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President von der Leyen wraps up Western Balkans visit

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“Building bridges between people, countries and cultures is so crucial for our common future. Because […] all the Western Balkans, belong in the European Union.”
 
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, wrapped up her three-day visit to the Western Balkans yesterday in Bosnia and Herzegovina. On this final day she attended the inauguration of the EU-financed Svilaj bridge, together with Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković and the Chair of Council of Ministers, Zoran Tegeltija. The new bridge over the river Sava, part of the major north-south road Corridor 5C, now connects Bosnia and Herzegovina with Croatia and by extension, the EU.
 
Her three-day visit began earlier in the week on Tuesday in Tirana, where she was received by Prime Minister Edi Rama, and President Ilir Meta. Together with the Prime Minister, von der Leyen attended the inauguration of the Korab Muça School and Europa Kindergarten, which was rebuilt with EU funds under the EU4Schools programme after the devastating 2019 earthquake.
 
In Skopje, President von der Leyen met Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, as well as President Stevo Pendarovski and visited a youth cultural centre. In Pristina, she met with President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti and visited the EU-funded Cicërimat kindergarten.
 
Later she travelled to Podgorica, where she was received by President Milo Đukanović and Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić, and visited the Institute of Public Health which received support in the fight against the pandemic.
 
On the final day of her visit, President von der Leyen was in Belgrade where she met President Aleksandar Vučić and Prime Minister Ana Brnabić. She then took part in a launch ceremony in Niš marking the start of construction works of a railway section on the International Rail Corridor X, before finalising her tour in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Western Balkans buzzing with organic farming opportunities

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An EU-funded project supports beekeepers from North Macedonia to shift to organic farming The municipality of Kavadarci is in the Tikveš region of North Macedonia. With fewer than 40,000 inhabitants, like many other rural regions in the Western Balkans the municipality suffers from young people and families migrating to bigger cities in search of a better life. Such migration was the main motivation for launching the EU-funded Vitac incubator project promoting organic beekeeping, as a lack of economic opportunity is known to be the main reason for migration to bigger cities.  Zlatka Milkov is one of those who has so far stayed in Kavadarci. She has a degree in agriculture, but worked as an accountant for some years. Meanwhile, Zlatka’s husband, who works as an electrician, keeps bees. “But I was never really interested in beekeeping; I only helped my husband packaging the honey once we had the final product,” says Zlatka. However, in 2020, her husband heard about a programme offering training on organic honey production, provided by the Vitac project, designed and implemented through the EU-funded Regional Programme on Local Democracy in the Western Balkans (ReLOaD). Zlatka had more spare time than her husband, as she was not working at that time, so he asked her if she would like to join. Reluctantly, she agreed.

“I learned many things, from the biology of bees to interesting details of honey production. Every moment was fun and interesting,”

Organic beekeeping, a future business opportunity

The training lasted for nine months and included theoretical and practical knowledge on organic beekeeping. “I learned many things, from the biology of bees to interesting details of honey production. Every moment was fun and interesting,” says Zlatka. Over the course of a year, the project supported 15 participants, including women and young people from the region. During the practical training, participants created 30 organic bee colonies which were then given to them so they could start or expand their beekeeping businesses with an organic approach. Those taking part were also certified for organic bee-rearing. Participants learned how organic food, including organic honey, is grown without the use of human-made pesticides and fertilisers, and does not contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Because of the widespread belief that organic food is safer, more nutritious, and better tasting, they were thus given access to a developing high-value market for organic food around the world.

“The support from the EU was crucial, as the municipalities in the region have funds only for very small-scale projects. With EU support, we were able to implement a much larger project and address local community needs with long-lasting impact.”

About the project The main goal of the Vitac incubator for organic beekeeping project is to prevent emigration and contribute to the revival of rural settlements in the municipality of Kavadarci. Project activities have included theoretical and practical training for the target group in producing organic bee products and bee colonies. In addition, through the information centre that was established, farmers from the municipality of Kavadarci nowreceive free advice and guidance on how to convert their agricultural production to organic. The project was implemented by the Biovita Association of Organic Producers, financed as part of the EU-funded ReLOaD-Programme and co-financed by the Municipality of Kavadarci. Biljana Georgievska, the project manager, explains that the project required a lot of effort to be implemented properly, but also depended on commitment from participants. “The support from the EU was crucial, as the municipalities in the region have funds only for very small-scale projects. With EU support we were able to implement a much larger project and address local community needs with long-lasting impact,” she says. Zlatka has now become the leader of the family’s bee-rearing business which is now almost 100% organic. Meanwhile, the family won first prize for the quality of their honey in an annual national competition in Tetovo. “I am thinking of opening a shop for organic food in the near future. If we can make this work out then perhaps I could be working here on this full time in the future,” says Zlatka.

