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Author: WeBalkans

YEA participate in an interactive event at the Europe House Kosovo

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The EU office in Kosovo along with the Swedish Embassy and the Europe House organised an interactive event to discuss EU priorities and mark the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.  The purpose of the event was to offer an opportunity to students and youth to engage in a casual setting, in a discussion with the EU Ambassador in Kosovo and the Swedish Ambassador and learn more about the EU’s global priority policies, the role of the EU in Kosovo, priorities of the EU for the current year, and challenges ahead.   The main objectives of the discussion included raising awareness about the policy issues for the EU and the focus/results of the current outgoing Presidency; understanding the relevance of these issues to Kosovo and the support that the EU provided to Kosovoand to inform the students and youth about the EU support to Kosovo, opportunities, and how they can benefit.

  This was the first of a series of events with member state embassies in Kosovo and Young European Ambassadors were an integral part of this discussion.  Amina Kaja, Fatbardh Kabashi, Eris Cunaku, Diellza Ibrahimi, Agmie Osmani, Albin Bushi were among YEAs who participated in the event.  They disccused with the Ambassadors the above mentioned important topic and also had a chance to discuss with their  peers in a semi-formal setting.

YEA meet with journalists from Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia

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A delegation led by the foreign ministers of Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia visited North Macedonia on 13 July. Journalists from their respective countries accompanied them. The Young European Ambassadors met with the journalists of these three countries. They introduced them to the network of Young European Ambassadors, projects and initiatives undertaken by young people in this network and the thoughts of young people about the European integration of North Macedonia.

“Coffee with Ambassador” event in Europe House Montenegro

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The “Coffee with Ambassador” event, hosted by Europe House in Montenegro, provides a platform for young individuals and representatives from diverse organizations to engage in meaningful discussions with the Ambassadors from the EU member states. In the recent gathering, the Europe House was honoured with the presence Dr. Karl Michael Muller, the Austrian Ambassador. The focus of the discussion was on Austria’s support for fostering stronger alliances among smaller EU member states with shared values and interests. The Young European Ambassadors, who were also present at the event, took advantage of the occasion to inquire about tips and advice for the youth in Montenegro. They sought guidance on how to make the most of the collaboration between Austria and Montenegro. The Ambassador offered valuable insights, encouraging young people to actively engage in cross-cultural exchanges, education, and professional opportunities.

1st anniversary of the Observatory of Prishtina

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On 13 July, was the first anniversary of the Observatory of Pristina. To honour this anniversary, the Astronomy Club of Kosova and the Young European Ambassador Suhel Ahmeti, who is also the head of the observatory, organized an event. At this event, participants, including YEAs Aulon Curri, Diellza Ibrahimi, Ilir Kicmari and others had the opportunity to leanr more about the history of the Observatory of Pristina and its mission for expansion of the science of astronomy further.

The ambassador of the European Union in Kosovo, Mr. Tomas Szunyog, was also present at this event. YEAs and other participants had also an opportunity to discuss with the Ambassador on various topics such as the participation of young people in the science of astronomy and the formation of connections with astronomy clubs in the countries of the European Union. They also had the chance to observe the Moon and Venus and learn many different facts about the science of astronomy.

Revolutionizing agricultural research in Serbia: BioSense Institute’s Groundbreaking New Facility

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With a support from EIB loan, Biosens institute in Serbia gains a new building with highly sophisticated equipment and large work space.

BioSense, the pioneering Research and Development Institute for IT in Biosystems, is leading the charge in revolutionizing agriculture through digital innovation in Serbia. Since its establishment in 2015, the institute has been at the forefront of exploring the latest scientific and technological advancements in applying IT to agriculture. Its primary objective is to deliver state-of-the-art digital solutions to the farming sector in Serbia and worldwide, empowering farmers to achieve higher yields with optimal investments. The impact of BioSense’s scientific breakthroughs extends far beyond the confines of their laboratories. These innovations are seamlessly integrated into society, benefitting farmers, extension services, companies, policymakers, students, and pupils alike.

To support the BioSense Institute, the EU is providing funding through the ANTARES Project, with a generous grant of €14 million from the Horizon 2020 EU program “Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation. “The Government of Serbia has also made a significant contribution of €20 million, a portion of which was obtained through a favourable €18 million loan from the European Investment Bank. These funds are dedicated to the development of research infrastructure, including the institute’s newly inaugurated state-of-the-art building and cutting-edge scientific equipment.

“Since our establishment in 2015 with just 10 employees, we have experienced remarkable growth, now employing 150 individuals. The scope of our research has expanded significantly, necessitating the construction of a new building, enhanced infrastructure, and upgraded equipment.”

Professor Vladimir Crnojević serves as the Director of BioSense Institute. He highlights the pressing need for additional workspace that has arisen over time. “Since our establishment in 2015 with just 10 employees, we have experienced remarkable growth, now employing 150 individuals. The scope of our research has expanded significantly, necessitating the construction of a new building, enhanced infrastructure, and upgraded equipment,” explains Professor Crnojević.

The newly constructed BioSense Institute building stands out as one of the most innovative structures in Serbia. It has been meticulously designed to cater to researchers working on projects related to micro and nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, biosystem research, cellular agriculture, bioarchaeology, and various other scientific disciplines pursued by the research and development institute for information technology in biosystems. With laboratories and offices accounting for approximately 60% of the building’s total area, ample workspace is provided for the institute’s researchers. Encompassing approximately 6,500 square meters, the building showcases unique architectural elements and intricate engineering solutions. Notably, the building is equipped with base isolation technology, combining seismic isolators and isolating foundations to safeguard it from seismic activity and even the slightest external vibrations. This anti-vibration foundation ensures that the delicate equipment housed within the building remains shielded from external disturbances.

