/ Contributing to Modern Partnerships: Assessments of Sino-EU-Serbian Relations – COMPASS /
Project PI:
Dr. Ivona Lađevac
Research fellow
Project SROs:
Institute of International Politics and Economics
Institute of Social Sciences
Implementation Period:
December 1, 2023 – November 30, 2025
Project is supported by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia,
Grant No: 7294
/ Project Scope and Aims /
The main objective of the Contributing to Modern Partnerships: Assessments of Sino-EU-Serbian Relations (COMPASS) project is to assess the main risks in relations between Serbia and two of its key international partners, the European Union and China, in three areas: politics, security, and economics.
The area of politics encompasses the repercussions and influences of contingencies such as bilateral and multilateral agreements, official meetings, visits by political dignitaries, joint statements, and declarations. Additionally, it includes the practical effects and consequences of these actions and official documents affecting relations between entities, such as legislative acts and governmental decrees.
In the area of security, the focus is placed on the interactions involving military officials, the engagement of Serbian Armed Forces in EU-led civil and military missions, arms trades, joint military exercises, shifts in armed forces posture, military cooperation agreements, and the ramifications of legislation related to security and defense.
The economic area revolves around the various dimensions of economic collaboration between Serbia and both the EU and China. This includes grants, loans, bilateral trade agreements, foreign direct investments, collaborative infrastructural projects, and the exploration of the economic effects arising from the cooperation with these two actors on Serbia’s economy.
Taken together, the three areas offer a comprehensive overview of the risks Serbia’s navigation of its strategic partnerships with the EU and China entails.
/ Project Outputs /
Project’s activities revolve around six distinctive areas:
/ 01 /
Data Collection and Analysis
The project conducts an extensive literature review and content analysis of Serbia’s relations with the EU and China in politics, security, and economics since 2013. Identified contingencies are categorized into one of these three research areas and further into sub-categories.
/ 02 /
Risk Assessment Matrix
Each contingency undergoes evaluation using a risk assessment matrix, which considers the likelihood and consequences of the risk. This systematic approach categorizes contingencies within the COMPASS risk framework.
/ 03 /
Enhanced Methodologies
The project employs the Delphi technique to gather expert opinions and two public opinion surveys to complement the risk assessment process. These methodologies help in mapping key areas of risk assessment and incorporating public perceptions.
/ 04 /
COMPASS Platform
The project utilizes the COMPASS platform as a central hub for storing and accessing comprehensive analysis and results. The platform allows for easy search and filter options to access classified contingencies.
/ 05 /
COMPASS Yearbook
The outcomes of the project’s research are showcased in the COMPASS Yearbook, providing a comprehensive overview of developments influencing risks in Serbian relations with the EU and China. This publication persists beyond the project’s completion, encapsulating research findings from subsequent years.
/ 06 /
Policy Recommendations
The outcomes of the project’s research are showcased in the COMPASS Yearbook, providing a comprehensive overview of developments influencing risks in Serbian relations with the EU and China. This publication persists beyond the project’s completion, encapsulating research findings from subsequent years.