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Author: WeBalkans

Fighting pollution across the border

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Cross-border municipalities in North Macedonia and Serbia join forces to fight pollution.

The border areas of Lipkovo in North Macedonia and Preshevo/ Preševo in Serbia are both municipalities with small populations: Lipkovo has 13,000 and Preshevo/ Preševo 27,000 inhabitants. With most of their inhabitants living in rural areas, they share a common culture, traditions, an economic system, and strong family and friendship ties. However, they also share an important problem: a high level of pollution from illegal garbage dump sites. There are 11 illegal dump-sites in the municipality of Preshevo/ Preševo and seven in Lipkovo.

Both municipalities have a waste collection system organised through public utility companies. However, these companies do not fully cover their respective municipalities. The Pisha company in Lipkovo maintains ten villages out of the 22 that are inhabited in the agreed area for waste collection, and the Moravica company on the Serbian side of the border covers 11 villages out of the 34 that are inhabited in the municipality. The increasing problem of the villages that are not serviced could not be addressed at municipal level due to lack of funds and coordination, so the two municipalities decided to seek external support for managing the problem.

“The number of people with infectious diseases was very high considering the relatively small size of the municipalities, and it was obvious to us that one of the main reasons was the illegal dump sites and polluted environment.”

Joining forces for a better environment

Aleksandar Gumberovski is a project manager with the municipality of Lipkovo. He explains that according to the official data received from the Regional Hospital in Vranje, the number of persons with infectious disease in Preshevo/ Preševo municipality was 20 in 2017, 30 in 2018 and 35 in just the first half of 2019. On his side of the border, in Lipkovo, the number of those with infectious disease was 23 in 2017, 38 in 2018 and 42 in just the first half of 2019, thus showing a continuous rise in infection there too. “The number of people with infectious diseases was very high considering the relatively small size of the municipalities, and it was obvious to us that one of the main reasons was the illegal dump sites and polluted environment,” says Aleksandar.

Due to their mainly rural economy and their size, neither municipality has sufficient funds to cover all services to their residents properly, and this is the reason why they were not able to provide waste collection services to all their citizens. However, as the municipality of Lipkovo had a good experience of support from donors, they joined forces with the neighbouring municipality of Preshevo/ Preševo on the Serbian side of the border, and decided to apply for EU funding to help them with this problem.

They jointly devised a project called “Less Garbage, Less Risk, More Health” and got support from the EU-funded North Macedonia – Serbia Cross-Border Cooperation programme. Through the project they purchased two waste collection trucks, 20 bigger waste collection containers and over 1700 small bins to be distributed to the households in the region.

“These municipalities are underdeveloped, and there is a lack of funds for almost every sector. The EU support is therefore really important for resolving our problems – sometimes even the most basic ones.”

About the project

The EU-funded cross-border cooperation project “Less Garbage, Less Risk, More Health” started at the beginning of 2021 and will run until the end of 2022. The overall value of the project is over €250,000 with around 85% of this sum funded by the EU. The specific objectives of the project include:

increasing capacities for managing man-made risks and hazards related to solid waste disposal and protection of the environment; increasing capacity and improving institutions’ approach to services for organised waste collection; awareness-raising among local residents on the consequences of pollution; and mitigation of infectious diseases.

In addition to its support with equipment, the project will also launch an awareness campaign of leaflets and videos, in order to change citizens’ habits relating to the environment, encouraging them to use the newly-purchased bins for their waste.

This is not the first EU-funded project that Lipkovo municipality has benefited from. Aleksandar explains that because the municipality is on the border also with Bulgaria and Kosovo, they have been part of other cross-border cooperation programmes. “These municipalities are underdeveloped, and there is a lack of funds for almost every sector. The EU support is therefore really important for resolving our problems – sometimes even the most basic ones,” he says.

YEAs participate in debate caravan in Serbia

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Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) from Serbia, Adrijana Nikitović and Dimitrije Prokopović, took part in the EU School of Debate Caravan which was organised from 23 to 26 May.  This Caravan was organised by the EU Info Centres in Serbia and supported by the EU Delegation to Serbia, as well as by EU for Tourism and Cultural Heritage.

