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Author: WeBalkans

Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro and neighbours clean riverbed of Ribnica River

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To mark the European Clean Shore Day, which was organised for the sixth time this year in Montenegro, the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro, representatives of EU embassies in Montenegro, and the Young European Ambassadors organised a clean-up of the Ribnica River’s riverbed near the Delegation’s residence. This year, the Delegation’s neighbourhood and several city secretariats with offices nearby also joined the action, all with a common message that the fight for a cleaner environment starts “in your own home.”

 

EU Ambassador to Montenegro Oana Cristina Popa reminded everyone that the pollution of the seas, especially plastic pollution, doesn’t only affect the ecosystem but also our health. Therefore, it is essential to not only preserve the banks of rivers, lakes, and seas for everyday activities, but to also safeguard the oceans and their inhabitants from the 37 million tons of plastic waste that ends up in them each year.

 

The local community responded to the Delegation’s call to jointly mark the European Clean Shore Day, and Ambassador Popa announced that similar actions would be organised by the Delegation more frequently and in different locations in Podgorica. She also invited the citizens of Podgorica to organise themselves in cleaning the riverbanks of plastic waste in their city.

Ukrainian Theatre Company Opens 63rd MESS Theatre Festival with EU Support

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The 63rd International Theatre Festival MESS opened this evening with Albert Camus’ Caligula, performed by the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre from Kyiv, Ukraine. The highly symbolic decision taken by the MESS Festival’s organisers to connect two capital cities tragically marked by war was supported by the European Union, which financed the costs for the 17 members of the Ukrainian company, as well as their theatre set, to travel to Sarajevo. Due to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the group from the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre were obliged to make a two-day journey to Sarajevo overland.

 

Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Adebayo Babajide, who attended the opening, said, “Art and artists have always played an important role in times of war. By creating art and cultural resistance, they encourage people and share valuable moments with their audiences. The organisers of MESS decided to open the Festival with a demonstration of solidarity with Ukraine by inviting a Ukrainian theatre company to perform ‘Caligula’, and I’m glad that the EU was able to support.”

 

The European Union is the largest provider of support for culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina as an expression of the EU’s motto ‘United in Diversity’ and the belief that culture is a universal value that asks important questions, stimulates reflection, bridges differences and encourages respect for diversity.

EU4AGRI: Trebinje welcomes a new City market with European Union Support

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Stefano Ellero, Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Mayor of Trebinje, Mirko Ćurić, officially opened the new City Market in Trebinje on September 29th, 2023. The investment, which includes the procurement of twenty mobile sales units specifically designed to cater to the needs of local agricultural producers in Trebinje and its neighboring area of which three were adapted to the needs of persons with disabilities, amounts to approximately 260,000 KM, with the European Union providing around 200,000 KM in financing.

 

The City Market in Trebinje is one of a total of 12 local self-government units that will improve their market infrastructure through EU4AGRI. The project envisages the construction of green and livestock markets, marketplaces, purchase stations, improvement of mobile fair infrastructure, installation of solar panels, and the establishment of eco-friendly retail facilities.

 

Thanks to the support of the European Union, the City of Trebinje has successfully implemented a series of infrastructure improvements at the new City Market. In addition to the procurement of mobile stands, a public fountain has been built at the City Market, significantly enhancing the functionality and infrastructure of this important city location in Trebinje. Furthermore, the quality, hygiene, and food safety have been improved by creating better conditions and equipping sales points.

Applications are open for 36,000 young people born in 2005 to receive a free travel pass thank to DiscoverEU

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The Commission has launched the DiscoverEU autumn call, thanks to which 36,000 young people will receive a free travel pass to explore Europe.

 

The application round starts today at 12:00 CEST and will end on Wednesday 18 October at 12:00 CEST. To win a travel pass, young people are invited to apply on the European Youth Portal, answer five quiz questions and one tiebreaker question. Successful applicants born between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2005 will be able to travel in Europe for up to 30 days during the travel period 1 March 2024 and 31 May 2025. The call is open to applicants from the European Union and the third countries associated to the Erasmus+ Programme i.e. Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Türkiye.

