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Author: WeBalkans

First EU – Western Balkans conference on media literacy and the fight against disinformation

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European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and EU Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Johann Sattler, today opened the first EU – Western Balkans conference on media literacy and the fight against disinformation. As part of the conference, panel discussions were hosted from three cities (Brussels, Sarajevo and Banja Luka) on the subjects of media literacy, fact-checking and disinformation, with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The conference was organised by the EU in cooperation with the BiH-based “Why Not” (Zašto ne) Association and the Association of High School Students in BiH, within the Ne Klikam u Prazno project funded by the EU with the aim of strengthening media literacy among youth.

 

In his opening address, the EU High Representative, Josep Borrell, emphasised: “Misinformation and disinformation proliferated in the Western Balkans, in the European Union and in the whole world during the pandemic. This has been dangerous for all of us. Above all because lies about medical issues can even kill.” He stressed the importance of the work of fact-checking organisations and their partners in debunking disinformation in the Western Balkans.

 

EU Ambassador Sattler spoke of the significance of the conference in view of its aim to educate the public and highlight best practices in the fight against disinformation in the region:

“The EU in BiH has been working together with the fact-checking community here for a few years, who are at the very heart of the global fight against disinformation.” He stressed that effective action on preventing the spread of disinformation requires participation not only from fact-checkers, civil society and independent media, but also the authorities and regulatory bodies, adding that cooperation in this field needs to be strengthened in the country.

 

The conference gathered over 20 experts in the field of media and information literacy, EU and regional officials as well as activists, including Tonino Picula, Member of the European Parliament; Radmila Šekerinska, North Macedonia’s Minister of Defence; Cristina Tardáguila, Associate Director of the International Fact-Checking Network; Darko Brkan, President of the Why Not Association; Jelena Vasić, a journalist from the Serbia-based Crime and Corruption Reporting Network, “KRIK”, and many others.

High Representative / Vice-President Josep Borrell met with Foreign Minister Osmani

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High Representative / Vice-President Josep Borrell met with the Foreign Minister of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, in Brussels on Monday and congratulated him on his appointment in the new government led by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

 

Josep Borrell said that the EU expects the new government to continue to deliver on the country’s EU commitments and to sustain and accelerate the implementation of EU-related reforms. This concerns in particular the rule of law and the fight against organised crime and corruption, as well as further strengthening of good neighbourly relations.

 

He also welcomed North Macedonia’s contributions to the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy missions and operations and the fact that North Macedonia’s level of alignment with EU foreign policy positions has increased in recent years.

 

The High Representative stressed that the EU remains committed to supporting North Macedonia in its response to the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences.

European Commission approves financial assistance of over €138 million for Kosovo

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The European Commission is offering over €138 million in assistance through the 2019 and 2020 Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) programmes for Kosovo, and the respective financing agreements have been signed by both parties.

 

Out of this amount, €50 million has been re-programmed to tackle the social and economic fallout of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis in the short and medium term. Support will cover democracy and governance, the rule of law and fundamental rights, the environment, climate action and energy, competitiveness, innovation, agriculture and rural development, education, employment and social policies.

 

The EU is now waiting for the ratification of these agreements by Kosovo’s institutions in order to launch the implementation.

 

The Head of the EU Office in Kosovo / EU Special Representative, Tomáš Szunyog, welcomed the signature of the IPA 2019 part II and 2020 Annual Action Programmes for Kosovo.

 

“The EU has worked hard to re-programme a large part of our assistance to meet the needs of the people in Kosovo who have been affected by COVID-19. Our support will strengthen social protection, support small businesses and help stabilise public finances. I call on the Kosovo institutions to now ratify these programmes as soon as possible,” said Szunyog.

 

Through these programmes, the European Commission will support start-ups and micro businesses, job creation and the employment of young people and women, the quality of higher education, social protection and the basic needs of families in poverty or without income, and cultural heritage and cultural tourism. It will also support Kosovo in preventing land and air degradation – and their negative impact on human health – by reducing solid waste pollution and emissions from the production of energy.

