Skip to main content

Author: WeBalkans

“Block the hatred. Share the love!” campaign launched in Serbia

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

Every individual has an important role in responding to hate speech with positive language and mutual respect. This was one of the key messages at the launching event of the awareness-raising campaign, “Block the hatred. Share the love!”, run jointly by the European Union and the Council of Europe and held on 5 May in Belgrade.  
The “Block the hatred. Share the love!” campaign aims to combat various forms of hate speech targeting communities and individuals in Serbia, especially those from vulnerable groups and minorities. The campaign will be implemented online, through social media pages, as well as through public events. These activities will involve public figures, institutions, and activists, promoting diversity and equality in Serbia and the region through personal experiences, testimonies and exchange of good practices.  
Ambassadors of the campaign against hate speech in Serbia are prominent public figures in the world of acting: Milena Radulović, Sandra Siladjev, Miloš Timotijević and Slaven Došlo, and the campaign was also supported by Young European Ambassadors. They say that they back the campaign because they believe that together we can make a positive change and render our society more inclusive.  
The campaign is implemented within an initiative on the promotion of diversity and equality in Serbia, which is a part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022” programme. This programme supports key local actors and beneficiary institutions in Serbia and the Western Balkans in the fight against discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes directed against minorities, members of the LGBTI community and other vulnerable groups in Serbian society.

YEAs participate in European Forum of Young Leaders

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

The European Forum of Young Leaders, a four-day hybrid conference, has concluded in Katowice, Poland. The Forum provided a space for young participants from the European Union, Western Balkans, Eastern Europe and Caucasus to reflect on the current political situation, share experience and establish new contacts. The event included panel discussions and thematic sessions on aspects of cooperation for European youth, with a special focus on the situation of Ukrainian youth. Other themes of the Forum included the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the European Youth Strategy 2019-2027, and the priorities of the EU Youth Programmes 2021-2027 including inclusion and diversity, digital transformation, the environment and the fight against climate change, and participation in democratic life.

 

This year Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) from the Western Balkans participated in the event, attending panels, gathering useful contacts, and meeting professionals from their fields of work and study.

 

This was the 14th edition of this event, traditionally organised by SALTO-YOUTH which is part of ERASMUS +

Balkan Trafik Festival brings WB culture to Brussels

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

Celebrating Balkan music – from traditional to folk, jazz to punk – the Balkan Trafik festival returned to Belgium for its 16th edition, landing in Brussels on 29 April and ending on 1 May. For the first time in two years, the event was held in person, following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions this year.

 

The four-day open-air festival brought together more than 150 different artists and musicians including international favourites such as Goran Bregović, Bernard Orchestar, and Rojaze.  On the closing day of the festival, the 10th edition of the “Giant Horo” brought together troupes of dancers from across the Balkan region. They danced together in unison across the Grand Place of Brussels in a finale which was open to the public and free of charge.

 

In addition to music and dance, the festival also included street art, food and wine tasting, workshops and debates. Young European Ambassadors from the Western Balkans also participated in the festival as speakers and moderators on a debate about the role of art in peacebuilding, by presenting Western Balkan cuisine in a food tasting event and other activities.

EU and Western Balkans partners join forces to tackle disinformation

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

On 27 April, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) organised a virtual event on the new geopolitical consequences of disinformation in the Western Balkans, with over 95 participants from all Western Balkans partners. This Technical Assistance and Information Exchange (TAIEX) event was a joint effort between DG NEAR, the European External Action Service and EU Member States.

 

In the context of the war in Ukraine, Neighbourhood East and Institution Building Director Lawrence Meredith highlighted the risks of disinformation in undermining democracy and security while acting Director for Western Balkans, Michela Matuella, stressed that freedom of expression and media are key elements of the enlargement process. Acting Director for Thematic Support, Coordination of Policy and Financial Instruments, Mathieu Bousquet, focused on practical solutions to respond to disinformation.

 

Altogether, 17 speakers from EU Member States and EU institutions shared information about the EU’s legislative toolbox and practical case studies as well as concrete tools for countering disinformation. Participants at the event concluded that more efforts are needed to raise awareness and understanding of foreign manipulation tactics, to invest in quality, independent journalism and media literacy, and to support further bilateral or multilateral cooperation to combat disinformation. The speed and flexibility of the TAIEX instrument was seen as well-suited to support these joint efforts.

EU and EBRD extend new funding to businesses in Serbia

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Serbia are to benefit from new funding from the European Union and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) made available through Intesa Leasing.  
A new €5 million credit line will be on-lent by Intesa Leasing to Serbian firms in the form of leases such as for equipment and vehicles, enabling them to invest in their working standards and processes and become more competitive in local and EU markets. SMEs will be able to access grants from the European Union worth up to 15% of a total lease amount.  
The aim of the funding is to encourage SMEs to invest in upgrades in three key areas: environmental protection, health and safety, and product quality. A particular focus will be on investments in greener technologies, to help SMEs adapt to EU environmental standards and improve their energy efficiency with at least 60% of all leases supporting energy-saving measures.  
The new facility is part of the Western Balkans SME Competitiveness Support Programme, to which the European Union contributes with incentive payments and technical assistance and the EBRD provides loans. The goal is to help SMEs modernise their activities and take advantage of trade opportunities in the Western Balkans region and wider European market.

