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Author: WeBalkans

Renovation of Borići migrant reception centre thanks to the EU

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On 21 July, the newly renovated Borići migrant reception centre in Bihac was inaugurated. The reconstruction of the façade cost more than BAM 200,000 and the entire reconstruction as well as the running costs for the temporary reception centre, totalling more than €1 million, were financed by the European Union.

 

The city of Bihac began accommodating migrant and refugee families with children in December 2018. Since then, the Borići former student dormitory has been used as an accommodation centre for families with children, unaccompanied and separated children and other vulnerable migrants. The building is a landmark for the citizens of Bihac and the renovation means that when the site is not needed anymore for hosting migrants, the building will be returned to the city in a better state than before.

 

The European Union has provided financial and technical assistance worth over €100 million to support Bosnia and Herzegovinian authorities to ensure adequate assistance to migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. The Borići reception centre currently accommodates 243 migrants, mostly families with children from Afghanistan, Burundi, and Cuba.

EU-supported EU4AGRI project launches a new public call

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The EU-funded EU4AGRI project has launched a public call for grants to support the introduction of standards and certification in agricultural and food production.  
Under this call, the European Union will support business entities in the agri-food sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina to introduce certain standards in their operations or secure certification of their products, services or production processes. The call aims to strengthen the agricultural and food industries, to improve quality, hygiene, traceability and food safety, to increase competitiveness, and to facilitate access to markets.  
The call is open for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, crafts/entrepreneurs and cooperatives engaged in production and/or processing of agricultural products for human consumption, and associations gathering producers/processors for group certification.
 
The total amount offered through the call is BAM 1 million, and grant funds per application can range from BAM 5,000 to BAM 50,000, with mandatory co-financing for 30% of the total value of eligible project costs.

Affordable and healthy food for young people

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An EU-funded project supports vocational high schools to produce healthy and allergen-free food.

Obesity is an increasing phenomenon among young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Serbia. According to scientific papers produced in both countries, almost 15% of young people struggle with obesity and over 35% of them are in what is described as a pre-obese condition. On the other hand, up to 10% of the population are not tolerant of certain foods, manifesting allergic reactions that impair health. The scientific research concludes that the main cause of this is increased consumption of fast food and members of the non-governmental organisation, Limitless Association, from Serbia have taken action to contribute to changing this situation for better.

Along with two secondary vocational schools from the cross-border cities of Ruma in Serbia and Zvornik in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Limitless Association have initiated a project aimed at stimulating the employment of young people in the cross-border area by offering new gastronomic products. Along with employment, the project also aims to create a healthy and safe food range for young people and vulnerable groups, with affordable price and reach.

“Unfortunately, in the cross-border area, healthy food and allergen-free food is almost non-existent, and we had to take action.”

New nutritious adventures

Jovan Jovanović is the project manager at Limitless Association. He explains that their idea was to combine the objective of increasing employment for young people in the cross-border region with a mission to provide healthy food for young people, and in particular for young people from vulnerable groups with financial challenges. “Unfortunately, in the cross-border area, healthy food and allergen-free food is almost non-existent, and we had to take action,” says Jovan.

The Branko Radičević Secondary Vocational School from Ruma and the Petar Kočić Secondary Vocational School from Zvornik are both part of the project and both offer catering training and decades of experience in working with young people. However, they lack equipment and current expertise on teaching students to prepare healthy food. The project initially helped them to renovate their kitchens, equipping them with up-to-date equipment. Following this, the project launched two training and professional assistance programmes for teachers and students alike on healthy nutrition and allergen-free food.

The healthy food produced by students at the schools will be offered in the school restaurants at an affordable price. Jovan explains that these restaurants will be registered as social enterprises, which will also ensure their sustainability. The restaurants will be non-profit but with the income that they generate they will be able to buy quality raw material for preparing the food. At the same time, students will gain considerable experience, so by the time they graduate they will be ready for the labour market.

