Kateřina Kočí | University of Economics Prague (original) (raw)
Papers by Kateřina Kočí
article, 2024
Holding the presidency in the Council of the EU can be a powerful tool of influence for a member ... more Holding the presidency in the Council of the EU can be a powerful tool of influence for a member state. Despite its centrality in EU decision-making, there is a gap in a systematic analysis of the performance of the presiding country, especially considering the external (input) factors that impact the successful implementation of the EU presidency. This article attempts to understand how the EU presidency can be conceptualized and what factors can influence its success. The analysis dwells on findings from current scholarly research as well as on data from four selected EU presidencies (Austrian, Finnish, Slovakian and Czech). It argues that the success of a presidency may be interpreted as apparent, but in reality, its extent and nature vary. It (the presidency) is a result of various factors that directly become part of the preparations and affect the execution of the presidency's activities.
Politics and Governance, Dec 21, 2023
Journal of Contemporary European Studies, Jan 5, 2023
Politics in Central Europe
The article examines the case study (CS) method of teaching the studies focusing on the European ... more The article examines the case study (CS) method of teaching the studies focusing on the European Union (i.e. EU studies) through the lenses of the current debates on the EU’s future which stress the growing cleavage and diversity inside and outside the EU. It is then difficult to present these topics to university students via traditional means, or via existing CS on international relations or EU affairs which are often of Western origin, and thus not always easily transferred to other environments. Its aim is to explore how the CS may be enriched by bringing local narratives. The article investigates the Czech Republic, a relatively newer member of the Union, where the EU studies has suffered from declining interest from students over the last few years. Particularly by employing questionnaires and semi ‑structured interviews with Czech university teachers, we examine the type of CS, the extent to which they are and may be applied as a learning method and what their benefits are to...
Journal of Contemporary European Studies
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jan 31, 2022
The last decade has seen a significant increase in the study of mechanisms of informal differenti... more The last decade has seen a significant increase in the study of mechanisms of informal differentiation, such as lead groups, for conducting EU foreign and security policies. This policy brief examines these groupings from the perspective of small member states based on data collected from 20 interviews with Czech stakeholders. While informal differentiated integration can contribute to advancing EU foreign policy objectives, it should not become the default go-to approach that avoids the potentially lengthy formulation of a common EU position. The consent, at least tacit, of the non-participating member states should be understood as a necessary condition for the emergence and legitimacy of informal differentiation. The involvement of the EU-level policy actors, or at least of an intensive information flow, should be ensured to strengthen accountability. 9 EU IDEA Policy Briefs No. 5
The Hague Journal of Diplomacy
Summary Although Czech women are solidly represented in the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on... more Summary Although Czech women are solidly represented in the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, only a fraction of this 14 per cent make it to the highest positions. This underrepresentation is in stark contrast with Nordic countries, where women make up almost half of the top diplomats. Based on semi-structured interviews with top diplomats conducted in the period 2018-2021, this study aims to identify how Czech female diplomats assess their own gender and professional identity, and to what extent they apply these identities strategically in order to advance their careers. The research enriches concepts on femininities by adding a type of ‘principled feminist’ and further develops career strategies in a specific historical and cultural context. The analysis shows that conservative personal gender ideologies of top Czech female diplomats and their related career strategies present one of the major obstacles to the increased representation of women in top diplomatic positions.
Politics & Gender
While female representation in the top diplomatic circles was almost nonexistent during the Czech... more While female representation in the top diplomatic circles was almost nonexistent during the Czechoslovak era, the number of female diplomats in the Czech Republic has steadily increased since the fall of the state-socialist regime. Women are currently solidly represented in the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), but very few (14%) reach highest diplomatic positions. This study examines the main challenges that influence the careers of top diplomats using quantitative and qualitative data, including official statistics and documents of the Czech MFA and interviews with top diplomats and officials. The results indicate that work-family conflicts are the main challenge for all diplomats. However, women are apparently affected more disproportionately because of the existing “double burden” and a specific “concept of motherhood” vested in a deeply essentialist understanding of gender roles. These barriers have origins at the personal, institutional, and state levels that are strong...