EU and BiH strengthen cooperation for disaster preparedness

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, visited Bosnia and Herzegovina to strengthen cooperation on disaster prevention, preparedness and response, at both national and regional level. His visit comes at a time when the country has reconfirmed its interest to join the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism, which coordinates joint crisis response actions. The Commissioner also attended an EU-funded full-scale earthquake exercise response, with first responders taking part from Albania, Austria, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia and other international agencies.
 
Janez Lenarčič said, “Just a few days ago, Bosnia and Herzegovina was hit by two earthquakes. We cannot always predict when and where the next one will strike, but we can get better prepared. Therefore I fully support Bosnia and Herzegovina’s request to join the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. I am confident that becoming a member of our European civil protection framework will ensure that Bosnia and Herzegovina benefits from stronger crisis response whenever large scale crises strike. Together, we can protect and save lives.”
 
The Commissioner also met with Members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Minister of Security Selmo Cikotić, amongst others. During his visit, the Commissioner also announced €2.5 million in additional humanitarian funding to help Bosnia and Herzegovina cover the needs of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in the country.

EIB to support the Western Balkans to address the current crisis

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

At the end of April, the European Investment Bank (EIB) co-organised the eighth International Research Conference on Building Resilience in Times of Crisis: The Role of Policies. The conference was organised in cooperation with the National Bank of North Macedonia and held on the 30th anniversary of North Macedonia’s monetary sovereignty. The event dealt with current challenges, uncertainty arising from post-pandemic policy adjustments, and the policy response needed for tackling the expanding commodity and energy shocks triggered by the war in Ukraine. It illustrated the reinforced cooperation of the EIB – the lending arm of the EU – with its partners in North Macedonia and the support the Bank has been providing for the country’s economic stability and EU integration process for over 40 years.  
EIB Vice-President Lilyana Pavlova stressed that, as the EU’s bank, the EIB is ready to support the Western Balkans region in overcoming current challenges. “Besides financing the construction of more secure and diverse energy networks, we are helping the region to increase its resilience to climate change and develop new sustainable projects under the European Commission’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans. Last year, the EIB unlocked €257 million to support decarbonisation and the transition to the green economy in the region,” she said.  
The international conference welcomed over 40 participants including governors and board members of central banks, senior officials of international financial institutions and representatives of the regional and international academic community.

Youth Dialogue campaign in Montenegro

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

The Youth Dialogue campaign which launched recently in Montenegro aims to raise awareness of what exactly youth participation means and why it is important and to enable young people to get involved in decision-making process on issues that concern them. The campaign aims to achieve this through direct conversation with young people and the organisations that represent them. The focus is on youth employment and discussion of topics of interest to young people, including guarantees for young people from EU Economic Investment Plan for the Western Balkans.

 

A video titled “#Say it loud, we hear you” has also been produced, calling on young people to take part in the dialogue, which they can do in person in their town or by filling out a questionnaire online.

 

The campaign is being jointly conducted by the EU Delegation to Montenegro, the EU Info Centre, and the Youth Network of Montenegro umbrella organisation as well as relevant ministries: the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports with the support of the Regional Cooperation Council, and a large number of youth organisations – the European Youth Card Association, the Montenegrin Association of Political Science Students, the Organisation of Montenegrin Students Abroad, Portal Makanje, Radio Krš, the Student Parliament, the Union of High School Students of Montenegro, and the Union of Young Entrepreneurs.

European Union Prize for Literature 2022 winner announced

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

An international jury announced the 2022 winner and the five special mentions for the European Union Prize for Literature at the Paris Book Fair. Georgian writer Iva Pezuashvili won the prize for her book, A garbage chute. The jury also gave a special mention to writers from Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ireland, Spain, and Ukraine.

 

The 2022 selection displays a great variety of languages, countries, stories, and voices, illustrating EU and Creative Europe openness to cultural and linguistic diversity within and beyond the EU. The winner and nominated authors will get ongoing promotion at European level to help them to reach a wider and more international audience, as well as to connect with readers beyond their national and linguistic borders.

 

Since 2009, the European Union Prize for Literature has recognised emerging fiction writers from the European Union and beyond. The Prize celebrates outstanding new literary talents from all the 41 countries participating in Creative Europe.

EU extends additional €45 million in grants for Corridor Vc in BiH

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

The European Union is stepping up its support for Corridor Vc, the key transport infrastructure project in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with additional grant funding of €45.2 million. This brings the total amount of approved EU grants for Corridor Vc to more than half a billion euro. The grant funding agreement signed on 27 April will pay the ongoing construction works on two Poprikuše-Nemila motorway sections worth €36 million, with a €9.2 million investment grant for the Ivan Tunnel.

 

Corridor Vc is a pan-European transport project, and the 325-kilometre section in Bosnia and Herzegovina will cross the country from north to south, bring Bosnia and Herzegovina closer to the EU and eventually connecting the Adriatic port of Ploče in Croatia with the Hungarian capital, Budapest.

 

The motorway is co-financed from EU grant resources and by favourable loans from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank (EIB).

The grant funds have been secured through the EU-supported Western Balkans Investment Framework which aims to improve the region’s connectivity by building new transport links and upgrading outdated transport and environmental infrastructure. The development of Corridor Vc is a strategic priority for Bosnia and Herzegovina and is expected to contribute to faster economic and social development.