 

In the four-day Caravan, together with participants from the EU School of Debate, YEAs visited Felix Romuliana, Golubac, Kladovo, Negotin, Smederevo, Srebrno jezero and Zaječar. In Kladovo, Negotin and Smederevo, Adrijana and Dimitrije presented the YEA Network and promoted the third YEA call for applicants. Dimitrije also talked about the call on local media. On the second day, the EU Ambassador to Serbia, Emanuele Giaufret, visited the Caravan and had a discussion with participants on the future of the EU and Serbia.

 

The Young European Ambassadors platform is a creative network of young activists from across the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia). YEAs come from different backgrounds, yet they all share a common vision: the Western Balkans united in diversity. They learn about each other and the EU together, pursue creative projects, acquire new skills, connect via social media, and organise inspiring events – always driven by the idea that activism in youth is the most powerful force of social change.

 

The aims of the network are: to share EU values; to raise awareness about the EU’s cooperation with its Western Balkan partners; to showcase the tangible results of this cooperation; to contribute to policy dialogue on various topics, and; to help increase civic activism.

YEAs conduct media literacy workshops for schools

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Media Literacy Workshops organised by the Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) for elementary school students in the Western Balkans have kicked off. The first workshop took place in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Young European Ambassadors, Dragana Vucković and Džulisa Otuzbir, held a workshop for seventh-grade students in the Miroslav Krleža elementary school.

 

YEAs had previously attended training for youth trainers on the basics of media literacy. Now they are ready to share this knowledge with young students who are consumers of media content, especially social media. Led by the idea that it is vital to engage youth in the creation and dissemination of media literacy knowledge, the main aim of peer-to-peer workshops is to introduce young students to the importance of proper consumption of media content.

 

The YEA platform is a creative network of young activists from across the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia). YEAs come from different backgrounds, yet they all share a common vision: the Western Balkans united in diversity. They learn about each other and the EU together, pursue creative projects, acquire new skills, connect via social media, and organise inspiring events – always driven by the idea that activism in youth is the most powerful force of social change.

 

The aims of the network are: to share EU values; to raise awareness about the EU’s cooperation with its Western Balkan partners; to showcase the tangible results of this cooperation; to contribute to policy dialogue on various topics, and; to help increase civic activism.

Civil Society Forum 2022

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The EU-financed TACSO 3 project announced the forthcoming EU-Western Balkans and Turkey Civil Society Forum 2022 and invites civil society organisation (CSO) leaders and experienced civil society activists as well as representatives of grassroots CSOs to apply as contributors to the Forum sessions and as participants of the event.

 

The Civil Society Forum 2022 (Forum ’22) will be held on 8 and 9 June as a hybrid live and virtual event. A limited number of up to 120 participants will be selected for live participation in Skopje. Online participation will allow further active video involvement in all Forum ’22 sessions.

 

Forum ‘22 will gather civil society representatives (including non-profit media organisations), public authorities, EU representatives, donors, and other stakeholders in the area of civil society development in the Western Balkans and Turkey. It will discuss the current state of affairs for CSOs in the region, as well as joint actions on the part of the EU, public authorities and civil society that will address the identified challenges.

 

The main objective of Forum ’22 is to launch, present and discuss the follow-up to the revised EU Guidelines for Support to Civil Society in the Enlargement region (2021-2027), for which there has been extensive consultation with civil society in the past two years and which have been revised based on the feedback received and new developments.