Statement by High Representative / Vice-President Borrell and Commissioner Várhelyi on the elections

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Montenegro held parliamentary elections, and local elections in five municipalities, on 30 August, under an electoral legal framework largely unchanged since the last elections, in the challenging context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The elections were peaceful and competitive, with high turnout, and were observed by local and international observers accredited by the State Electoral Commission.

 

The preliminary findings and conclusions of the international observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly highlight that the elections were managed transparently and efficiently, but note intensely polarised debate over issues of church and national identity and a number of concerns in relation to undue advantage for the ruling party and the unbalanced media coverage.

 

Once the OSCE/ODIHR final report and recommendations are issued, all political actors and relevant institutions need to engage in a transparent, decisive and inclusive dialogue on the implementation of these recommendations to address long-standing electoral shortcomings well ahead of the next elections.

 

We now look forward to the constitution of a new parliament and the formation of a new government that will continue Montenegro’s steady path towards the EU. Montenegro is well advanced in its EU accession process and the months ahead must be used to deepen and speed up political and economic reforms, particularly on the rule of law area, where the next milestone ahead is meeting the Interim Benchmarks for the Rule of Law Chapters 23 and 24.

 

The European Union is fully committed to continue supporting Montenegro’s EU accession process as well as economic recovery following the COVID-19 crisis, including through the upcoming Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans.

The EU Delegation to the Republic of North Macedonia condemns the attacks against LGBTI activist Bekim Asani

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Seven LGBTI activists from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia were mobbed, threatened and attacked by a group of men in the town of Saraj in the north-west of North Macedonia. The activists survived the attack with minor injuries thanks to the intervention of police who happened to be nearby. The perpetrators were arrested by the police and a criminal investigation was initiated.

 

The attack was condemned by a number of national and international organisations, including the EU Delegation to North Macedonia. The EU Delegation issued the following statement: “The Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of North Macedonia condemns the personal attack and death threats on LGBTI activist Bekim Asani and urges the criminal justice system to investigate the case, in order to bring the perpetrators to justice. Respect for human rights and the rule of law are cornerstones of the European Union, where every individual holds these rights, regardless of their sexual orientation.

 

The Law on Prevention and Protection against discrimination that was repealed on formal grounds was the first law in the country, to include gender identity and sexual orientation as grounds for discrimination. We urge all political parties to support the adoption of the anti-discrimination law by the new Parliament as a matter of priority, thus building on international standards and staying committed to advancing the human rights of LGBTI persons in the country.”

Team Europe: fighting the pandemic and infodemic in the Western Balkans, including Bosnia and Herzegovina

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The European Union has continued to support Western Balkans partners in mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and providing accurate information about the spread of the virus. In mobilising a substantial recovery package and involving the region in EU programmes, the EU has confirmed its commitment to assist the Western Balkans partners in these times of crisis.

 

As the High Representative / Vice President Josep Borrell said: “This is a time for solidarity, and it is a priority for the EU to support the Western Balkans, as part of our European family, in facing the impact of the pandemic.”

 

The EU assistance to this end was stepped up over the summer with ongoing deliveries of medical equipment in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including in the cities of Bihac, Doboj, Konjic, Livno, Sarajevo, and Zvornik. The EU’s overall support for the country in medical equipment is worth €7 million, consisting of – among other things – 7,500 test kits, 64 ventilators, 20 portable ultrasounds, nine x-ray machines, 2,000 oximeters and 1 million pieces of personal protective equipment delivered to date.

 

In parallel, the EU has continued supporting and engaging in media literacy initiatives for youth in the country organised by local fact-checking communities, whose work has been of paramount importance in fighting disinformation during the pandemic.

The EU boosts youth employment in the Western Balkans with €10 million for small and medium enterprises

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Thanks to a €10 million guarantee package financed by the European Union, businesses offering employment or training to young people in the Western Balkans will benefit from up to €85 million in loans. An estimated 1,200 companies will be able to benefit from these loans, which will allow them to create 1,300 vocational training courses, internships and employment opportunities for young people.

 

Across the Western Balkans, up to 99% of all businesses are of small or medium size and these businesses employ over 70% of the workforce. At the same time, unemployment rates among young people are the highest in the world. Many young workers are engaged in temporary jobs, in the informal economy, and with a high level of skill mismatch.