Winners of the 2021 EU Award for Roma Integration in the Western Balkans and Turkey announced

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Today, the European Commission announced the 14 winners of the fourth EU Award for Roma Integration in the Western Balkans and Turkey. This year’s award recognises Extraordinary People Promoting Equality through Employment. The winners include a window-cleaning business in Albania, the Montenegro Red Cross and the Municipality of Konak in western Turkey. The award ceremony took place in the framework of the 5thEU Roma Week (27 – 30 September 2021).

 

Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, said: “Congratulations to all the winners for your contribution to such an important issue! You took courageous initiatives overcoming prejudices to promote Roma employment. With your diverse actions and your successful results, you show that progress on Roma employment is possible. I hope this Award will help expand your initiatives as role models for increasing Roma employment and for making our societies more equal and fair.”

 

Launched in 2014, the EU Award for Roma integration in the Western Balkans and Turkey aims to highlight the importance of Roma integration in the EU Enlargement process and to show the EU’s determination and commitment to improving the social inclusion of Roma people. With the Award, the EU recognises all efforts to empower Roma to reach their full potential as full members of the societies where they live and work. The prize will help fund future projects and opportunities benefitting Roma.

 

Of the estimated 10-12 million Roma living in Europe, about 1 million live in the Western Balkans and 2.8 million in Turkey. The full integration and inclusion of Roma people is a key priority for the EU and starts with employment. Roma integration is one of the conditions enlargement partners have to fulfil to become an EU Member State.

 

Background

 

This year’s EU Award for Roma Integration is dedicated to Extraordinary People Promoting Equality through Employment. It recognises private and public initiatives that offer support, recognition and publicity to unemployment in the Roma communities, especially among women, and that support positive role models and practical help.

 

Of the 67 applications submitted, 14 projects representing the Western Balkan partners and Turkey, have been chosen for their outstanding contribution. The nominees often put themselves at risk by being role models and breaking established traditions. They, for instance:

 

-strengthen Roma people employability and women’s empowerment;

-offer career guidance and mentoring support for Roma people, providing professional vocational training and internships;

-increase informed Roma citizen participation in decision-making processes;

-improve access to social rights, quality employment, and public services such as education, healthcare, and housing;

-combat violence against women and child marriage, enabling Roma women to be independent;

-work with public and private sector actors and businesses to change their perspective of Roma people and to reduce illiteracy;

-help micro-businesses with no collateral, and therefore ineligible for business loans, to buy equipment

 

The commitment of these organisations and companies to combatting unemployment through funding, training, and practical support has improved the economic prospects of hundreds of Roma men, women, and young people but has also advanced Roma’s integration into society at large. The EU Roma integration award aims to boost political commitment and support for Roma inclusion in Western Balkans and Turkey, focusing each year differently. The award is funded by the European Union and implemented by Roma Active Albania.

President Von der Leyen visits the Western Balkans

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is in the Western Balkans this week (28-30 September) ahead of the EU-Western Balkans Summit on 6 October.  
Her three-day visit began with her arrival on Tuesday morning in Tirana, where she was received by Prime Minister Edi Rama, and President Ilir Meta. Together with the Prime Minister, von der Leyen attended the inauguration of the Korab Muça School and Europa Kindergarten, which was rebuilt with EU funds under the EU4Schools programme after the devastating 2019 earthquake.  
She then travelled to Skopje, where she met Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, as well as President Stevo Pendarovski and visited a youth cultural centre  with Prime Minister Zaev.  
On Wednesday morning, President von der Leyen arrived in Pristina, where she met with President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti and visted an EU-funded kindergarten. She travels later to  Podgorica, where she will visit the Institute of Public Health which received support in the fight against the pandemic.  
On Thursday the President will be in Belgrade to take part in a launch event of a railway Corridor X project. Von der Leyen’s last stop will be Bosnia and Herzegovina, where she will attend the opening ceremony of the Svilaj Bridge connecting Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

EU supporting the Western Balkans to combat cross-border crime

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Cross-border crime can only be eradicated with cross-border cooperation. This was the key message from Olivér Várhelyi, EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, to over 150 public prosecutors and other law enforcement authorities at the launch of the 21st edition of the European Union’s Technical Assistance and Information Exchange (TAIEX) International Forum for Prosecutors, on 28–29 September.

