Programme activities

Workshops

   The first Phase of the project provided for the organization of five (5) Workshops, each of which had duration of two weeks and was structured in 10 sessions. During the second Phase four (4) one-week-Workshops consisting of 5 sessions each were organised. Each session focused on a specific topic, on which presentations from all participating countries were heard. A Greek expert undertook the introductory presentation, as well as the coordination of the discussion that followed. During the Workshop visits to institutions relevant to the topics discussed were organized by the CECL. The participants received a certificate of participation in the Workshop.

Reports

After the conclusion of each Workshop, each national team undertakes to draft a comprehensive report on their country's experience in the issues discussed. Each report must have a minimum length of 25 pages and must be written in the English language. In order to assist the participants in drafting the report, a questionnaire is distributed to them during the Workshop. The national report must be forwarded to the CECL within one month from the conclusion of the Workshop. The reports are reviewed by an evaluation committee in Athens, which may request corrections or additions. The Greek experts undertake subsequently, on the basis of the national reports, to draft a comparative report, in which the institutional reforms in the recipient countries are evaluated as a whole. The national reports, as well as the comparative evaluation report are then introduced in the project's data bank.

Databank

During the first Phase of the project the CECL has created a special website on the Internet and a databank, aiming at comparatively evaluating the on going reforms and the overall situation in the fields under study. It constitutes an "observatory" of the institutional developments in the countries of South Eastern Europe and a means of communication and exchange of ideas, scientific information and useful material. In the second Phase the databank will be enriched with legal material on additional areas and topics. Every national team undertakes to provide previously agreed upon information (e.g. on legislation, jurisprudence, administrative bodies, NGOs, bibliography) and the Workshop reports. For this purpose, the CECL has nominated resident associates in each participating country and supplied them with the necessary computer infrastructure.