The paper introduces teaching methods which are used for the course entitled Globalization in Int... more The paper introduces teaching methods which are used for the course entitled Globalization in International Relations (IR). The level of the course is designed for master degree students of Diplomacy and International relations at the University of Economics in Prague. The paper aims to be a stimulus to further debate and provide some background information about global education and learning especially to teachers. It should be seen as an overview of activities that were introduced to students during lectures and seminars of the course Globalization in IR. It also serves as a background discussion piece that may help grasp the topic of globalization and its numerous forms and introduce themes like global problems, poverty, culture globalization or international security to students within the classroom. Therefore, the main goal of this paper is to develop themes and incorporate new activities within globalization sessions, to show examples of how to engage students in discussions (...
The EU as a Political Actor, 2013
The EU as a Political Actor, 2013
ACTA POLITOLOGICA, 2021
The article analyses the Czech Republic‘s ability to promote its interests in international organ... more The article analyses the Czech Republic‘s ability to promote its interests in international organizations (IOs) through its citizens‘ personnel representation. It defines two levels of such ability. First, the selection and preparation, coordination, and use of a state‘s human capital in the IOs. Second, agenda-setting, the presence of a „national perspective“ in the IOs, and the adoption of common objectives of the IOs. The analysis is primarily based on the 46 semi-structured interviews with Czech citizens, current and past employees in selected IOs (European Defence Agency, OSCE, NATO, Council of Europe, International Organization for Migration, OECD) conducted between the years of 2018 and 2019. The Czech case analysis identified several shortcomings in the setting, coordination, and the use of the personnel policy. It confirmed the role of the personnel policy on the state‘s ability to promote its interests in the IOs and showed that success in promoting the interests of the state does not depend so much on the „volume,“ but instead on the „quality“ of personnel representation, and the ability of the state personnel policy to use its citizens in the IOs to achieve its goals.
Studia Politologiczne, 2020
At a general level, the article focuses on the relation between states and international organiza... more At a general level, the article focuses on the relation between states and international organizations. In current era, states and international organizations coexist in international system. Their relation has been researched many times, but the question which is still rather unanswered relates to the management of membership of states in international organizations. The states nowadays participate in hundreds of different organizations. The tricky part that remains to be examined more in details is how to analyse the effectiveness of the engagement of a country in a concrete international organization. The article investigates further the case of the Czech Republic and it analyses its performance and relevance in the European Defence Agency (EDA) applying the research design which was proposed in 20122. The team of researchers proposed four criteria: objective pursued, personal representation, cost/performance ratio and activities implemented. The analysis is based on the examinat...
Studia Politologiczne, 2020
The original purpose of the Visegrad Group (VG or V4 – which includes Hungary, Poland, the Czech ... more The original purpose of the Visegrad Group (VG or V4 – which includes Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) was primarily to support its member states’ accession to the EU and NATO, which it successfully achieved. However, the views on the current cooperation of four Central European countries differ. Some researchers believe that the V4 has transformed since 2004 into a viable project which has become even an inspirational model of cooperation for other regional groupings. According to them, and contrary to doubts about the continuation of the V4 project, membership of the EU has given the V4 a new impulse, and its agenda has been expanded into new areas of cooperation which included EU affairs. Therefore, the V4 operates now as a distinct regional grouping within the EU (i.e. positive input regarding their commitment in several Council presidencies). Others, however, suggest that V4 cooperation seems to be labelled as a defensive project, a coalition within the EU, whi...
The decreasing importance of the state has evoked a debate about the role of the EU taking part i... more The decreasing importance of the state has evoked a debate about the role of the EU taking part in negotiation at the international level, even in discussions related to sensitive topics such as space policy. The paper thus assesses the ability of the EU to be an actor, especially taking into consideration its civilian and normative power. In order to investigate the EU and its ability to act on the international arena, as well as the way the EU behaves during these negotiations, the paper will explore several techniques of persuasive strategies and the concept of the epistemic community to explain the dynamics of political negotiations related to space policy. The EU's space policy initiatives include support for the long-term sustainability of outer space activities introduced in the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and promotion of the International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities by the EU's and ESA's representatives.