 

Criminals are increasingly operating across the state borders and ruthlessly exploiting the unprecedented pandemic situation. This is why judicial cooperation against cybercrime, terrorism and environmental crime was the focus of this year’s Forum. These topics are central to the EU Security Union Strategy, which calls for closer police and judicial cooperation, including with EU’s closest neighbourhood.

 

The two-day virtual conference was organised jointly with the EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, EUROJUST, and the European Public Prosecutors’ Office. It brought together senior prosecutors and representatives of the judiciary from the EU Member States, the Western Balkans, and the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhoods to exchange lessons from investigating and prosecuting cross-border crime.

 

Speaking at the event, Laura Kövesi, European Chief Prosecutor (pictured) explained the key role played by the EPPO: “The EPPO is a single prosecution office. We have the ability to investigate cross-border in 22 Member States of the EU so far, without cumbersome mutual legal assistance formalities. […] The EPPO has the potential to change the paradigm of cross border investigations involving organised crime.”

 

Over the past year alone, TAIEX has enabled over 30 initiatives mobilising over 70 EU experts from 19 countries to support partners in strengthening their institutional capacities to combat organised and serious crime. Further activities will be designed jointly with partner countries to take forward the outcomes of the Forum.

 

Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2021, TAIEX is the European Union’s tool for mobilising European public sector expertise to support peer learning with partner country administrations.

Italy to host EU-Balkan Youth Forum in November

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The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has announced that it will host the EU-Balkan Youth Forum in Rome from 22 to 26 November. The Forum will gather students from all over Europe to discuss shared challenges of the future of Europe and membership of the Western Balkans.

 

Organised by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) as lead partner, other organising partners include the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) based in Tirana, the Centro Studi Politica Internazionale (Rome) and Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (Trento). The Forum will bring together 33 countries, 78 students, ten mentors and policy makers from across Europe, to gather new perspectives and chart a common path for further action. Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio will attend the final session and report the results to the Conference on the Future of Europe.

 

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will also set aside funds for the network to develop future projects based on the conclusions of the Forum on institutional, economic and social issues.

 

Applications are welcome from university students from all EU Member States and the Western Balkan region, with a proven interest in EU integration and social activism. The agenda and application form are available at www.eubalkanforum.org. The deadline for applications is 15 October.

EU allocates additional grant for flood risk management in Serbia

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A new EU-funded project worth €1.3 million has been launched to support the preparation of Flood Risk Management Plans and Strategic Environmental Assessments for the four river basins – Zapadna, Južna and Velika Morava, and Kolubara in Serbia. Technical assistance is being offered in support of the Central Serbia Flood Risk Management Project which will contribute significantly to the management of flood risk, in line with the EU Floods Directive, and to the reduction in damage caused by flooding.

 

A team of international and national experts from Infrastructure Project Facility IPF10 will support the project implementation unit established within the Public Water Management Company (PWMC) Srbijavode, to develop the plans and thereby facilitate considerable strategic investment. The total costs for the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) “Flood Risk Management Programme for Central Serbia” project are estimated at €250 million, with financing through a €221 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The remaining project costs will be covered by a national contribution of approximately €27.5 million and the €1.3 million EU technical assistance grant through the WBIF.

EU Awards for Investigative Journalism presented in North Macedonia

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The EU Awards for Investigative Journalism for North Macedonia in 2021 were presented on 15 September at the Aleksandar Palace Hotel in Skopje.

 

First prize went to the young journalists of Radio MOF, Jasmina Jakimova, Bojan Sasevski, Daniel Evrosimoski and Emilija Petreska, for their investigative story, “Following the Balkan Lynx’s Footsteps – an Investigative Story in Two Sequels”. Second prize went to the team from Investigative Reporting Lab – Macedonia, for a series of investigations into the medical equipment business in the wake of the pandemic, “Pandemic profiteering – The Other Side of the Covid-19 Story”. The third prize went to “Only 44 people work, but 1,410 get paid”, an investigative series about the work of a government ministry, by Kristina Ozimec and Vlatko Stojanovski.

