Publications

Within its regional project Conflict prevention and integration politics — Promoting multiethnic coexistence, Friedrich Ebert Foundation began, in 2000, collecting material in order to edit a hand-book in the German language "Verdammt zur Marginalitat? Die Roma in Rumanien" ("Doomed to marginalization? The Roma in Romania"). This handbook came out of print in April 2001. By consent with the regional offices of FES in South-Eastern Europe, in spring 2001 a catalogue of questions was drafted. It was distributed to the offices and, after several reviews, on the basis of 8 questions, the present handbook was prepared, ready for print in English and German in summer 2002.

The publication on National Minorities in South-East Europe. Legal and Social Status at Local Level is the result of a workshop in Belgrade/Yugoslavia in May 2002, organised by the Zagreb office of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) in the frame of the regional project of FES "Local Self-Government and Decentralization in South-East Europe". In the context of the Stability Pact for South-East Europe and in co-operation with national institutions the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung has initiated a regional project to analyze the situation and the reforms of self-government and decentralization in the countries of the region, covering Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Romania, and Hungary.

The International Conference "European Standards and Ombudsman Institutions in Southeast Europe" organized jointly by the Center for the Study of Democracy and Friedrich Ebert Foundation was aimed to present and facilitate the process of introducing and strengthening Ombudsman institutions in Southeast Europe as well as to establish a network between them to exchange information and experience.

The Zagreb office of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) continued its activities in the frame of the regional project of FES "Local Self-Government and Decentralization in South-East Europe" with another workshop in Sarajevo/Bosnia and Herzegovina in October 2002. The topic of this expert workshop dealt with the structure and interrelation between executive and legislature at local level in countries of South-East Europe. The results are presented in this publication. The relation between legislature and executive had been proposed by the expert group as one of the important issues at local level to be discussed in the regional context.

The Zagreb office of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) continued its activities in the frame of the regional project of FES "Local Self-Government and Decentralization in South-East Europe" with another workshop in Sarajevo/Bosnia and Herzegovina in October 2002. The topic of this expert workshop dealt with the structure and interrelation between executive and legislature at local level in countries of South-East Europe. The results are presented in this publication. The relation between legislature and executive had been proposed by the expert group as one of the important issues at local level to be discussed in the regional context.

The countries of the South-Eastern-Europe are facing the enormous challenge of transforming their economies and political systems while at the same time preparing for the integration into the European Union. Furthermore, tensions and conflicts of different origin and dimension have created additional burdens for some of the transforming economies and young democracies, and for the cooperation between the countries in the region.

The publication on Decentralisation of Government is the result of a workshop in Ljubljana/Slovenia in March 2002, organised by the Zagreb office of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) and the Urban Planning Institute in Ljubljana in the frame of the regional project of FES "Local Self-Government and Decentralisation in South-East Europe".