 

Participants will be able to discover the New European Bauhaus route, launched in January 2023. It aims to inspire young people when choosing their destinations and raise awareness on the importance of making the European Union ‘beautiful, sustainable, together’. Participants will also continue to benefit from the initiatives launched in 2022 during the European Year of Youth, such as the DiscoverEU Culture Route. The latter combines various destinations and cultural branches, including architecture, music, fine art, theatre, fashion, design and more. DiscoverEU travellers can visit the European Capitals of Culture, destinations added on the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List, or holders of the European Heritage Label. Since 2018, 248,000 travel passes were made available to young people.

New European Bauhaus: applications open for 2024 edition of NEB Prizes

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The Commission has opened applications for the 2024 New European Bauhaus (NEB) Prizes, which includes applications from Western Balkans. After over 4,500 applications received in total for the past editions, the NEB Prizes 2024 will this year award 20 exemplary innovative projects and concepts that represent sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusiveness. For the first time this year, we will welcome applications of projects and concepts in Ukraine in addition to EU Member States and the Western Balkans. The ‘Special Recognition to Ukraine’s Reconstruction and Recovery Effort’ prizes will recognise projects and concepts contributing to Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction in line with the New European Bauhaus values. Another new feature this year is a focus on projects and concepts from EU’s regions facing socio-economic issues or challenges in the twin digital and green transition.

 

The 2024 Prizes will reward existing projects as well as concepts developed by young talents under four categories: Reconnecting with nature; Regaining a sense of belonging; Prioritising the places and people that need it the most and shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life cycle thinking.

 

The 2024 Prizes will be awarded to 20 winners who will receive prizes of up to €30,000, as well as a communications package to help them further develop and promote their projects and concepts. They will be announced during the New European Bauhaus Festival, taking place in Brussels from 17 to 21 April, at an awards ceremony hosted by the Commission. The festival will bring together individuals from diverse backgrounds, in a variety of workshops, activities, and satellite events to discuss and shape our future. The call for satellite events is still open until 31 December 2023.

Decrease of data roaming fees between the Western Balkans and the EU

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In December 2022, 38 telecommunication operators from the EU and the Western Balkans agreed to lower data roaming prices. This agreement has now come into effect as of October 1, 2023, which means that data roaming between the Western Balkans and the EU has become more affordable for both citizens and businesses in these regions. The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the European Commission have supported this process.  
These operators voluntarily committed to reducing the gap between data roaming and domestic fees when traveling between the EU and the Western Balkans in both directions. The initial reductions in prices are currently being implemented by the participating telecom operators. Many of them are offering packages with prices well below the agreed maximum limits, making them accessible to a wide range of consumers. Further reductions are planned for 2026, following the agreed glide path, with the goal of making data roaming prices close to domestic prices by 2028.  
Telecommunication operators from both the EU and the Western Balkans are encouraged to join this initiative.

Open4Business is open for registration

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Are you a small business owner in the Western Balkans? Keen to expand your horizons and make more impact? Join the regional information event that promises to shed light on financial opportunities for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). “Open4Business – Made in the Western Balkans – Supported by the EU” is a dedicated event for MSMEs in the Western Balkans to learn more about financing opportunities, including from the European Union available through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF).

 

Supporting the development of a robust private sector, boosting competitiveness and creating jobs in the region are key objectives of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, the recovery plan for the region put in place in 2020 by the EU and endorsed by the Western Balkans’ partners. Significant investments support small businesses, particularly in areas such as green investments and technologies, microfinancing, energy efficiency, renewable energy projects, sustainable agriculture, circular economy, eco-tourism, and enterprises led by women and young people.

 

Participate live, remotely or online

 

Organised by the European Commission’s Directorate General for European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), in collaboration with the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia and the Western Balkans 6 Chamber Investment Forum (WB6CIF), the morning session of the event will be held live in Skopje, remotely in the other five capitals of the Western Balkans, and accessible online. There are multiple ways to participate and maximise your networking opportunities. If you cannot be present in Skopje, you can follow the morning session remotely with the Chambers of Commerce in the other regional capital cities, together with your peers. The afternoon session will take place concurrently, in all six capitals, so you can book a slot to discuss with your local financial institutions in one of the six regional venues. And if you cannot make it to any of these venues, you can still follow the event and book a consultation with your preferred financial institutions using our on-line event platform.

