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Author: WeBalkans

WBIF Annual Report 2020- summary highlights

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in Publications.

This summary report highlights results and achievements of on the Western Balkans Investment Framework’s (WBIF) support during 2020. The WBIF is a donor coordination platform that pools funds from various sources, including the European Commission. The WBIF provides supports strategic investments in energy , environment, social, transport and digital infrastructure, as well as the private sector.

TAIEX and Twinning Highlights 2020

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in Publications.

This report provides detailed information on the contribution of TAIEX and Twinning projects for year 2020. TAIEX – Technical Assistance and Information Exchange – offers peer-to-peer technical assistance and policy support from public specialists based in EU Member States to beneficiaries in the Western Balkan region. Twinning supports cooperation between public administrations in EU Member States and Western Balkan partners.

EU supports water provision to Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

The EU has donated a special water tank vehicle to provide fresh water to areas in need in the Bihać area of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). This support is particularly important in the summer months with high temperatures and reduced water availability for both the local population and migrants accommodated in temporary reception centres. The donated water tank vehicle is worth over 271,500 BAM (€138,000).  
In a context of increased numbers of refugees and migrants, the European Union has supported Bosnia and Herzegovina with border and migration management since 2018. Thanks to EU assistance, temporary reception centres provide basic accommodation, food and water, sanitation and hygiene, clothing and counselling services, as well as access to education and health services for migrants residing in BiH. Funds have also enabled the purchase of equipment and expert technical assistance to institutions and agencies including the country’s Ministry of Security, Service for Foreigners’ Affairs, and border police, and to Una-Sana Canton’s Ministry of the Interior.  
The EU Support to Migration and Border Management in Bosnia and Herzegovina project is funded through an Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) Special Measure and is implemented by the International Organisation for Migration in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Unicef, the United Nations Population Fund and the Danish Refugee Council.

Youth from Albania and North Macedonia break down prejudices

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

The Institute of Romani Culture in Albania and the ROMALITICO Institute for Research and Policy analysis from North Macedonia have organised a summer camp within the Promoting Intercultural Understanding, Reconciliation and Acceptance EU-funded project managed by RYCO.
 
The summer camp brought together 30 Roma and non-Roma young people from Albania and North Macedonia who were able to gain deeper understanding of diversity and acceptance, design small-scale projects on intercultural dialogue, tackle issues of prejudice and discrimination, and strengthen their cooperation in working with vulnerable and marginalised youth. The young participants were also provided with the opportunity of getting to know new cultures, people and perspectives.
 
During the summer camp, the participants exchanged experiences and knowledge on topics of identity, culture and acceptance, and worked together on designing new initiatives and ideas that they will soon implement in their communities.  At the end of the camp, the participants discussed their project ideas for addressing Roma-related challenges and explored ways of putting these initiatives into action.

Dona Srdikj Lazarevska

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in YEA of the month.

YEA of the Month June 2021

Dona is a Young European Ambassador from North Macedonia. Dona has shown her dedication and motivation to be a voice of youth since the very beginning of our journey. By taking active part in the ‘She Leads’ event by YEAs which focused on female empowerment, discussing youth activism in a debate on Balkan Trafik festival, but also starring as a guest on regional podcasts dedicated to youth – Dona continues to inspire her peers to contribute to the society by showing initiative. We can’t wait for her next step on the journey of changing the world one good deed at the time!

Berlin Process Summit

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in Publications.

This brochure provides information on the activities and outcomes of the Berlin Process Summit 2021. The Berlin Process is an initiative aimed at stepping up regional cooperation in the Western Balkans and aiding the integration of these countries into the European Union.

Baby-inspired entrepreneur from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in Stories.

An EU-funded project supports an enterprising mother on her journey to build an innovative business Mirna Perendija is a mother of three from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She worked for a long time in a range of jobs from banking to sales trade. Thirteen years ago, she became a mother for the first time, and her first-born not only brought her joy and happiness, but also paved the way for an innovative business endeavour. Thirteen years later, she is the owner of a small size company that is thriving, with EU support. Apart from covering the local market she is also planning to introduce her product to the EU market. Mirna remembers that at the time when she became a parent there were no ergonomic baby carriers available in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She got one for her child with the help of friends who lived abroad. For her second child she decided to sew a baby carrier of her own and that is when she started thinking that baby carriers could be a good business idea. It would solve a problem for many other parents, who, like Mirna, had to import or purchase them from abroad with the help of friends and relatives.

“I decided that from then on I would not work for other people, but instead I would work to develop my own business.”