Ambassador of the EU to Serbia visits agriculture fair in Novi Sad

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Emanuele Giaufret, Ambassador of the European Union to Serbia, Branislav Nedimović, Minister of Agriculture, and Jadranka Joksimović, Minister of European Integration, visited the Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad on 25 May.  
Last year, in the context of overall food exports to the EU in excess of €2.3 billion, Serbia achieved a positive trade balance of almost €700 million. This amounts to over half (55%) of all Serbian food exports being destined for the EU.  
Referencing the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance for Rural Development III (IPARD III), Ambassador Emanuele Giaufret said: “Excellent work was done during the preparation of the IPARD III programme, which was adopted by the Commission in March this year. That brings an additional €377 million to the Serbian agricultural sector, of which €288 million is financed by the EU. On the other hand, I stressed that Serbia should make every effort to successfully complete the implementation of IPARD II and avoid any additional loss of funding under this programme. Serbia lost €3.7 million in 2021 due to constant problems with the payment of annual funds.”  
During the second cycle of the IPARD programme, which is coming to an end, nine public calls have been announced, and more than 550 grants have been approved, about half of which have already been paid to Serbian farmers and food producers.  
The ambassador also spoke about other successful projects financed by the EU in Serbia. For example, no case of rabies has been recorded in Serbia for years, and the EU is also participating in the suppression of swine fever. The EU has supported the control and eradication of these two dangerous diseases with over €20 million. The EU is also funding projects to support the purchase of solar panels, as well as equipping the National Reference Laboratory.  
Emphasising the desire for further cooperation Ambassador Giaufret said: “We are better together.”

EU Green Week 2022 in Serbia

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The circular economy, zero pollution and biodiversity are the focus of this year’s EU Green Week, taking place in Serbia from 30 May to 5 June. The EU Green Week raises awareness of the most important issues in environmental protection.

 

During the celebration, a series of events and online activities will present the concrete results of the cooperation between Serbia, the European Union, its Member States and several international partners. Events are scheduled in all parts of Serbia including Belgrade, Čačak, Kruševac, Novi Sad, and Niš. A detailed agenda for the EU Green Week in Serbia can be found here.

 

Every year, the EU Green Week is an opportunity to debate European environmental policy with policy makers, leading environmentalists and stakeholders from Europe and beyond. This year almost 300 events are planned across Europe, with a specific focus this time round on the European Green Deal – the sustainable and transformative EU growth strategy, supporting a more efficient use of resources and EU ambitions to become climate neutral by 2050.

 

The activities are implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of European Integration, local governments, the embassies of Sweden and France, the United Nations Development Program, the Swedish Development Agency, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), KFW Bank, the European Investment Bank and many others.

 

The European Union is the world leader in environmental protection and is supporting Serbia on its path to a healthier environment. With over €400 million in non-refundable grants invested in environmental protection and climate action in Serbia, the EU is the largest donor in this area in the country.

Modernised Europe House opened in Podgorica

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The EU Info Centre in Podgorica has been renovated, modernised, and adapted to the new needs of the wider community, dedicated to the promotion of the European Union in Montenegro. It has now reopened as Europe House, with the ceremonial ribbon at its inauguration cut by the Ambassador of the European Union, Oana Cristina Popa, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, David McAllister, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of European Affairs, Jovana Marović.

 

In her address, Ambassador Popa mentioned the hundreds of events that have been organised at the EU Info Centre, gathering thousands of people from different areas of society since it opened in 2014.

 

“It was the place to come to get to know the EU, its initiatives, policies, and projects. But times have changed. We have high hopes for this House. We want it to become a new hub for inspiring ideas, innovative thinking, networking and brainstorming. As we hope that the times of closed doors due to the pandemic are forever over, we hope that this space will connect people: people from all sides of the political and social spectrum. We hope it will give a much-needed impetus to the debate on European integration, our values, and our joint future together,” said Popa.

 

Europe House, designed by Stanislav Nikičević, is located next to Argentina Square. It is open to citizens, institutions, the media and non-governmental organisations who work on EU projects or wish to do so. In addition to events and campaigns dedicated to European standards, Europe House is also available for organising workshops, seminars, exhibitions, lectures, press conferences and other promotional events.

Jora Zeneli

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YEA of the Month April 2022

Jora is an inspiring and bright young woman, determined to make a change in her community and for her generation. Jora is 18 years old and currently a senior at “Sami Frasheri” High School in Prishtina. She is passionate about science, music, technology, business, and community service. Over the years she has been involved in national and international organizations, holding numerous leadership roles as well as receiving certification from several institutes. Her contribution to sharing the values of volunteerism, human rights, and youth leadership has already caught the attention of many. We are with her every step of the way knowing that good things come to those who wake up, show up and take action!

Wildlife experience open for business

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The cross-border area between Montenegro and Serbia is ready to host nature-loving tourists with the support of the European Union.

