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Author: WeBalkans

EIB reaffirms commitment to green transition in North Macedonia

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On a visit to North Macedonia, the Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) reaffirmed the EU bank’s commitment to green transition. Vice-President Lilyana Pavlova set out the support for decarbonisation from the EIB – the lending arm of the EU – through key projects outlined in the Economic and Investment Plan.

 

Bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Dimitar Kovačevski and with ministers including Minister of Finance Fatmir Besimi, with the Mayor of Skopje and the Head of North Macedonia’s EU Delegation helped to identify new possibilities for extending cooperation under the new EIB Global branch. The Global Branch aims to increase support for countries outside the European Union.

 

Vice-President Pavlova highlighted support for the development of modern railway infrastructure, the energy network, and water and wastewater infrastructure to help the country adapt to climate change and protect the environment. The Bank also intends to develop new guarantee and risk-sharing instruments for the private sector in collaboration with the European Commission.

 

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EIB has unlocked €156 million for North Macedonia to enable small and medium-sized enterprises to recover more quickly, and to facilitate the construction of a new gas network essential for stable and secure energy supply. Looking ahead, the Bank will also help its partners in North Macedonia to increase capacity for project preparation and implementation, which will help deliver high-impact investments for the benefit of the country and its people.

Progress made on North Macedonia’s largest environmental project

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A key step in the implementation of the €136 million EU-supported project was taken with the announcement of the opening of bids for construction of North Macedonia’s largest environmental project – the Skopje wastewater plant.  
The Skopje wastewater treatment plant is one of the 21 flagship projects selected in February for EU financing in 2022 through the Western Balkans Investment Framework. The investment package is a step further in the implementation of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans 2021-2027. The Skopje wastewater plant is one of the environmental projects selected for financing under Flagship 7 – Waste and Wastewater Management.  
The EU is financing this project with a €70 million investment grant, complementing a €35 million European Investment Bank loan, €30 million European Bank for Reconstruction and Development loan and funds from bilateral donors. As Skopje’s wastewater is currently discharged into the Vardar River without treatment, the project is expected to have significant environmental and public health benefits for the inhabitants of Skopje. It will also contribute to North Macedonia’s compliance with relevant EU environmental and water laws and standards.

Modernisation of Brčko Port is progressing

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The construction works on the Western Balkans Investment Framework Reconstruction and Modernisation of the River Port of Brčko (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Phase 1 project are progressing, with the port platform completed. This is the first step in the project which started in June 2021. The works will continue with the purchase of a new crane and the reconstruction of the access road from the port to Bijeljinska cesta as well as the industrial railway from the port to Brčko Novo railway station.

 

The Brčko Port equipment is mostly dilapidated, and the portal cranes are more than 50 years old. A new crane with a carrying capacity of up to 16 tonnes (three times larger than the current capacity), will contribute to increasing the handling capacity of goods to 150-200 tonnes per hour.

 

The total value of the project is €10 million, financed by a European Union investment grant of over €3 million and a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for €7 million.

 

The rehabilitation project for Brčko Port has been identified in the European Commission’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans as “Flagship 1 (Connecting East to West)” within the Sustainable Transport investment area.

Nominees for the 2022 European Union Prize for Literature announced

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The organisers of the European Union Prize for Literature, co-financed by the Creative Europe Programme, have published the list of nominees for the 2022 edition. The 14 authors were nominated by national institutions from the 14 countries participating in this year’s edition. The list includes Slađana Nina Perković from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Vladimir Jankovski from North Macedonia.

 

The winner of the 2022 European Union Prize for Literature will be announced on 21 April, during the opening ceremony at the Paris Book Fair. All nominated authors are promoted across Europe, with the aim of reaching a wider international audience, and connecting with readers beyond their national and linguistic borders.

 

The European Union Prize for Literature is an annual initiative to recognise the best emerging European authors and celebrate the linguistic diversity and excellence of literature in countries participating in the Creative Europe programme. The prize is organised by a consortium consisting of the Federation of European Publishers and the International and European Booksellers Federation, with the support of the Creative Europe programme.

RCC presents Regional Network of Women in Entrepreneurship

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The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) announced the launch of the Western Balkans (WB) Regional Network of Women in Entrepreneurship, at an event which took place on Friday 11 March in Tirana. The launch gathered businesswomen from the entire region, and also served as an opportunity to recognise WB Women Entrepreneurs of the Year 2021.  
Exactly three years ago on this date, the Regional Cooperation Council launched the campaign aimed at empowering Women in Entrepreneurship (WE) in the Western Balkans. WE started with a video of Nada Marković, pioneer of the first female cooperative in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The initiative continued across the region with the stories of many inspiring women in entrepreneurship: Arijana, Blerta, Daklea, Irena, Iris, Klodiana, Marta, Uta, and Zoja; followed by regional activities particularly focused on  empowering young women in business, including through the creation of the Regional Network of Women in Entrepreneurship.   
Women´s economic empowerment is critical to the Western Balkans’ resilience and recovery. The key objective of the Western Balkans Regional Network of Women in Entrepreneurship is to enhance partnerships for women’s economic empowerment, sparking a debate on creating an inclusive environment and addressing the challenges and needs of diverse women entrepreneurs across our region and across key Common Regional Market value chains. 

