citizens from AI-related risks. It categorises AI systems by risk level, with those posing an “unacceptable risk” (i.e. violating fundamental rights) subject to strict limitations. The Act also addresses privacy protection and copyright concerns.

However, Vladimir notes the challenges the EU faces in competing with global tech powers like the US and China. While the US dominates with firms like OpenAI and Google, China invests heavily in AI giants such as DeepSeek. These countries are in a race to advance AI capabilities, often pushing the boundaries of regulation. The US lacks comprehensive ethical guidelines, while China’s approach raises serious privacy issues, particularly through biometric surveillance technologies used for state control. These tools collect and analyse facial data on a massive scale, yet the storage, use, and oversight of this data remain opaque.

Vladimir warns that adopting such technologies in Europe could severely undermine privacy rights, especially for vulnerable populations such as refugees and asylum seekers. Without robust legal safeguards, AI could threaten the foundational values of the EU.

To realise AI’s potential while mitigating its risks, Vladimir stresses the importance of public awareness and engagement. European citizens and policymakers must stay informed and actively participate in discussions on AI. Ethical, transparent, and rights-respecting AI development is crucial. According to Vladimir, the guiding principles must be transparency, fairness, and accountability.