At a general level, the article focuses on the relation between states and international organiza... more At a general level, the article focuses on the relation between states and international organizations. In current era, states and international organizations coexist in international system. Their relation has been researched many times, but the question which is still rather unanswered relates to the management of membership of states in international organizations. The states nowadays participate in hundreds of different organizations. The tricky part that remains to be examined more in details is how to analyse the effectiveness of the engagement of a country in a concrete international organization. The article investigates further the case of the Czech Republic and it analyses its performance and relevance in the European Defence Agency (EDA) applying the research design which was proposed in 20122. The team of researchers proposed four criteria: objective pursued, personal representation, cost/performance ratio and activities implemented. The analysis is based on the examinat...
Politics in Central Europe
The article focuses on the role of equal opportunities and gender in the sports environment, exam... more The article focuses on the role of equal opportunities and gender in the sports environment, examining their impacts on the creation and functioning of sports diplomacy. Subsequently, in the form of a case study it first concentrates on the Czech sports environment and women’s representation in international and national sports federations. In the final part, it examines the basketball environment and analyses its individual structures. Women are not sufficiently represented as coaches, referees or officials. Several main challenges are mentioned: the perception of sport as a predominantly male phenomenon, the overall society setting fixed on traditional perceptions of the role of women and men in the Czech Republic, a small number of suitable female sports models, the time-consuming character of the activities, gender stereotypes at work, the absence of suitable conditions for reconciling family and work life and the low self-confidence of female candidates. The article concludes t...
The original purpose of the Visegrad Group (VG or V4 – which includes Hungary, Poland, the Czech ... more The original purpose of the Visegrad Group (VG or V4 – which includes Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) was primarily to support its member states’ accession to the EU and NATO, which it successfully achieved. However, the views on the current cooperation of four Central European countries differ. Some researchers believe that the V4 has transformed since 2004 into a viable project which has become even an inspirational model of cooperation for other regional groupings. According to them, and contrary to doubts about the continuation of the V4 project, membership of the EU has given the V4 a new impulse, and its agenda has been expanded into new areas of cooperation which included EU affairs. Therefore, the V4 operates now as a distinct regional grouping within the EU (i.e. positive input regarding their commitment in several Council presidencies). Others, however, suggest that V4 cooperation seems to be labelled as a defensive project, a coalition within the EU, whi...
Acta Politologica, 2021
The article analyses the Czech Republic‘s ability to promote its interests in international organ... more The article analyses the Czech Republic‘s ability to promote its interests in international organizations (IOs) through its citizens‘ personnel representation. It defines two levels of such ability. First, the selection and preparation, coordination, and use of a state‘s human capital in the IOs. Second, agenda-setting, the presence of a „national perspective“ in the IOs, and the adoption of common objectives of the IOs. The analysis is primarily based on the 46 semi-structured interviews with Czech citizens, current and past employees in selected IOs (European Defence Agency, OSCE, NATO, Council of Europe, International Organization for Migration, OECD) conducted between the years of 2018 and 2019. The Czech case analysis identified several shortcomings in the setting, coordination, and the use of the personnel policy. It confirmed the role of the personnel policy on the state‘s ability to promote its interests in the IOs and showed that success in promoting the interests of the st...
Journal of International Relations and Development
This article builds on the criticism of the international socialisation narrative which mistakenl... more This article builds on the criticism of the international socialisation narrative which mistakenly represents compliance as socialisation and recognises agency only to the extent it fails to comply. It pertains to the argument that such a narrative can lead to stigmatisation which reinforces social orders characterised by specific hierarchies of power and spatial relations. The example of EU member states from Central Europe (CE) that went from 'star pupils of norm adoption' to 'misbehaving children of Europe' serves as a case study. The research of literature treating CE countries as socialisees and international organisations (OSCE, NATO and EU) as socialisers shows two things. Firstly, it demonstrates that CE countries internalised norms even before they complied with norm-based rules, which challenges views that (under) socialisation was (is) an issue with these states. Secondly, it shows that non-compliance of the CE countries did not have much to do with non-acceptance of norms as such. It was rather related to hypersensitivity towards specific norms and rules in a context of multiple crises with asymmetric effects for the CE countries. In this process, the EU and CE used (non)compliance to reinforce their identities, thus creating stigma (the EU) and the attempt to resist it or even wear it as the source of pride (CE).