EU in North Macedonia call for municipal Green Deal award

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The Delegation of the European Union to North Macedonia has announced a call for nominations for the Municipal Green Deal Award. The call was announced on International World Wildlife Day, and is open to all municipalities. It offers an opportunity to present local activities implemented which contributed to environmental protection during 2021.

 

The call for the selection of the greenest municipality is part of the #EUWITHYOU campaign dedicated to the European Green Deal that started in November 2021. The aim of the competition is to promote positive examples of municipal waste management that have led to systemic changes for the better and achieved long-term results. Because we do not have a spare planet!

 

Each mayor will receive a personal invitation to participate and the call is open until 4 April. From the applications, five municipalities will be selected, among which the greenest will be chosen on the basis of field visits. The Award will be presented by Ambassador David Geer on 5 June – World Environment Day.

EU launches “SHEroism” campaign in Montenegro

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The EU-funded “Examples of SHEvalry and SHEroism” campaign, dedicated to renowned women from Montenegrin and EU history, officially began with a panel discussion at the Ribnica Cultural Centre. The panel was attended by women who continue to smash stereotypes and achieve their dreams.

 

The panel included the Ambassador of the EU to Montenegro, Oana Cristina Popa; the only female pilot in the Army of Montenegro, Kristina Bačić; the first Montenegrin at the US West Point Military Academy, Nevena Nikolić; and the only female competitor in mountain speed races, Anđela Knežević. The panel was moderated by journalist Aleksandra Šljivić.

 

Opening the panel, Ambassador Popa noted that this EU campaign pays tribute to heroines who, through their achievements, overcame obstacles and broke stereotypes, paving the way for generations of women in the fight for gender equality and their rights. “We want this campaign to inspire Montenegrin girls. We want them to get to know women who changed Montenegro, Europe and the world by living ahead of their time and not taking no for an answer. We want young girls to hear this message: be brave, strong and daring and do everything you can to fulfil your dreams,” Popa said.

 

The campaign will last until the end of the month.

International Women’s Day celebrated by YEAs all over the Western Balkans

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For this year’s Women’s Day on 8 March, WeBalkans and the Young European Ambassadors joined forces to promote the #BreakTheBias campaign (https://www.internationalwomensday.com/). They did this through reels and other social media content and street actions across the Western Balkans including in Banja Luka, Belgrade, Kumanovo, Niš, Novi Sad, Podgorica, Pristina, Sarajevo, Skopje, and Tirana.

 

Activities aimed to break the bias of gender stereotypes. #BreakTheBias is all about empowering women and enhancing their role in society and freedom to determine who they are and what they want to become.

 

The WeBalkans Young European Ambassadors (YEA) network was launched in August 2020 by a regional communication programme for the Western Balkans, represented by the European Commission Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), as a creative network of future young game-changers from across the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia). These 120 visionary young people are interested in learning about EU values and promoting the opportunities that the EU offers, but are also eager to advocate for topics such as gender equality, intercultural learning, environment protection and human rights, and to share joint regional youth initiatives.

The Route WB6 volunteer caravan tours eight towns in the Western Balkans

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The Route WB6 Volunteer Caravan is on its way! This unique creative caravan is made up of 40 Young European Ambassadors, Route WB6 volunteers and young journalists from the Hajde platform from all over the Western Balkans. As part of the final stage of the Route WB6 project, promoting youth mobility, volunteering and peacebuilding in the region, the caravan aims to promote regional volunteer exchanges and youth volunteering across the region. The Volunteer Caravan on wheels is touring eight different towns in the region for a week where young volunteers engage with local partners in activities like environmental protection actions, restorations, creative workshops with children, meetups, and youth councils. The activity is being implemented in cooperation with the Young European Ambassadors network.

 

The starting point of this journey was Podgorica on 9 March and the final destination is Tirana on 15 March. On the way, the volunteers will have the chance to visit Mostar, Sarajevo, Kopaonik, Pristina and Bitola, while socialising with their peers and contributing to local communities.

 

One of the Young European Ambassadors involved in the Route WB6 Volunteer Caravan said “As YEAs, we have travelled through the Western Balkans for study trips, environmental issues, socialising, debating, singing and dancing at festivals. I am very excited that this time we will join the Route WB6 Volunteer Caravan. We are all heading to the same destination: a region embracing European values. So let’s join together in this caravan, sharing the path that leads to reconciliation and stability and a common European future for the region.”

Green Skills Award 2022

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The European Training Foundation (ETF) has launched a call for examples of the importance of skills in empowering the green transition. The call, entitled “Green transition: education, training and skills” aims to collect stories about how education, training and skills development is supporting the shift towards sustainable, clean, carbon-neutral circular economies and societies.

 

The aim is to provide ideas and inspiration for education and training policy-makers and practitioners in the EU neighbourhood and beyond.

 

The successful finalists will receive the ETF Skills for the Green Transition award which will be presented at the 2022 European Vocational Skills Week organised by the European Commission. The top stories will be showcased in ETF publications and communications and the ETF will produce short films of the most interesting stories, some of which will be shown at the 2022 European Vocational Skills Week and promoted on ETF social media channels.