From part-time to full-time business At first, Mirna was producing baby carriers for friends, relatives and colleagues on her own as a part-time job at home. However, as time passed the requests continued to grow, and in 2015 she made the decision to turn this part-time job into a bigger business enterprise. “I decided that from then on I would not work for other people, but instead I would work to develop my own business,” she says. She continuously improved her products by modifying, adapting and refining the design and functionality of her baby carriers. As demand increased, she hired additional part-time associates who helped her with production. However, at a certain point she needed to make a bigger leap. She was lacking business management information and the skills to further expand her business and also needed machines. That is when she heard about the EU-funded EU4Business project. “I saw the opportunity published on Facebook, and I thought, ‘this is just what I need’ and decided to apply,” says Mirna.

 “I believe firmly in women’s entrepreneurship and think that women entrepreneurs can make miracles happen with a little support. That is why I am hoping to employ at least three more single mums in our company, as I was a single mum once.”

About the project EU4Business aims to stimulate the development of entrepreneurship, export-oriented sectors, tourism and agriculture in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The overall budget of EU4Business is €16 million which is jointly funded by the European Union (€15 million) and the German government (€1.1 million). The project is jointly implemented by GIZ (the German Corporation for International Cooperation), the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations Development Programme and will end by March 2022. With the support of the EU4Business project, Mirna received training on business management skills and €5000 of financial support with which she purchased an upgraded machine. With this investment, she managed to increase the quality and quantity of production and now has the necessary international product certifications for export to EU member states. Now she is planning to further expand her business and further increase the number of workers and associates. “I believe firmly in women’s entrepreneurship and think that women entrepreneurs can make miracles happen with a little support. That is why I am hoping to employ at least three more single mums in our company, as I was a single mum once,” says Mirna.

€20 million grants for the development of innovation in Serbia

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

Companies in Serbia will be able to benefit from €20 million in grant funding from the Innovation Fund of Serbia. The funds will be available for use in developing innovative technologies, products and services with market application and potential for commercialisation. The funds will be provided as part of the Increased Innovation Capacity and Technological Readiness of SMEs project , funded by the government of Serbia and the European Union through its Pre-accession Assistance for 2018 (IPA 2018) programme. Companies will be able to apply for grants for the development of innovations through the mini grants programme, matching grants programme and collaborative grant scheme programme.  
The first public call, worth €9 million, is open until 15 September 2021, and project applications from all areas of science and technology and all industrial sectors are eligible to apply through the Innovation Fund portal. The next public call for applications to funding programmes is expected at the end of November 2021.  
From its inception, the support of the European Union through the Innovation Fund programmes has given a crucial stimulus to the financing of innovations in Serbia and the strengthening of ties between the research and private sectors.

EU allocates €13.5 million for civil society in the Western Balkans

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

The European Union continues to support the Western Balkans in strengthening partnership between local authorities and civil society through its Regional Programme for Local Democracy in the Western Balkans (ReLOaD2) project. ReLOaD2 will draw from the experience of the successful ReLOaD1 project and will be implemented in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia by expanding the successful model of transparent funding of civil society projects.  The project will also support stronger civic engagement and work on engagement of youth in local communities. Special focus will be placed on young people by creating an opportunity for them to have their first work experience, traineeships, and opportunities in their local communities.  
The second phase of the ReLOaD project is funded by the European Union with €13.5 million and is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme. It will include local self-government units from the six beneficiaries of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance from the Western Balkans.  
From 2021 to 2024, around 300 civil society organisations will implement projects in 50 local self-government units, with around 40,000 people benefiting from the activities.

EU-funded project announces winners of best environmental journalism in Kosovo

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

On 7 July the Europeanisation of Kosovo’s Environmental Agenda project, funded by the EU, organised an awards ceremony to recognise the three best journalistic stories dealing with environmental issues in Kosovo over the previous year.

 

The first prize, of €1,000 euros, was awarded to Valjeta Kosumi and Visar Krasniqi, two journalists from Radio Television of Kosovo who produced a five-part documentary series titled Our Home, which addresses issues like global warming, air pollution, river pollution, deforestation and waste management. The second prize, of €800, was awarded to Besnik Boletini and Qëndrim Bunjaku from the Çohu NGO for their in-depth investigation into air pollution, titled Air – A Mortal Threat. The third prize, of €500 euros, was awarded to Sanie Jusufi from KOHA for her three-part story, Abuse of Water, which examines Kosovo’s water capacity, highlighting the lack of clean water and the severe problems with river pollution.

 

The awards were presented by the European Union Special Representative for Kosovo, Mr. Tomáš Szunyog.  The award ceremony was organised as part of the Green Energy Days 2021 initiative.