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Author: WeBalkans

€90 million in macro-financial assistance to Albania

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The European Union has disbursed €90 million in macro-financial assistance (MFA) to Albania. This disbursement is the second and final tranche of a €180 million support programme to Albania, which is part of the €3 billion emergency MFA package for 10 enlargement and neighbourhood partners aiming to help them limit the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The programme is a concrete demonstration of the EU’s solidarity with its partners,helping them respond to the economic impact of the pandemic.  
Paolo Gentiloni, Commissioner for the Economy, said, “I am very pleased to see these funds flowing to Albania today. This disbursement is a demonstration of the EU’s solidarity with the Albanian people, but also of Albania’s commitment to deliver on the important reform agenda agreed with the European Commission.”  
The first €90 million disbursement to Albania under this MFA programme took place in March 2021. Albania has fulfilled the policy conditions agreed with the EU for the release of this second and final €90 million disbursement under the COVID-19 MFA programme. These conditions included important measures to strengthen public finance and the resilience of the financial sector, to improve governance and fight corruption, and to enhance social protection. With today’s disbursement, the EU has completed 8 out of the 10 MFA programmes in the €3 billion COVID-19 MFA package, and disbursed the first tranches to all partners.

Writers from Western Balkans among laureates of EU prize for literature

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The European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) celebrates emerging fiction writers in Europe and beyond. On 9 November, the EUPL 2021 Award Ceremony honoured the 13 laureates of the current edition of the prize, among them Tom Kuka from Albania and Dejan Tiago Stanković from Serbia.

 

Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, welcomed the 2021 laureates saying, “The European Prize for Literature exists to make sure that all Europeans have access to the cultural diversity that our continent has to offer. It is a symbol of the many concrete actions that the EU is doing to facilitate the circulation of books in Europe and beyond. With this prize, we want to make sure you, European writers, are visible and accessible.”

 

The laureates were selected by national juries comprised of publishers, booksellers, authors and critics. The prize has recognised emerging fiction writers from across Europe since 2009, with 135 authors receiving its awards. The competition is open to the 40 countries involved in the Creative Europe programme.

EIB continues to support digital transition in Serbia

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The European Investment Bank (EIB) – the lending arm of the EU – has signed a €1.2 million grant to support the implementation of the Connected Schools programme in Serbia. The funding complements the €65 million EIB loan signed in 2020 for improving digital capacity and skills in over 1500 of the country’s schools.

 

The aim of the Connected Schools programme is to enable first-hand training in digital areas for teachers and pupils across Serbia, at the same time creating conditions for the digital transition of the Serbian education system and economy. It is also aligned with the Digital Agenda for the Western Balkans to ensure that all sectors benefit from digital opportunities, contributing to a sustainable, climate-neutral and resource-efficient economy, and better governance and public services for citizens. This investment is part of the EIB’s Economic Resilience Initiative, aiming to boost Western Balkan  economic growth, vital infrastructure and social cohesion.

 

In 2020, the EIB Group invested €125 million in improving digital capacity in Serbian schools and among small and medium-sized companies.

Welcome to the new Young European Ambassadors from the Western Balkans!

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During an online selection event today hosted by the European Commission and the WeBalkans team, an expert jury made up of well-known leaders from the region announced the 60 winners who will join the Young European Ambassadors network.

 

The selected YEAs bring a diverse mix of skills and passions to the network. While coming from a variety of backgrounds, all share an interest in learning about EU values, connecting with their peers, and pursuing their talents. Most importantly, they are open to sharing ideas and inspiring change in their communities, the Western Balkan region, and across the EU.

 

The latest open call for Young European Ambassadors was launched in June and almost 300 candidates applied. During the exciting months of August and September, more than 47,000 votes were cast for the selection of the new Young European Ambassadors. After the close of online voting, the top 30 candidates from each country, respecting gender equality, were evaluated by the European Commission, European Union Delegations and the EU Office in the Western Balkans, the WeBalkans Team and the expert jury – guided by the principles of fairness, transparency, creativity, and leadership.

 

Following the signing of their volunteer agreements, the 60 winners will officially join the 60 YEAs who were selected in 2020. The young people will take part in education seminars and webinars, conferences, cultural events, and study trips across the EU and the Western Balkans to expand their skills and networks. They will get involved in all kinds of creative and social action projects and will develop their leadership skills through tailor-made courses, developing online and offline communication techniques and learning about the EU and what it offers the Western Balkan region.

 

To take part, applicants were required to be 18-29 years old and resident in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia or Serbia. They needed to be active on social media and interested in areas such as EU integration, environmental protection, arts and culture, technology, human rights, and health and well-being. They were required to explain what qualifies them to be the voice of youth in a 1-minute video.

 

The high number of participants and votes cast shows the great interest in the project, and in opportunities offered by the EU for young people in the Western Balkans not only for their personal improvement, but also for building solidarity and mutual support.

 

You can find more information about Young European Ambassadors here with the new profiles online next week.

WORTH II: Inspiring innovation through creative connections around Europe

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The WORTH II partnership project aims to strengthen the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in the fashion industry and lifestyle sector, increasing their innovation capacity and helping them in the transition to climate neutrality and digital leadership. The project builds on the successful WORTH I project and is funded under the European Union’s COSME programme. By the end of WORTH II, at least 200 transnational partnerships will have received tailored support and coaching in defining and creating innovative products, services and business models.

