Acceding to the European Union: new members and candidates

After Budapest (2001), Bamberg (2002) and Tirana (2003) it was Sarajevo where the European Doctoral Seminar was organized in 2004. As guests of this very nice town still signed by the effects of the civil war the participants of the meeting could observe the arduous efforts to re-construct the region, to stimulate economic activities and - last, but not least - to stabilize social development. Economics understood as theoretical approach to social problems as well as a formulation of practical codes of social actors‘ behavior are therefore of cardinal importance for solving the problems in BiH. But, however, the formulation and analysis of theoretical models, the application of quantitative methods used already for a long time in developed economies should be considered as only one field of economics. In addition to this, the concrete circumstance in national economies and also in the globalizing world have to be described, to be analyzed and to be taken into account during the long and some times contradictory process of decision making. It was satisfactory to experience that even the meeting in Sarajevo was characterized by a shift of the investigated problems from adapting, formal and complex models to a deep analysis of existing institutional conditions. This is obviously a qualitatively new and higher level of the participants‘ research activities: in the last years they get necessary qualifications in theory and have been turned now to essentially important problems of real economic and social life. The atmosphere of the sessions with presentations and discussions was highly stimulating, programs organized in the frame of the meeting were very imposing and all participants will have pleasant memories of the fourth EDS in Sarajevo. For the excellent preparation of the conference we would like to express our thanks to the local organizers, Prof. Sead Kreso and Dienan Ðonlagić. Technical support of this issue has been given by Monika Ács and Holger Kächelein. Financial support of the German Stability Pact Funds and the Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst (DAAD) is kindly acknowledged.