Fernand Braudel Fellow Dr Milan Igrutinović will present his work on the interplay between the former Yugoslavia and the EEC in the 1980s, while EUI PhD candidate Jonah J Berger will discuss his research on the creation of the European Commission's diplomatic corps.
In this Alcide De Gasperi Centre research seminar, visiting Fernand Braudel Fellow Dr Milan Igrutinovic and EUI PhD researcher Jonah J Berger will present their work in progress. Dr Anna Calori, Lecturer in Contemporary Economic History at the University of Glasgow, will discuss.
A Bumpy Road with a Yu-Turn: Yugoslavia and the EEC in the 1980s
Dr Milan Igrutinovic, Fernand Braudel Fellow, EUI History Department, and Research Associate, Institute of European Studies, Belgrade.
The collapse of SFR Yugoslavia in the early 1990s has eclipsed many aspects of its internal and external relations prior to the collapse. The research into the decade is mostly done as introduction to the collapse, rather than as standalone topic or issue. Based mostly on current research at the HAEU and previous research in two relevant archives in Belgrade, we will investigate the relations between Yugoslavia and the EEC from the sui generis trade agreement in April 1980 until the early 1991. These relations were rooted in economic sphere due to the nature of the EEC competencies, but the political aspect was ever important and especially so with the advent of the issues of human rights, the rise of the EEC as a political community, and the demise of European communism. Perennially poor performance of Yugoslav economy coupled with diminishing returns of the non-aligned foreign policy and rising internal crisis, led to the gradual turn towards the EEC in 1988-1991. This Yu-turn was lacklustre amid fast-changing Eastern Europe. It was met with both support and scepticism of the EEC until the final moments of summer 1991. The story reveals a highly complex interplay of economy and foreign policy that runs through both ideological divisions and political pragmatism.
The Unified External Service Reform: creating the European Commission's diplomatic corps
Jonah J Berger, PhD Candidate in the EUI History Department
Until 1992, European Communities Delegations abroad were seen as technical expertise bodies focused on trade and development, with no political role. However, by the end of the decade, Delegations and their staff had gained significant influence, exerting authority even over Ambassadors from Member States. This shift stems in large part from the 1992–1993 creation of the Unified External Service (SEU), an internal administrative reform aimed at consolidating the European Commission’s Delegation personnel spread across different departments. The newly created Directorate-General for External Political Relations took control of Delegations, transforming their staff from technical experts into professional diplomats. This presentation will discuss the effects of the SEU reform, and the extent to which it reveals a politicisation of the Commission’s external actions.
The Alcide De Gasperi Centre supports researchers working in areas related to the history of European integration and cooperation. It coordinates networks of historians, facilitates the use of primary sources and increases public interest in the history of European integration.
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