 

In October, WORTH II hosted an info day for the promotion of its first call for proposals. Through this Open Call, WORTH II aims to become Europe’s largest incubator programme for creatives. They will offer market-based financial support for the development of innovative products, services or business models with a higher added value, and a coaching programme and advisory services tailored to the needs and specificities of the different partnerships. They will also facilitate market-positioning and professional contacts between members of partnerships and other key players by organising networking activities and participation in relevant design events and exhibitions. The call is open to applicants from the Western Balkans and will remain open until 2 February 2022.

Europe House Skopje turns two – and launches ‘Youth Talks’ on future of Europe

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On the occasion of Europe House’s second birthday, the EU Delegation in Skopje gave young people from North Macedonia a floor to have their voice heard – by launching a series of talks as part of the ongoing Conference on the Future of Europe.

 

At the kick-off event, Young European Ambassadors, activists and the Secretary-General of the Young European Federalists familiarised young participants with the ways in which they can join the debate and, together with their peers from all over Europe, help in finding the right responses to common challenges. The Conference on the Future of Europe is a consultation process that the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission launched last spring so that European citizens from all walks of life can present their views on Europe’s challenges and priorities.

 

Marking of the anniversary of Europe House Skopje will not be confined only to 4 November but will continue throughout the month. Young people will be at the heart of the events and there will be music, debates, theatre, green action and more.

Western Balkans economies recover faster than expected

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Industrial production and rising exports to the European Union are supporting growth in Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia, while Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro are benefitting from a strong rebound in travel or hospitality sectors over the summer months. The recovery is also being driven by the expansion of household consumption, enabled by growing remittances, increases in nominal wages and credit growth in most of the region’s economies.

 

This was noted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in its latest Regional Economic Prospects report, published on 4 November. This significant upward revision reflects output that was better than expected in the first half of the 2021 and indications of continued growth momentum in the third quarter

 

As in other EBRD regions, consumer prices in the Western Balkans have been rising gradually since the beginning of 2021 on the back of higher food and energy prices. Fiscal policy has remained accommodative and interest rates are at historical lows to support the economy. The likelihood of tightening is increasing, however, amid persistent growth in prices and inflationary trends in the eurozone.

EU marks Climate Diplomacy week in Montengro with tree planting

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The Delegation of the European Union in Montenegro, in cooperation with the EU Info Centre, the Municipality of Nikšić and the local NGO sector, organised tree-planting in Trebjesa to mark the Week of Climate Diplomacy.

 

“We are symbolically taking ‘action,’ which along with ‘ambition’ is the central theme for EU climate diplomacy in 2021. Both ambition and action are what the EU wants to showcase with its Green Deal, its Climate Law and the latest set of policy proposals – the goal is to achieve at least 55% emission reduction by 2030 as an intermediate step towards the EU’s climate neutrality target by 2050,” said EU Ambassador to Montenegro, Oana Cristina Popa, during the planting.

 

Ambassador Popa planted the first seedlings, together with the President of the Municipality of Nikšić, Marko Kovačević, and representatives of the local NGO sector. Over 100 participants gathered to plant fir, cedar and birch seedlings, provided by the EU Info Centre in an area which was recently affected by forest fires.

 

Popa noted that in the last 13 years the EU has donated more than €40 million to help Montenegro to protect its environment. In Nikšić, Popa learned about the impact that this support has had – for example, a representative of the NGO FORS Montenegro said that his organisation is implementing an EU project procuring underground waste containers and a modern waste collection vehicle.

EU and Germany support improvement of student dormitories in Albania

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In Tirana’s student city – a student campus area in south-east Tirana – 19 dormitories will undergo energy-efficiency renovation based on structural energy audits, and at least three new buildings will be built. The project is part of the Student City I Masterplan and has been made possible thanks to a €4.78 million grant from the European Union through the Western Balkans Investment Facility (WBIF) and €21 million provided by the German Federal Government through the KfW Development Bank. The agreement for this investment was signed on 3 November by the Minister of Finance and Economy of Albania, Delina Ibrahimaj, and the Director of the KfW Office in Tirana, Brit Horschke.

 

The WBIF is an EU-led donor investment platform that pools grants with implementing partner financing to support EU enlargement and socio-economic development in the region. It was launched in December 2009 with the purpose of delivering finance and technical assistance for strategic investments.

EU and Council of Europe launch “Block the Hatred. Share the Love” campaign

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The European Union and the Council of Europe have launched a joint campaign -“Block the Hatred. Share the Love!” in Kosovo. The campaign aims to inform and educate society, especially youth, about the role that everyone has in the fight against forms of hate speech targeting groups and individuals in our local communities. This movement kicked off regionally last December and is now being launched in each of the Western Balkan partners, starting in Prishtina/ Pristina.

 

The campaign will be extended online through dedicated social media channels, but also in radio and TV appearances, public activities and social initiatives involving prominent public figures as No Hate Speech ambassadors, institutions and activists. They will share personal stories and testimonies and exchange good practice related to the promotion of diversity and equality in the region. The No Hate Speech Ambassadors include prominent public figures such as Bajram Kinolli, Rinor Gashi, Uta Ibrahimi and Amina Kaja, who is a Young European Ambassador (YEA) from Kosovo, all actively engaged with counter-narratives and behaviours.

 

The campaign is supported by the “Promotion of diversity and equality” initiative implemented within the joint European Union and Council of Europe “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022” programme.