“The support from the EU was crucial in undertaking this project, as neither the schools nor local governments would have been able to implement the project otherwise”

About the project

The EU-funded “Healthy and safe gastronomic products as potential for new employment” has been supported as part of the Cross-border Programme Serbia – Bosnia and Herzegovina 2014- 2020 under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II), allocations for 2016, 2017 and 2018. The project started in May 2022 and it is expected to be finalised by the end of 2022.

The Limitless Association has identified a lack of organic, healthy and allergen-food beyond the schools in the cross-border region so the project will also undertake activities to promote the specialist knowledge of these schools’ graduates in the job market. The project will launch a web market portal for caterers which will allow employers to connect directly with qualified students whose expertise will be guaranteed by the school.

This project has been funded by the European Union with over €250,000. Jovan explains that without the EU support none of this would have been possible. “The support from the EU was crucial in undertaking this project, as neither the schools nor local governments would have been able to implement the project otherwise,” he says. He hopes that the activities undertaken as part of the project will serve as an example for schools in other cities in Serbia, and that the government will use these examples to multiply this project.

YEAs meet Western Balkan Youth orchestra

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On 19 July, a group of Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) from Kosovo visited the Western Balkans Youth orchestra in their final rehearsal session before their concert in Pristina. The group included Amina Kaja, Desantila Muriqi, Eris Cunaku, and Jora Zeneli. They had a chance to talk about the YEA network and possible cooperation opportunities with the members of the orchestra.

 

The Western Balkans Youth Orchestra is an initiative by Artium Eudora, a Pristina-based NGO that promotes the arts as a tool for individual and social progress. The orchestra went on tour for the first time in October 2021, and in May 2022 it played on Europe Day in Novi Sad. After the Pristina concert, the orchestra continued its tour to Skopje and Novi Sad and will continue to Mostar (26 July) and Kotor (28 July). In August, the young musicians will perform for German audiences with concerts in Aachen, Berlin, Essen, Kassel, and Königswinter.

 

The 2022 WBYO tour has been made possible with the support of the European Commission, the EU in Kosovo and North Macedonia, several Rotary Clubs of the Aachen region, Engagement Global, the Foreign Ministries of Germany and Luxembourg, the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Kosovo, and the Austrian Cultural Forum in Serbia.

EU launches call to support civil society in Serbia

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The EU Delegation to Serbia has launched a new call for proposals for civil society organisations. The EU-funded call for proposals is worth €4.8 million and aims at empowering civil society in Serbia to actively participate in decision making by further stimulating an enabling an environment for civil society, thus strengthening Serbia’s EU integration process.

 

Specifically, this call will further strengthen the overall capacity of civil society via an EU National Resource Centre. It will also increase the capacities of grassroot and informal groups for advocacy and monitoring of reforms and Serbia’s EU integration process through flexible financial support to developing CSOs and informal groups. It will put focus on strengthening under-developed civil society in specific sectors and assisting the transformation of informal groups into organised CSOs.

 

Emanuele Giaufret, EU Ambassador to Serbia, said: “Democracy is stronger when civil society is strong and able to strengthen transparency and accountability of public authorities, and promotes active engagement of the citizens within their communities for inclusive and participatory processes. I am very proud the EU will continue to support Serbian civil society and contribute to making it more effective and sustainable. An empowered civil society is a crucial component of any democratic system and should be recognised and treated as such by all stakeholders, including state institutions.”

 

Following a steady increase in the longer-term, the annual EU contribution will reach €5.5 million amounting to a total EU contribution to civil society in Serbia of €17 million over a three-year period. This assistance will be provided through a mix of funding modalities to respond to the specific needs of different types of CSOs in terms of size, levels of capacity and geographic presence.

 

There will be continued outreach to smaller organisations, in particular through financial support to developing CSOs and third parties and flexible support mechanisms.