Alternative Transportation for Better Future in Serbia

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“The European Mobility Week 2023 in Serbia is not only a celebration of our achievements in mobility, but also a reflection of our commitment to a sustainable future” is the message sent by the Ambassador of the European Union to Serbia, Emanuele Giaufret, in Novi Sad on the occasion of a bicycle ride as part of the Car Free Day.

 

On the occasion of the European Mobility Week, which promotes alternative ways of moving for the sake of preserving the environment, Ambassador Giaufret pointed out that through various projects financed by the European Union, there were opportunities to implement the most modern technology and best practices in environmental management. This year, the focus of the European Mobility Week is energy saving, and the bicycle proves that as a means of transportation it is an ideal way to save energy, whether it is electric or obtained from fossil fuels. The World Car Free Day is celebrated as part of the European Mobility Week, which lasts from September 16 to 22, every year on September 22.

 

Cities around the world, and especially in Europe, implement various measures and activities to mark this day and show their success in adapting the infrastructure to pedestrians and cyclists, as well as reducing pollution in their environments. Some of the cities close certain streets to motor traffic on this day, showing the importance of expanding pedestrian zones in the cities, others encourage citizens to ride bikes, walk and use public transport more on that day. The event was organized by the Novi Sad Cycling Initiative, EU Info Point Novi Sad and the Youth Union of the OPENS association.

EU Allocates BAM 2 Million in Support of Primary Agricultural Production

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On Tuesday, 19 September, the EU-funded EU4AGRI project launched a Public Call to support investments in primary agricultural production. Under this Public Call, BAM 2 million is available, with grant amount per application ranging from BAM 20,000 to BAM 200,000 (without VAT). The applicant must ensure own co-financing for any single project in the amount of a minimum of 30% of the total amount of eligible costs of the proposed investment, for all acceptable sectors. Therefore, the co-financing structure is 70% EU4AGRI – 30% applicant. Eligible applicants for grants under this support measure are crafts/independent entrepreneurs, cooperatives and companies.

 

Eligible applicants

 

Under this Public Call, the European Union supports agricultural households that contribute to stabilising/strengthening production competitiveness and increasing the level of productivity of primary agricultural production through modernisation and the introduction of new technologies and innovations, improving product quality, hygiene and food safety, promoting good business practices and sustainable development through improvements in natural resource management, environmental protection, worker protection and food safety, and contribute to mitigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

All projects related exclusively to agricultural sectors are eligible for investment support in primary agricultural production, such as the production of milk, meat, the cultivation of cereals and oilseeds, the cultivation of fruit, including viticulture and olives, cultivation of vegetables, the production of planting material (fruit seedlings, vegetable seedlings and seed potatoes), egg production, fish farming, growing herbs, medicinal plants, and mushrooms, as well as honey production.

 

The Call is open for applications from 05 October 2023, and the deadline is 20 November 2023, by 15:00.

Single Market Programme – New Opportunity for SMEs in Serbia

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Small and medium-sized enterprises in Serbia will get a new opportunity for development by participating in the Single Market Program of the European Union. The Minister of Finance in the Government of Serbia, Siniša Mali, signed this Agreement today in an online conference with the respective service of the European Commission in Brussels, which will enable continued successful work for small and medium sized enterprises, bearing in mind the long-term and continuous support of the European Union.

 

Numerous programs and projects, funded by the EU, have so far empowered EU and Serbian companies to advance internationally through a combination of networking opportunities, tailored advice, and the establishment of new reliable business partnerships as well as through a programme which provides equipment to businesses.

 

When it comes to the Single Market Program, the success of participation depends on the proactivity of Serbian businessmen to apply for invitations by sending quality proposals. Specifically, the agreement will allow Serbian entrepreneurs to apply to the EU’s call for proposals for projects under the “Single Market Program” on this website, and if the proposals are evaluated as successful, Serbian companies will be able to participate, along with other companies in the EU and more broadly, in several EU-funded initiatives.