article, 2024
Holding the presidency in the Council of the EU can be a powerful tool of influence for a member ... more Holding the presidency in the Council of the EU can be a powerful tool of influence for a member state. Despite its centrality in EU decision-making, there is a gap in a systematic analysis of the performance of the presiding country, especially considering the external (input) factors that impact the successful implementation of the EU presidency. This article attempts to understand how the EU presidency can be conceptualized and what factors can influence its success. The analysis dwells on findings from current scholarly research as well as on data from four selected EU presidencies (Austrian, Finnish, Slovakian and Czech). It argues that the success of a presidency may be interpreted as apparent, but in reality, its extent and nature vary. It (the presidency) is a result of various factors that directly become part of the preparations and affect the execution of the presidency's activities.
Politics and Governance, Dec 21, 2023
Journal of Contemporary European Studies, Jan 5, 2023
Politics in Central Europe
The article examines the case study (CS) method of teaching the studies focusing on the European ... more The article examines the case study (CS) method of teaching the studies focusing on the European Union (i.e. EU studies) through the lenses of the current debates on the EU’s future which stress the growing cleavage and diversity inside and outside the EU. It is then difficult to present these topics to university students via traditional means, or via existing CS on international relations or EU affairs which are often of Western origin, and thus not always easily transferred to other environments. Its aim is to explore how the CS may be enriched by bringing local narratives. The article investigates the Czech Republic, a relatively newer member of the Union, where the EU studies has suffered from declining interest from students over the last few years. Particularly by employing questionnaires and semi ‑structured interviews with Czech university teachers, we examine the type of CS, the extent to which they are and may be applied as a learning method and what their benefits are to...
Journal of Contemporary European Studies
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jan 31, 2022
The last decade has seen a significant increase in the study of mechanisms of informal differenti... more The last decade has seen a significant increase in the study of mechanisms of informal differentiation, such as lead groups, for conducting EU foreign and security policies. This policy brief examines these groupings from the perspective of small member states based on data collected from 20 interviews with Czech stakeholders. While informal differentiated integration can contribute to advancing EU foreign policy objectives, it should not become the default go-to approach that avoids the potentially lengthy formulation of a common EU position. The consent, at least tacit, of the non-participating member states should be understood as a necessary condition for the emergence and legitimacy of informal differentiation. The involvement of the EU-level policy actors, or at least of an intensive information flow, should be ensured to strengthen accountability. 9 EU IDEA Policy Briefs No. 5
The Hague Journal of Diplomacy
Summary Although Czech women are solidly represented in the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on... more Summary Although Czech women are solidly represented in the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, only a fraction of this 14 per cent make it to the highest positions. This underrepresentation is in stark contrast with Nordic countries, where women make up almost half of the top diplomats. Based on semi-structured interviews with top diplomats conducted in the period 2018-2021, this study aims to identify how Czech female diplomats assess their own gender and professional identity, and to what extent they apply these identities strategically in order to advance their careers. The research enriches concepts on femininities by adding a type of ‘principled feminist’ and further develops career strategies in a specific historical and cultural context. The analysis shows that conservative personal gender ideologies of top Czech female diplomats and their related career strategies present one of the major obstacles to the increased representation of women in top diplomatic positions.
Politics & Gender
While female representation in the top diplomatic circles was almost nonexistent during the Czech... more While female representation in the top diplomatic circles was almost nonexistent during the Czechoslovak era, the number of female diplomats in the Czech Republic has steadily increased since the fall of the state-socialist regime. Women are currently solidly represented in the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), but very few (14%) reach highest diplomatic positions. This study examines the main challenges that influence the careers of top diplomats using quantitative and qualitative data, including official statistics and documents of the Czech MFA and interviews with top diplomats and officials. The results indicate that work-family conflicts are the main challenge for all diplomats. However, women are apparently affected more disproportionately because of the existing “double burden” and a specific “concept of motherhood” vested in a deeply essentialist understanding of gender roles. These barriers have origins at the personal, institutional, and state levels that are strong...
