Author: WeBalkans

The European Union, like most democratic countries around the world, marks 17th May as the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT). Protecting the rights of members of the LGBTIQ+ community is one of the EU’s key priorities.

Since the end of the 90s of the last century, the EU has been advocating for the equality of lesbians, gay men, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer individuals, and other sexual minorities, in line with its strong commitment to promoting and protecting fundamental human rights for all. Yet, these groups still face discrimination across the world, including in the Western Balkans. The EU works to raise public awareness of LGBTIQ+ rights, while also taking practical steps to improve protection and social inclusion for these communities, both in member states and in candidate countries. One such practical example is a safe house for LGBTIQ+ victims of discrimination which located in Sarajevo, at a confidential address and operated by the Wings of Hope Foundation.

“The house opened in 2024, and in April we celebrated its one-year anniversary. We were able to create this safe space thanks to the understanding and support of the EU and the Council of Europe. Many LGBTIQ+ people experience various forms of abuse, including physical violence, even in their own homes after coming out. For some persons their families may withdraw financial or emotional support, making continued schooling impossible, or schools themselves may refuse reasonable accommodation. For them this shelter  is crucial to have a space where they can find  protection”, says Nejla Zejnilagić, a coordinator at Wings of Hope.

This safe house operates on the same principles as shelters for women survivors of domestic violence.

“We are offering a roof over their heads, food, hygiene products, and psychological support, which we provide in cooperation with the Sarajevo Open Centre. Adults over the age of 18 can stay for up to six months or less if they become self-sufficient sooner”, says Zejnilagić.  She adds that the safe house can host up to six residents and currently serves only people from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

At the time of the interview with WeBalkans four people were staying at the house, all saying that “this free and safe space has changed their lives”.

Coordinator Zejnilagić also mentions a visit from a like-minded organisation in Serbia, which expressed interest in implementing a similar project. In addition to the safe house, the EU is supporting several training courses and educational initiatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina aimed at recognising and combating hate speech, including those targeted at civil servants. Similar activities are taking place in North Macedonia and Albania.

In North Macedonia, the first national helpline for members of the LGBTIQ+ community was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of a project promoting diversity and equality. However, the helpline has since been shut down. Currently, members of the LGBTIQ+ community in the country can access counselling services provided by the organisation EGAL, and a new SOS line is expected to be launched soon.

“Thanks to EU support, we will be launching a green line with the number 0800-66666, which will operate 24/7 in Macedonian. We will also provide psychological support and one-on-one sessions for LGBTIQ+ victims of violence. Additionally, we are seeking funding to reopen the LGBTIQ+ safe house we were forced to close a few months ago”, said Ivana Kostovska, director of the now-closed safe house in Skopje.

In Albania 2024 saw the first symbolic same-sex wedding, made possible through the efforts and support of the EU. However, same-sex marriage is still not legally recognised in the country. Through the “Proud of Rights” project in Albania, the EU has focused on promoting equality, social inclusion, and non-discrimination of women and LGBTIQ+ individuals. This project includes youth training, awareness-raising campaigns, and capacity building for civil-society organisations in cities such as Tirana, Shkodër, and Lezhë. Albania also has a national action plan for the LGBTIQ+ community for the period 2021–2027, supported by the EU’s efforts at the UN, especially through UNDP.

The EU also strongly supports the LGBTIQ+ community in Serbia and Montenegro. In Montenegro, the project “Combating Hate and Intolerance” backed the development of the National LGBTI Strategy for the 2024–2029 period, as well as an evaluation of the previous strategy (2019–2023). In Serbia, awareness-raising efforts are ongoing. In both countries, EU delegations actively support Pride events. Every year, to mark Pride, the EU Delegation to Serbia is lit up in the colours of the LGBTIQ+ flag.

In Kosovo the EU supports various activities commemorating IDAHOT including poetry nights and the promotion of the first LGBTIQ+ radio show “Lequ Zemër”. The EU also supports the Centre for Equality and Liberty (CEL) which works to strengthen the LGBT community by preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, raising public awareness of LGBTIQ+ rights and advocating for equal rights in accordance with the country’s constitution and laws. Over the years, this Centre has organised advocacy campaigns, promoted social change, and provided psychosocial support, free legal assistance, housing, and other resources. In 2024 alone, the EU supported a range of CEL initiatives aimed at empowering the LGBTIQ+ community, such as professional make-up training, media monitoring of hate speech, student advocacy scholarships, and legal aid workshops. The EU also gave strong backing to Pride Week in Pristina, which concluded with a Pride Parade.