Before the pandemic, Montenegro had over two million annual visitors and over seven million overnight stays a year, which can be considered as success for a country with a population of just 600,000. These visitors are mostly focused on the beautiful coastal regions for summer holidays or ski resorts in the North. However, Montenegro has also other very exciting wildlife tourism opportunities, in particular in the north-east region bordering Serbia, which is very little explored. The Centre for the Protection and Research of Birds (CZIP) NGO from Podgorica, along with partners from both Montenegro and Serbia, is working to open the area as a destination for wildlife-lovers.

Globally, wildlife and bird-watching has become an increasingly popular tourist activity, recognised as important as a tourist niche market. However, as a consequence of this area’s relatively remote position and poor transport connections, tourist infrastructure is underdeveloped here, despite it being the location of four national parks.

“As there was huge potential for tourism development, but also a need for support, we decided to take action to open this fairy-tale landscape for visitors.”

Meeting the need for tourism development

Lejla Abdić is an environmental activist and project manager at the Centre for the Protection and Research of Birds. She explains that she and her colleagues were well-aware that the region was underdeveloped in terms of tourism infrastructure and outdoor activities. “As there was huge potential for tourism development, but also a need for support, we decided to take action to open this fairy-tale landscape for visitors,” says Lejla.

With this aim, they applied to the Montenegro/ Serbia EU-funded cross-border cooperation call and were granted the funds for launching the so-called “Hoo project – Creation of Owl and Other Wildlife Experience.” As the bird population of the region is very rich, the main focus of their project was on activities related to bird-watching through mapping and signposting bird-watching trails. They are also working on training and motivating local people to engage in businesses related to wildlife tourism, and branding and promoting tourism products which were developed as part of the project.

“The region has unique wildlife tourism assets that haven’t been exploited yet, but soon they will be promoted locally and internationally, so that visitors can enjoy them.”

About the project

“The Hoo Project: Creation of Owl and Other Wildlife Experiences” started in February 2021. The main goal of the project is to encourage natural heritage-based wildlife tourism in the cross-border area between Serbia and Montenegro. The total value of the project is €262,029 and the planned duration of the project is 24 months. The project envisages, among other things, the establishment of two wildlife tourism itineraries, the training of tour guides for wildlife, birdwatching and study visits and the establishment of a digital platform to promote wildlife tourism in the region.

Lejla explains that the project area has a lot to offer to nature-loving tourists: owls, for example, have the charisma that provides exciting tourist experiences. But this area is also home to other similarly compelling birds, such as golden and imperial eagles, griffon vultures, and peregrine falcons, or rock partridges and black grouse, as well as rare bird species requiring larger natural forest complexes as their habitats. “The region has unique wildlife tourism assets that haven’t been exploited yet, but soon they will be promoted locally and internationally, so that visitors can enjoy them,” says Lejla.

Lejla further explains that the project is having an important succes in terms of cross-border cooperation. The partner organisations will be organising study tours and coordination activities with the aim of connecting communities, businesses and tour operators from both sides of the border. “At the end of the day, the development of the region is closely linked to cross-border cooperation,” she says.

New call for Young European Ambassadors is now open!

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The new Call for Applications for Young European Ambassadors was launched on 20 May at webalkans.eu

 

The Young European Ambassadors (YEA) platform is a creative network of young activists from across the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia). YEAs come from different backgrounds, yet they all share a common vision: the Western Balkans united in diversity. They learn about each other and the EU together, pursue creative projects, acquire new skills, connect via social media, and organise inspiring events – always driven by the idea that activism in youth is the most powerful force of social change.

 

The aims of the network are to share EU values; to raise awareness about the EU’s cooperation with its Western Balkan partners; to showcase the tangible results of this cooperation; to contribute to policy dialogue on various topics; and to help increase civic activism. A Young European Ambassador is a young activist who sees herself or himself as a good communicator, eager to share EU values, and to participate in projects and events related to EU integration, environment protection, human rights, arts and culture, and new technologies. All young people between 18 and 29 who are from the Western Balkans region are invited to apply.

 

Applications are open from 20 May until 30 June.