The paper introduces teaching methods which are used for the course entitled Globalization in Int... more The paper introduces teaching methods which are used for the course entitled Globalization in International Relations (IR). The level of the course is designed for master degree students of Diplomacy and International relations at the University of Economics in Prague. The paper aims to be a stimulus to further debate and provide some background information about global education and learning especially to teachers. It should be seen as an overview of activities that were introduced to students during lectures and seminars of the course Globalization in IR. It also serves as a background discussion piece that may help grasp the topic of globalization and its numerous forms and introduce themes like global problems, poverty, culture globalization or international security to students within the classroom. Therefore, the main goal of this paper is to develop themes and incorporate new activities within globalization sessions, to show examples of how to engage students in discussions (...
The EU as a Political Actor, 2013
The EU as a Political Actor, 2013
ACTA POLITOLOGICA, 2021
The article analyses the Czech Republic‘s ability to promote its interests in international organ... more The article analyses the Czech Republic‘s ability to promote its interests in international organizations (IOs) through its citizens‘ personnel representation. It defines two levels of such ability. First, the selection and preparation, coordination, and use of a state‘s human capital in the IOs. Second, agenda-setting, the presence of a „national perspective“ in the IOs, and the adoption of common objectives of the IOs. The analysis is primarily based on the 46 semi-structured interviews with Czech citizens, current and past employees in selected IOs (European Defence Agency, OSCE, NATO, Council of Europe, International Organization for Migration, OECD) conducted between the years of 2018 and 2019. The Czech case analysis identified several shortcomings in the setting, coordination, and the use of the personnel policy. It confirmed the role of the personnel policy on the state‘s ability to promote its interests in the IOs and showed that success in promoting the interests of the state does not depend so much on the „volume,“ but instead on the „quality“ of personnel representation, and the ability of the state personnel policy to use its citizens in the IOs to achieve its goals.
Studia Politologiczne, 2020
At a general level, the article focuses on the relation between states and international organiza... more At a general level, the article focuses on the relation between states and international organizations. In current era, states and international organizations coexist in international system. Their relation has been researched many times, but the question which is still rather unanswered relates to the management of membership of states in international organizations. The states nowadays participate in hundreds of different organizations. The tricky part that remains to be examined more in details is how to analyse the effectiveness of the engagement of a country in a concrete international organization. The article investigates further the case of the Czech Republic and it analyses its performance and relevance in the European Defence Agency (EDA) applying the research design which was proposed in 20122. The team of researchers proposed four criteria: objective pursued, personal representation, cost/performance ratio and activities implemented. The analysis is based on the examinat...
Studia Politologiczne, 2020
The original purpose of the Visegrad Group (VG or V4 – which includes Hungary, Poland, the Czech ... more The original purpose of the Visegrad Group (VG or V4 – which includes Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) was primarily to support its member states’ accession to the EU and NATO, which it successfully achieved. However, the views on the current cooperation of four Central European countries differ. Some researchers believe that the V4 has transformed since 2004 into a viable project which has become even an inspirational model of cooperation for other regional groupings. According to them, and contrary to doubts about the continuation of the V4 project, membership of the EU has given the V4 a new impulse, and its agenda has been expanded into new areas of cooperation which included EU affairs. Therefore, the V4 operates now as a distinct regional grouping within the EU (i.e. positive input regarding their commitment in several Council presidencies). Others, however, suggest that V4 cooperation seems to be labelled as a defensive project, a coalition within the EU, whi...
The decreasing importance of the state has evoked a debate about the role of the EU taking part i... more The decreasing importance of the state has evoked a debate about the role of the EU taking part in negotiation at the international level, even in discussions related to sensitive topics such as space policy. The paper thus assesses the ability of the EU to be an actor, especially taking into consideration its civilian and normative power. In order to investigate the EU and its ability to act on the international arena, as well as the way the EU behaves during these negotiations, the paper will explore several techniques of persuasive strategies and the concept of the epistemic community to explain the dynamics of political negotiations related to space policy. The EU's space policy initiatives include support for the long-term sustainability of outer space activities introduced in the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and promotion of the International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities by the EU's and ESA's representatives.