 

The EU awards have the overall goal of celebrating and promoting the outstanding achievements of investigative journalists from the Western Balkan countries and Turkey, as well as improving the visibility of quality investigative journalism in these countries. Stories published between 2018 and 2020 have been awarded prizes for investigative journalism through the “Strengthening Quality News and Independent Journalism in the Western Balkans and Turkey” EU-funded project in 2019, 2020, and 2021. The project covers the EU candidate and potential candidate countries of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey.

EU in Kosovo supports young professionals to learn graphic design

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Twelve students and young professionals from Prishtina/Priština, Vushtrri/Vučitrn and North Mitrovica attended a masterclass on graphic design basics, organised at Europe House North Mitrovica and led by graphic designer Aleksandar Kasalović.

 

Aleksandra, a 17 year old student in North Mitrovica, was one of the participants. She said that the masterclass was of real help to her. “I really enjoyed this masterclass because it prepared us for the real world – for example how to deal with customers, how to set our priorities and create a name for ourselves, and how to be unique and creative.”

 

The graphic design basics masterclass was financed by the European Union Office in Kosovo.

“Finally a place to call my own”

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A programme co-funded by the EU offers a Croatian refugee a new home and life in Serbia Mira Mihajlović (43) grew up with her father, mother and a younger brother in a village near Karlovac in Croatia. She had a happy childhood and studied tourism at high school and dreamed of becoming a tourism manager. Her life changed with the start of the war in 1995 when Mira was 17. “It was horrible; we didn’t know how to react, but our gut feeling said that we needed to move – to run,” says Mira. So Mira and her family took to the road. Initially, they joined a refugee convoy and as they did not have vehicle, they were helped by a neighbour who had a tractor. Eventually, they ran out of fuel, and had to continue by foot for a few more days. While walking through the forest, Mira’s brother – who was only 13 – got separated from them so they had to turn back. Luckily, they found him but Mira says that her brother had problems and nightmares for some time afterwards because of this experience.

“I did not have much faith that I would be supported to get a house of my own. Actually, I did not believe it at all.”

When they first came to Serbia, Mira and her family lived in collective centres for refugees and worked in the corn fields, cleaned houses and chopped wood to earn a living. After a while, Mira got married, but the marriage did not work out, and two years later she divorced. She went back to live with her family. “It was very hard. It was difficult to find a job, and we had to pay rent and cover other expenses,” she says. She moved out again, and settled with her young son in the village of Ratar close to Obrenovac. She was lucky to find a job as a cleaning lady in a nearby school, but it was still difficult to cover their rent with her salary. Mira heard from a neighbour that the Regional Housing Programme (RHP) was helping refugees and people who have been displaced from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina with housing problems. She decided to apply for their help, although she was very sceptical about the prospect of getting a roof over her head. “I did not have much faith that I would be supported to get a house of my own. Actually, I did not believe it at all,” she says. Positive future ahead The Regional Housing Programme, of which the EU is the main donor, responded positively to Mira’s request. They said they could offer Mira an apartment, or, if she had land, the project would support her in building a house on it. Mira chose a third option, where the programme helped her purchase the house where she was already living as a tenant.

 “For the first time in my life I have something of my own. I am really happy and relaxed. I fall asleep peacefully when I go to bed.”

About the project The Regional Housing Programme (RHP) is a joint initiative of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. The RHP aims to contribute to the resolution of the protracted displacement situation of the most vulnerable refugees and displaced people following the 1991-1995 conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. Based on the current pledges of the international donor community, by the end of 2022, the RHP should have provided a durable housing solution for 11,800 of the most vulnerable families – meaning over 36,000 people in the four partner countries. The total cost of these projects is €291 million, out of which €237 million (80%) will have been financed by the RHP donors and the remaining €54 million (20%) from the partner countries. With €235 million, the European Union is the main donor to the Programme. When she finally bought the house, her life changed radically for the better with relief from the burden of rent. With support from Catholic Relief Services, she was also able to build a greenhouse in her garden where she grows vegetables which she sells in the local market for additional income. “For the first time in my life I have something of my own. I am really happy and relaxed. I fall asleep peacefully when I go to bed,” says Mira. Mira says she looks positively to the future. Part of her plans include opening a small shop in the barn in her garden, as the village does not have a shop, and this would be a way to earn the income to provide a better future for her son. Now that she feels her luck has changed, she believes that she may get further support from donors for her enterprise.