On 17 May 1990, the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its list of diseases, and this date was subsequently designated as the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT). The EU and its member states are committed to key legal instruments including the Treaty of Amsterdam (1997), “the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (2000), and various anti-discrimination directives. The results of a 2024 survey conducted by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) revealed that 37% of LGBTIQ+ individuals had encountered some form of  “conversion therapy” — a practice aimed at “curing” sexual orientation and/or gender identity which has far-reaching negative consequences.

All EU membership candidates in the Western Balkans region (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia) celebrated Europe Day with various festivities. Across the cities, concerts, exhibitions, theatre performances, interactive workshops, and quizzes took place, involving participants of all generations—primarily young people—as well as artists from the region and EU member states.

In Albania, much of May was dedicated to the EU through various artistic events held at multiple venues under the common theme of EU Weeks – A Space for Creativity.
“The EU is a complex construct encompassing many different identities, pasts, histories, and cultures, and yet everyone lives together, connected by a sense of belonging to Europe and a shared desire for peace and a good life. I can’t think of a better way to live,” said Žaklina, one of the artists who took part in the activities.

To mark Europe Day in Bosnia and Herzegovina, secondary school students in four cities took part in workshops where they assumed roles such as EU leaders, diplomats, representatives of EU member and candidate countries, activists, and journalists, engaging in processes of negotiation and decision-making. Through active debate and teamwork, they explored the complexity of these processes.

Ambassador Luigi Soreca, Head of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina and EU Special Representative in the country, stated on the occasion that young people are not mere observers in the EU accession process.

“They are already shaping the conversation, and their voices will shape the future,” said Soreca. The EU Delegation noted that the young participants “demonstrated an impressive level of diplomacy, public speaking, critical thinking, and mutual respect and understanding in overcoming differences.”

One of the participants commented that it was not easy: “It’s really hard to always have solid arguments for what you want, and sometimes you need to let go of ideas that seem brilliant. But we need to learn how to act, because the EU is about compromise—and that is our future. The idea of human rights and travelling without borders, with the chance to live, study, and work in such a vast space, is very appealing,” said Amna from Mostar.

Europe Day is an official holiday in Kosovo, and to mark the occasion, citizens enjoyed a variety of events: creative workshops for children, traditional food from various EU member states, classical music and children’s choir concerts, films from European countries. In North Mitrovica, the student dormitory was decorated with a mural celebrating EU values, and participants said there was plenty of laughter, joy, and cheer.

In Montenegro, Europe Day celebrations included the Ministry of European Integration, in cooperation with local municipalities and with EU support through the EU4ME project, organising the European Tour – Games Without Borders from 9 to 20 May. The events took place in six cities (Nikšić, Žabljak, Pljevlja, Berane, Petnjica and Bar), featuring competitions for upper primary school pupils to showcase their knowledge of the EU. They were enthusiastically supported by parents, representatives of the Montenegrin Government, the EU Delegation and EU embassies, as well as famous athletes from the host cities.
In general, the whole month of May in Montenegro was devoted to the EU through art, culture, education, games, and environmental activities across the country. Events also included a concert by the group Perper and performances by a symphony orchestra.

The EU emphasised that Europe Day celebrations serve as a reminder of the Union’s founding principles and values, including stability, prosperity, and unity across Europe.
Michalis Rokas, Head of the EU Mission in North Macedonia, stated at the Europe Day celebration there that “the EU has always been built by those who dared to think and act boldly.”
“Bold action is still needed from all of us, including future member states. Let us continue to build a Europe that stands for peace, democracy, solidarity and shared values,” said Rokas, during an event where secondary school students from several towns played ElectionVille and demonstrated strong understanding of democratic principles.

In Serbia, the main celebration was held in Belgrade on the banks of the Danube. It featured exhibitions, singing workshops, visits to a pollinator garden, children’s performances, and cooking sessions with recipes from different EU member states. One of the silos was transformed into an artwork by NeSpoon, a Polish artist, who painted it with lace motifs traditionally handmade by Serbian women.
“We had such a great time today. The EU seems even more beautiful and appealing now—perhaps not the perfect solution, but there’s no better one now,” said Dejan, whom we met along the Danube.