At a general level, the article focuses on the relation between states and international organiza... more At a general level, the article focuses on the relation between states and international organizations. In current era, states and international organizations coexist in international system. Their relation has been researched many times, but the question which is still rather unanswered relates to the management of membership of states in international organizations. The states nowadays participate in hundreds of different organizations. The tricky part that remains to be examined more in details is how to analyse the effectiveness of the engagement of a country in a concrete international organization. The article investigates further the case of the Czech Republic and it analyses its performance and relevance in the European Defence Agency (EDA) applying the research design which was proposed in 20122. The team of researchers proposed four criteria: objective pursued, personal representation, cost/performance ratio and activities implemented. The analysis is based on the examinat...
Politics in Central Europe
The article focuses on the role of equal opportunities and gender in the sports environment, exam... more The article focuses on the role of equal opportunities and gender in the sports environment, examining their impacts on the creation and functioning of sports diplomacy. Subsequently, in the form of a case study it first concentrates on the Czech sports environment and women’s representation in international and national sports federations. In the final part, it examines the basketball environment and analyses its individual structures. Women are not sufficiently represented as coaches, referees or officials. Several main challenges are mentioned: the perception of sport as a predominantly male phenomenon, the overall society setting fixed on traditional perceptions of the role of women and men in the Czech Republic, a small number of suitable female sports models, the time-consuming character of the activities, gender stereotypes at work, the absence of suitable conditions for reconciling family and work life and the low self-confidence of female candidates. The article concludes t...
The original purpose of the Visegrad Group (VG or V4 – which includes Hungary, Poland, the Czech ... more The original purpose of the Visegrad Group (VG or V4 – which includes Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) was primarily to support its member states’ accession to the EU and NATO, which it successfully achieved. However, the views on the current cooperation of four Central European countries differ. Some researchers believe that the V4 has transformed since 2004 into a viable project which has become even an inspirational model of cooperation for other regional groupings. According to them, and contrary to doubts about the continuation of the V4 project, membership of the EU has given the V4 a new impulse, and its agenda has been expanded into new areas of cooperation which included EU affairs. Therefore, the V4 operates now as a distinct regional grouping within the EU (i.e. positive input regarding their commitment in several Council presidencies). Others, however, suggest that V4 cooperation seems to be labelled as a defensive project, a coalition within the EU, whi...
Acta Politologica, 2021
The article analyses the Czech Republic‘s ability to promote its interests in international organ... more The article analyses the Czech Republic‘s ability to promote its interests in international organizations (IOs) through its citizens‘ personnel representation. It defines two levels of such ability. First, the selection and preparation, coordination, and use of a state‘s human capital in the IOs. Second, agenda-setting, the presence of a „national perspective“ in the IOs, and the adoption of common objectives of the IOs. The analysis is primarily based on the 46 semi-structured interviews with Czech citizens, current and past employees in selected IOs (European Defence Agency, OSCE, NATO, Council of Europe, International Organization for Migration, OECD) conducted between the years of 2018 and 2019. The Czech case analysis identified several shortcomings in the setting, coordination, and the use of the personnel policy. It confirmed the role of the personnel policy on the state‘s ability to promote its interests in the IOs and showed that success in promoting the interests of the st...
Journal of International Relations and Development
This article builds on the criticism of the international socialisation narrative which mistakenl... more This article builds on the criticism of the international socialisation narrative which mistakenly represents compliance as socialisation and recognises agency only to the extent it fails to comply. It pertains to the argument that such a narrative can lead to stigmatisation which reinforces social orders characterised by specific hierarchies of power and spatial relations. The example of EU member states from Central Europe (CE) that went from 'star pupils of norm adoption' to 'misbehaving children of Europe' serves as a case study. The research of literature treating CE countries as socialisees and international organisations (OSCE, NATO and EU) as socialisers shows two things. Firstly, it demonstrates that CE countries internalised norms even before they complied with norm-based rules, which challenges views that (under) socialisation was (is) an issue with these states. Secondly, it shows that non-compliance of the CE countries did not have much to do with non-acceptance of norms as such. It was rather related to hypersensitivity towards specific norms and rules in a context of multiple crises with asymmetric effects for the CE countries. In this process, the EU and CE used (non)compliance to reinforce their identities, thus creating stigma (the EU) and the attempt to resist it or even wear it as the source of pride (CE).