FUTURE IS COMING: THE UPCOMING DECADES

Lopandić dr Duško (Dr Duško Lopandić, Ministarstvo spoljnih poslova Republike Srbije),

The upcoming decades intend to change the world in terms of communication, transport, energy, demographic structure, migration, regional relations, etc. The European Union will be faced with many challenges in upcoming decades- primarily with the reduction of the number of young people and fast growth of the elderly population. That can result in a reduction in the rate of social growth from 2025. Possible solutions and prevention of future problems are the subjects of EU \"Lisbon Strategy\", the \"Europe 2020\" and the study “Europe 2050”. Future EU challenges might have a major impact on the countries of the Western Balkans. The program “South East Europe 2020- Employment and prosperity in European perspective” (based on the Strategy “Europe 2020”) aims to prevent possible negative trends which can affect SEE region and complicate its path towards the EU membership.

Keywords: European Union, Southeast Europe, “Europe 2020”, the Lisbon Strategy, “Europe 2050”