Europe Day is marked on 9 May in remembrance of the year 1950, when Robert Schuman, then French Foreign Minister, proposed the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, stating that this would make war “not only unthinkable but materially impossible.” On that day, he proposed the Declaration on a United Europe, which is considered the beginning of the formation of the European Union.

“Europe will not be made all at once. It will be built through concrete achievements,” he said at the time. This year, 75 years later, the message Together we are stronger echoed through numerous events.

The Growth Plan for the Western Balkans is an offer from the European Union to membership candidates (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo,  Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia ) to accelerate their accession process. The Growth Plan provides for a faster integration into the EU’s Single Market, while requiring stronger regional economic cooperation, which is expected to lead to an accelerated socio-economic convergence with the EU. To support these reforms, a fund of €6 billion has been prepared – comprising €2 billion in grants and €4 billion in concessional loans – conditional on the implementation of specific reforms and alignment of domestic legislation with the EU acquis.

It is estimated that the implementation of the Growth Plan could provide significant momentum to reforms, potentially leading to a doubling of the region’s economies over the next decade.

“The Growth Plan does not affect the ongoing accession processes, or the specific conditions set within those frameworks, particularly regarding fundamental principles. The Common Regional Market is an initiative agreed upon by the leaders of the Western Balkans  at the Berlin Process Summit in Sofia in 2020. This market, along with its accompanying action plan, aims to enable the free movement of goods, services, capital, and people within the region”, the Growth Plan states, emphasising that “speed is key” and that the plan is intended to help the region focus on their shared future as EU members and overcome bilateral challenges hindering progress.

Adi Ćerimagić, an analyst from the European Stability Initiative, explains that the EU is attempting to provide membership candidates with some of the benefits of membership in advance.

“One component is additional funding to narrow the gap between what EU members and candidate countries receive. However, this comes with the requirement of a detailed reform plan that covers not only the rule of law and economic reform, but also other areas such as public administration and public procurement reform, depending on each country’s needs. Another aspect is pre-accession benefits, with the expectation that candidate countries will adopt legislation and institutions enabling them to function as if they were members. A good example is SEPA, which allows banks in candidate countries to conduct euro transactions as if they were in the EU, without additional fees, but this requires adapting national legislation and banking regulations,” says Ćerimagić, noting that the essence of the Growth Plan is to offer candidates more money and more opportunities for their economies and citizens, based on the pace at which they implement reforms.

Professor Lejla Ramić-Mesihović, from the Department of International Relations at the International Burch University (IBU), says this represents a major opportunity.

“The Growth Plan is an excellent opportunity to strengthen the Common Regional Market of the Western Balkans and connect it with the EU’s Single Market, which we are all oriented towards. It is essentially a pot of money to which we all have access”

The Growth Plan focuses on seven key areas: the free movement of goods, services and workers; access to euro-denominated payments; easier road transport; decarbonisation and energy market integration; a common digital market; and integration into industrial supply chains. Some of the opportunities created include new employment prospects, free public internet access, cheaper and faster money transfers (via SEPA), reduced border waiting times for road transport (green lanes), and digital hubs for start-up companies. The prerequisites for these benefits include harmonising border control legislation, signing the Convention on a Common Transit Procedure, reforming public finances in line with European standards, and mutual recognition of skills and qualifications between the EU and the Western Balkans – including professional qualifications, building on the existing mobility agreements.

The Growth Plan covers the period from 2024 to 2027, and the allocated funds will be distributed based on a formula that includes GDP, population, and several other criteria. According to preliminary estimates, Albania could receive €922 million, Montenegro €383 million, Kosovo €880 million, North Macedonia €750 million, Serbia €1.58 billion, while Bosnia and Herzegovina, once it finalises its reform agenda, could be eligible for €1.85 billion. At least 50% of the total amount will be directed towards investments through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). The remaining funds will go directly to the governments of the Western Balkans, and access to the funds will depend on the progress made in implementing the reform agendas each country has developed.

Disbursements will take place twice a year, based on applications submitted by the Western Balkan governments, but only after the European Commission confirms that all conditions have been met – such as macroeconomic stability, sound public financial management, transparency, and budget oversight.

The Growth Plan was adopted on 8 November 2023, and by April 2025 the European Commission had approved the Reform Agendas of Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Bosnia and Herzegovina has yet to receive the “green light.”

The Western Balkan governments have been warned that if they fail to meet payment conditions, the Commission will suspend or withhold the corresponding amounts. Furthermore, those that do not implement reforms within a year or two will be required to return the funds, which will then be redistributed to others.