 

To address youth unemployment – a critical economic and social challenge for the region – the EU has provided additional guarantees through the European Investment Fund that will enable banks[1] in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo to offer loans on favourable terms to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

 

Olivér Várhelyi, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, says that he believes that support for youth employment is very important: “We continue to help SMEs as they provide a significant part of jobs in the Western Balkans. Supporting businesses that employ young people is a particular priority. Investing in youth gives momentum for a more robust, more innovative and dynamic economy in the region,” he said.

 

The EU support comes as part of the EU for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship initiative implemented under the Western Balkans Enterprise Development and Innovation Facility (WB EDIF).

 

The WB EDIF is a comprehensive financing platform combining loans, equity, guarantees, incentive grants and technical assistance to support SME growth. Since 2012, the EU has provided over €190 million through the WB EDIF, supporting 113,000 jobs and 5,400 SMEs across the Western Balkans.

 

[1] Intesa Sanpaolo Banka Bosnia i Hercegovina, ProCredit Bank Albania, ProCredit Bank Kosovo, Raiffeisen Bank Albania and Raiffeisen Bank Kosovo

Team Europe: fighting the pandemic and infodemic in the Western Balkans, including Kosovo

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

The European Union has continued to support Western Balkans partners in mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and providing accurate information about the spread of the virus. In mobilising a substantial recovery package and involving the region in EU programmes, the EU has confirmed its commitment to assist the Western Balkans partners in these times of crisis.

 

As High Representative / Vice President Josep Borrell said: “This is a time for solidarity, and it is a priority for the EU to support the Western Balkans, as part of our European family, in facing the impact of the pandemic.”

 

In August, the EU delivered a further 30 intensive care unit ventilators, 200 pulse oximeters, and 20 electrocardiograph machines with the fifth batch of its €5 million emergency assistance to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Kosovo. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the EU has delivered to Kosovo 10 ambulance vehicles, 190 hospital beds, 6 000 testing kits, 150 infusion pumps, 127 patient monitors, 1.6 million protective medical gloves, 127 000 respiratory masks, 60,000 disposable coveralls, 23,000 face shields, 3,000 protective goggles, and other medical equipment. In July, the EU signed the Macro-Financial Assistance agreement with Kosovo, worth up to €100 million to mitigate the severe socio-economic consequences of the coronavirus.

Team Europe: fighting the pandemic and infodemic in the Western Balkans, including Montenegro

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

The European Union has continued to support Western Balkans partners in mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and providing accurate information about the spread of the virus. In mobilising a substantial recovery package and involving the region in EU programmes, the EU has confirmed its commitment to assist Western Balkans partners in these times of crisis.

 

As High Representative / Vice President Josep Borrell said: “This is a time for solidarity, and it is a priority for the EU to support the Western Balkans, as part of our European family, in facing the impact of the pandemic.”

 

During July and August, the EU has delivered 86 medical ventilators and more than 235,000 pieces of personal protective equipment to Montenegro as part of the €3 million programme implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme. In July the country also received 10,000 masks via the EU civil protection mechanism. Since the outbreak of the pandemic a total of 100 hospital medical ventilators, 10 X-ray devices and more than 400,000 pieces of personal protective equipment, including surgical masks, gloves, hats, protective clothing, aprons, glasses, and shoe covers, have been delivered to the Montenegro.

Team Europe: fighting the pandemic and infodemic in Western Balkans, including North Macedonia

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

The European Union has continued to support Western Balkans partners in mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and providing accurate information about the spread of the virus. In mobilising a substantial recovery package and involving the region in EU programmes, the EU has confirmed its commitment to assist Western Balkans partners in these times of crisis.

 

As High Representative / Vice President Josep Borrell said: ”This is a time for solidarity, and it is a priority for the EU to support the Western Balkans, as part of our European family, in facing the impact of the pandemic.”

 

In July, the EU signed a Memorandum of Understanding with North Macedonia to pave the way for the disbursement of €80 million in macro-financial assistance to mitigate the severe negative socio-economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. The country has continued to receive medical equipment, including face masks.