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Mediation, as an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) method, represents the fastest,themostaccessible,andthemostcost‐effectivewayofresolvingdisputes. IntheRepublicofMacedonia,mediationisregulatedbytheLawonMediation.It has been introduced in the Macedonian legal system as a counter‐measure to problemsidentifiedinthejudiciary,suchastheunreasonablelengthofproceedings andineffectiveness.Theauthorsofthischapterprovideananalysisoftheapplicable Europeanstandardsandprinciples,whichhaveanimpactonmediationregulation intheMacedonianlegalsystem.MediationlegislationfromItaly,France,Germany andtheUKisanalyzedinordertolearnfromtheirexperienceinthetranspositionof the EU cross‐border mediation directive. The scope and effectiveness of the MacedonianLawonMediationisfurtheranalyzed,aswellasthetranspositionof theEUcross‐bordermediationdirectiveintheMacedonianlegislation.Theresults ofthisresearchshowthatmediationisnotjustneededinMacedoniaforthesakeof tickingaboxintheareaoflegalapproximationwiththeEU;onthecontrary,ithas greatpotentialinenablingeffective,justandlessexpensivelong‐termsolutionsin legal traffic when certain conditions, such as mediation quality, legal certainty, publicconfidenceandunderstandingoftheprocessaremet.Recommendationsare provided regarding the enhancement of the legal infrastructure as well as the manner for the effective implementation of mediation. The need to raise the awarenessofcitizensandtheirunderstandingofmediationasthefirststageofthe dispute resolution procedure, should prevent the judicial settlement of disputes, thereby helping to save time and money. The methods used encompass legal analysis,comparativeanalysisanddeskresearch.Semi‐structuredinterviewswere conductedwithexpertsfromtheMinistryofJustice(MoJ),fromtheEuropeanPolicy Institute (EPI), from theMacedonian Center forMediation and from the Judicial Strengthening Project. Information has been collected and collated from the ChamberofMediators,MoJ,EPIandtheEUwebsite.&nbsp

The contemporary European Union is a decentralized community. The Union’s regional policy has a long tradition, which is shaped by common EU legislation. EU regional policy is primarily directed towards overcoming disparities in the economic development of various regions, which has a strong impact on the equalization of the whole EU. Funding for the development of various regions has been constantly increasing. In 2006‐2013, 347 billion Euros were allocated to the various regions. EU policy is very dynamic and it is being continuously upgraded.Since enlargement in 2004 and 2007, the transformation of regional policy has become unavoidable because the economic disparities have significantly deepened. Bigger disparities have caused the need for changes in EU regional policy legislation.Most recently, in December 2014, a package of new legislation was adopted, with which a new legal framework was established. It is aimed at providing for a more efficient and effective management of the ERDF, ESF and CH. The new legislation is faced with the numerous of challenges. The goal has been to produce a further simplification of procedures related to regional policy, to strengthen the links of all regional projects with energy efficiency and environmental matters and to enable a more comprehensive use of the economic potential of various regions. This will require stronger cooperation between the EU, the member states, and the regions. The main aim of this chapter is to analyze the new EU regional policy legislation and to highlight its future challenges and perspectives. The paper also includes a SWOT analysis of the potential for the implementation of the new legislation, so as to determine the obstacles and potential for the further strengthening of regional policy. This paper also aims at initializing a wider debate about the future perspectives of this legislation.&nbsp

The Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union, known also as the Fiscal Stability Treaty or EU Fiscal Pact, entered into force on 1 January 2013, following the successful ratification by twelve of the sixteen signatory states. The Treaty introduced new rules in the Euro Zone and into the EU as a whole. Establishing strict requirements for budget deficit, it calls for strong fiscal discipline and for real fiscal austerity in many EU member states. , which makes this Treaty one of the biggest challenges for the EU in its sixty-two years of history. From now on the budgets of the EU states will have to follow very specific fiscal objectives and criteria. The Treaty is a legally binding act that sets new pillars for building a new economic and political profile of the EU. Moreover, it will influence the countries, which have not signed the Treaty yet, such as the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic, as well as the candidate states. This paper tries to put more light on the prospects of the Fiscal Compact and the related measures and on their impact on the economic, legal and the political future of the Union. It focuses on the implementation challenges of the Treaty and the new measures that aim for stronger cohesion within the Euro zone and further afield.

What started as the fiscal challenge later exposed dormant structural problems within the European Union, at large. Among the other crucial areas the crisis impacted on was the coherence and content of the EU foreign policy, as well. Surprisingly, the most successful foreign policy project in EU history – EU enlargement has not been seriously harmed by the protracted political turmoil in Brussels. Common EU efforts to preserve the Euro have long overcome the parameters of the economy and have become a catalyst for transforming the overall patterns of the organization. The aim of this chapter is to analyze different options contemplated thus far for the reform of EU foreign policy and their direct dependence upon the changes eventually made on a broader political level. Western Balkan countries are not part of the current debate, but, they will be heavily affected by its outcome. Our basic assumption is that regardless of the transformations that may be made, EU enlargement policy towards the Western Balkans is going to stay. We would argue that this is because the region can be integrated without substantial EU resources being applied, and also because Western Balkan countries have weak capacities to fundamentally affect the pillars of the future Union once they are admitted in it.

Recent developments in the European Union in the field of economic policy show the need for redefinition of certain aspects of the common activities. The consequences of uncoordinated government spending and fiscal and monetary activities in the member states are evident. It led to large budget deficits in some member states which have caused a range of threats to their macroeconomic stability and to the overall macroeconomic stability of the entire Union. This requires urgent harmonization of the national economic policies if further endangering of the value of the common currency, the euro, is to be avoided. The European Council meeting, in December 2011 and in March 2011, recognized the deterioration of the economic and the financial situation in the EU and called for full implementation of the European Union’s New Economic Governance; aiming for further confidence in the European economy. The reforms of the EU institutions are expected to yield stronger competencies to influence the implementation of common policies and legislation. The main aim of this paper is to put in the limelight the needs for reforms of the EU institutions towards a higher coherence of the common policy, and to offer recommendations for further actions. The Republic of Macedonia, as a state with aspirations for full membership in the EU, has to continually and carefully follow the developments in the area of the prospective reforms of the EU, and whenever it is viable to meet the relevant national targets for the government spending, the public sector and the overall national debt. We surveyed the history of the EU, as well as other monetary unions such as that of the USA, and it seems that both suffer certain volatility. However, it also seems that more recent and/or less economically integrated monetary unions are more prone to it.

The EU aims to achieve a high level of consumer protection for its products and services. The sphere of consumer rights has an impact on the identity of internal market, which with almost 500 million consumers, is one of the largest in the world. The EU legislation sets up general safety regulation for services, foodstuff and non food products. The Treaty on the functioning of the European Union promotes a high level of consumer protection and underlines the importance of activities and measures in the field of consumer rights. According to the Treaty, consumer protection shall be taken into account in defining and implementing other EU policies and activities. This papers aim to elaborate on the situation in the sphere of consumer protection and to give some recommendations for further activities. Also, the paper aims to initiate a wide process of debate about the consumer policy and legislation. The importance of the subject justifies it. Beside high level of protection, the European Commission annually receives more than 1500 notifications of unsafe products. With the intention to create better protection, The Commission proposed a new Directive on consumer rights, that shall merge four existing directives. The Republic of Macedonia as a candidate state has been making efforts to improve its legislation and activities in the field of consumer protection. The last European Commission progress reports comments on the present situation in the field on consumer protection. In the future, Macedonia has to continue with the activities in the area of consumer protection. &nbsp