European Spaces of Culture: 11 new project ideas shortlisted

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A jury of six experts has shortlisted 11 project ideas for European Spaces of Culture to be developed into concrete projects for 2023. Following a call for ideas, the Preparatory Action European Spaces for Culture has selected these outstanding project ideas, including a project idea from Bosnia and Herzegovina, to encourage new forms of collaboration in cultural relations.

 

Other shortlisted project ideas come from countries worldwide, including Angola, Bangladesh, China, Colombia, Palestine, and Turkmenistan.  The selected project teams have now been invited to further develop their ideas into concrete proposals.

 

In September, representatives of the project teams will meet in an online Spaces Lab to discuss the process, their partnerships and evaluation models. The final selection of projects will be done before the end of the year and the projects are expected to be implemented between January and October 2023.

 

The European Spaces of Culture Preparatory Action (2019-2023) is testing innovative collaboration models in cultural relations between European and local partner organisations in countries outside the EU. The action and its pilot projects aim to seek new ways of collaboration in cultural relations, reflecting the EU strategic approach to international cultural relations. Seventeen pilot projects worldwide have already been implemented or are in the process of implementation.

EU rolls out €21 million mobility scheme for culture professionals

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The European Commission has signed an agreement with the Goethe-Institut to implement a new €21 million mobility scheme for artists and cultural professionals: Culture Moves Europe. The new Culture Moves Europe will become a permanent action under the Creative Europe programme and follows the successful I-Portunus pilot project that operated between 2018 and 2022. The scheme builds on the recommendations stemming from this pilot phase.

 

It will offer grants to artists, cultural operators, and host organisations from all the sectors covered by the culture strand and from the countries participating in the Creative Europe programme. Emerging artists will receive special attention.

 

Culture Moves Europe has a budget of €21 million over the next three years. This will allow around 7,000 artists, creators and cultural professionals to go abroad for professional development or international collaborations, to co-produce, co-create and present their works to new audiences.

 

The first calls are expected in autumn 2022.

EU supports the first International Prosciutto Fair in Montenegro

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The first International Prosciutto Fair in Montenegro – MESAP 2022 – was organised at Dvorski Square in Cetinje on 14 and 15 July, with the financial support of partners including the European Union in Montenegro. Seventeen exhibitors from Montenegro, countries of the region and beyond presented their products, giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy a free tasting of cured meat delicacies.

 

Aside from the promotion of prosciutto, the organisers had games offering prizes for visitors, a competition for the most beautifully decorated stand, and a concert with local performers and popular regional stars such as Jelena Tomašević and Kaliopa.

 

The fair also had an educational character. Excellent professors and lecturers, the Director of the Cluster of Croatian Prosciutto, Ante Madir, and Professor Vladimir Tomović from the University of Novi Sad introduced the process for production of prosciutto.

 

In addition to the EU in Montenegro, MESAP 2022 was also supported by the Montenegrin Prosciutto Cluster, the Tourism Organisation Prijestonica Cetinje, the Old Royal Capital Cetinje, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management, the Ministry of Economic Development and Tourism, the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro, and the company Mtel Imate Prijatelje.

EU donates refrigerators to Bosnia and Herzegovina for vaccine storage

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The European Union has donated medical equipment worth €355,000 to health institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The donation includes 253 refrigerators and cooling devices, as well as spare equipment for refrigerators, portable devices for vaccines, ice packs, and cold rooms. This high-quality equipment will be used for the storage of vaccines against COVID-19 as well as other vaccines, in order to preserve their quality and effectiveness.

 

Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in BiH, Johann Sattler, officially handed over the equipment to the Minister of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ankica Gudeljević, in Sarajevo. The equipment will further improve the capacities of the healthcare cold chain.

 

The equipment was procured through the EU-funded EU4Health project worth over €13 million, which enables the procurement of vaccines, equipment and materials for immunisation, cold chain equipment and vehicles for the transport of vaccines. The project is part of the EU’s overall support to BiH for crisis mitigation and recovery from the pandemic in the health and economic sectors, for which the EU has allocated over €95 million.

