Nikolaos Tzifakis and Anastasios Valvis

Nikolaos Tzifakis and Anastasios Valvis

Nikolaos Tzifakis is Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science & International Relations of the University of the Peloponnese; member of BiEPAG; and Research Associate of the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies. He recently co-edited (with F. Bieber) the book The Western Balkans in the World: Linkages and Relations with Non-Western Countries (Routledge, 2020). Dr. Anastasios Valvis has been adjunct lecturer at the Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of the Peloponnese (2016-2020). Over the last years, he has participated in various research projects with a focus on the Greek NGO ecosystem, the refugee crisis and on Greek Foreign Policy in the Balkans (Southeast Europe Programme, ELIAMEP).

The social impact of air pollution in the Western Balkans

Policy Recommendations

The Western Balkans should:

  • Ensure that as long as polluting sites remain operational, they will comply with EU environmental standards, decreasing their emissions.
  • Adopt and operationalise with wide national consensus realistic and comprehensive decarbonisation strategies.
  • Implement vigorously the regional energy connectivity agenda and pursue the establishment of transborder renewable resources energy networks.
  • Launch campaigns to inform people about the need to reduce household energy consumption.

Τhe Rule of Law and Foreign Direct Investment in the Western Balkans: The Greek Experience

Policy Recommendations

  1. Western Balkan states should reinforce the regulatory and institutional framework and empower independent authorities so as to mitigate political bargaining and interventions.
  2. Western Balkan states should establish appropriate environmental standards for business activity in line with the EU’s acquis communautaire in order to attract ‘green’ Foreign Direct Investments.
  3. The EU should focus on the genuine compliance of Western Balkan states with EU standards and on the comprehensive application of adopted legislation.