Reloading cooperation with civil society

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Local governments in Albania improve their capacity to manage cooperation with civil society with the support of the European Union.

The European Commission’s 2016 progress report for Albania identified that local government lacked adequate capacity to ensure proper cooperation and funding of civil society. The report noted the need for adequate administrative and legal structure changes and increased human capacity to enable a better environment for cooperation between civil society and local government.

Stela Mardusha has worked as a specialist in the European Integration Department at Shkodra Municipality for eight years. She explains the difficulties that the municipality used to face in disbursing funds and cooperating with civil society. “We did not have any specific methodology for cooperation with civil society organisations (CSOs). This made it difficult for us to have targeted CSO projects with clearly defined priorities and results,” says Stela.

The Regional Programme on Local Democracy in the Western Balkans (ReLOaD) is a regional initiative financed by the European Union and implemented by UNDP in the six Western Balkans countries. In 2017, ReLOaD in Albania launched a call for municipalities to apply to be part of the support programme that aimed to help them increase administrative and human capacity efficiency in cooperating with civil society organisations. Shkodra municipality was among 35 municipalities that applied and among 12 municipalities that were granted support.

“There is a considerable workload, but in the end, it is all worth it because it provides an excellent opportunity to work closely with civil society.”

For Stela, the main and most important novelty introduced by the programme was the LOD methodology and manual which was approved by the Municipality Council at the beginning of cooperation with the ReLOaD programme. “LOD” stands for Local Democracy and is an instrument closely aligned with EU rules on the financing of external actions and guaranteeing an open procedure, equal opportunities for all candidates, visibility, and transparency. The manual starts with setting priorities, and covers the launch of the call, management of the project and implementation and monitoring of progress. “There is a considerable workload, but in the end, it is all worth it because it provides an excellent opportunity to work closely with civil society,” says Stela.

Strengthening human resources to improve the quality of services

Strengthening the capacity of the partner municipalities’ staff and CSOs, in the area of the project management cycle, was one of the key pillars of the ReLOaD programme. In addition to the introduction of the LOD methodology, the programme also supported partner municipalities in training their staff on the implementation of the methodology. The training included technical knowledge on drafting reports and budgets, project implementation and monitoring, with the standards of the European Union, and other necessary skills. Stela says that in addition to bringing her in close contact with civil society organisations, this training helped her to structure good work practices.

The municipalities of Shkodra and Tirana adapted quickly and successfully applied the LOD methodology and now serve as mentors to new partner municipalities.

“After five years of experience, I call on my colleagues to benefit as much as possible from the opportunity that ReLOaD offers. It is a great learning experience for the administration: it is a long-term course where in the end the winners are local administrations, civil society organisations and society.”

About the project

The Regional Programme on Local Democracy in the Western Balkans (ReLOaD) is a regional initiative financed by the European Union and implemented by UNDP. The Programme aims to strengthen participatory democracies and the EU integration process in the Western Balkans by empowering civil society to take an active part in decision-making and by stimulating an enabling legal and financial environment for civil society and pluralistic media. It also works to strengthen partnerships between local governments and civil society in the Western Balkans by scaling up a successful model of transparent and project-based civil society organisation funding from local government budgets towards greater civic engagement in decision-making and improvement of local service delivery.

In the first three years, the ReLOaD programme also provided funding for local non-profit organisations. More than 5,000 Shkodra citizens benefited from initiatives promoting social inclusion, women’s empowerment, tourism, culture and youth. This grant scheme also enabled the officials from the municipality to implement the LOD methodology and their learning from the training.

Stela says that she has learned a lot from this successful journey and is now ready to share with her peers in other ReLOaD partner municipalities which have joined in 2021. “After five years of experience, I call on my colleagues to benefit as much as possible from the opportunity that ReLOaD offers. It is a great learning experience for the administration: it is a long-term course where in the end the winners are local administrations, civil society organisations and society,” Stela says.