The laboratories at BioSense Institute demand an exceptional level of cleanliness, where even the tiniest particle of dust is considered too large. To meet these stringent requirements, specific laboratories within the facility are designed as cleanrooms. These controlled environments necessitate the presence of clean and uncontaminated air, creating a suitable workspace for handling the most delicate equipment. Access to these rooms is restricted, requiring individuals to change into appropriate attire before progressively entering through increasingly cleaner spaces. Visual communication between different rooms is facilitated through glass panels, while dedicated transfer boxes facilitate the exchange of materials and equipment. Moreover, the institute boasts an optical laboratory, entirely coated in black for specialized optical research.

“Thanks to the ANTARES project and the support from the European Investment Bank, we have been able to acquire the necessary equipment and invest in our new building.”

About the programme

The European Investment Bank, the long-term financing institution of the European Union, supports viable capital investment projects furthering the policy objectives of the Union. In the countries of the Western Balkans, the financing operations of the EIB contribute to facilitating the integration process with the European Union. Since 2001, the EIB has extended over €7 billion in favour of projects in Serbia.

The BioSense Institute has experienced remarkable growth, expanding from 50 employees at the project’s inception to over 140 employees at present, with more than 50 holding a PhD degree. This expansion has been made possible through the support of the EU-funded ANTARES programme. The project has directly created 37 new positions, and an additional 15 positions are expected to be filled by the project’s completion. This substantial boost has significantly enhanced the Institute’s scientific capabilities, resulting in the successful initiation of 36 Horizon projects, 22 other international projects, 9 industrial projects, and 38 national projects, amounting to a total income of approximately €25 million.

Professor Vladimir Crnojević acknowledges the crucial role played by the ANTARES project and the decision of the state to secure funding from the European Investment Bank. “Thanks to the ANTARES project and the support from the European Investment Bank, we have been able to acquire the necessary equipment and invest in our new building,” Professor Crnojević affirms.

Building bridges through Art

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An EU funded project helps cultural organisations from Kosovo and Serbia connect and develop new partnerships.

Ana Pinter, a theatre director from Belgrade, Serbia, identifies herself as an experimental artist. She is an active member of the Association of Independent Cultural Scene of Serbia (ICSS), a collaborative platform comprising over 80 organizations from 21 cities in the cultural and arts sectors of Serbia. Currently, Ana is visiting the city of Peja/Peć in Kosovo as a participant in the ANIBAR International Animated Film Festival. It is her inaugural visit to Kosovo and the city of Peja/Peć. “I am amazed by the vibrancy of this city and the delightful festival, which has chosen Love as its theme this year. I am excited to meet and engage in discussions with my colleagues from ANIBAR, exploring the foundations of potential collaborations,” says Ana.

“Therefore, we felt it was important to create an opportunity for young people from Kosovo and Serbia to collaborate in both formal and informal settings. Thus, we developed the project, applied for funding, received support, and now we have begun its implementation.”

Ana and other artists from the Association of Independent Cultural Scene of Serbia (ICSS) are visiting ANIBAR as part of the EU-funded project “Fostering Sustainable Partnerships and Dialogue: Arts and Culture Collaboration between Kosovo and Serbia.” This project is jointly implemented by ANIBAR and ICSS. Luka Knjezevic Strika, representing ICSS, explains that they have been collaborating with ANIBAR over the past two years within the broader regional context, focusing on developing international cultural cooperation and intersectoral collaboration in the field of culture in Serbia and Kosovo. Their aim is to establish new models of organization and partnership between the civic and public sectors.

While there have been some cooperative initiatives among cultural organizations in both entities, there remains a lack of sustainable and structured collaboration between organizations in Serbia and Kosovo. Additionally, there is not enough opportunities to develop different technical and soft skills within the sector in both countries, as well as limited opportunities for younger organizations and individuals to enter the sector, especially in Serbia, where there is very few opportunities to find jobs in the field of culture. Many young people in both countries lack the opportunity and structural support necessary to more actively engage their local communities. “Therefore, we felt it was important to create an opportunity for young people from Kosovo and Serbia to collaborate in both formal and informal settings, exchange experiences and knowledge. Thus, we developed the project, applied for funding, received support, and now we have begun its implementation,” explains Luka.

The project encompasses a range of activities designed to enhance the cultural sector’s capabilities and foster collaboration between independent artists, cultural spaces, and institutions in Kosovo and Serbia. These activities include equipping cultural spaces with necessary equipment, organizing cultural public programs and events, and facilitating the exchange of contemporary cultural and artistic programs. The project also involves convening network member assemblies, producing an independent culture magazine, publishing blog articles online to cover the independent culture scene, conducting workshops and training sessions for young artists, and supporting 24 collaborative arts exchanges and co-productions between Kosovo and Serbia.

“We also sought to explore and experiment with new modes of cultural cooperation between Kosovo and Serbia, learning from each other to enhance the understanding and possibilities to think of new ways of working and collaborating while sustaining the many activities already existing.”

About the project

The Fostering Sustainable Partnerships and Dialogue: Arts and Culture Collaboration between Kosovo and Serbia project is supported by the EU-funded “EU Civil Society Facility and Media Programme/Western Balkans and Turkey for 2021-2023 (IPA III)”. Launched in 2023, the project is scheduled to run for 48 months. Its overarching goal is to strengthen and cultivate sustainable, inclusive, and participatory contemporary cultural collaborative practices and structures between Serbia and Kosovo.

Through these collaborative efforts, the partners aim to deepen their understanding of the differences and similarities between the cultural and societal contexts of Kosovo and Serbia. “We also sought to explore and experiment with new modes of cultural cooperation between Kosovo and Serbia, learning from each other to enhancethe understanding and possibilities to think of new ways of working and collaborating while sustaining the many activities already existing,” expresses Luka.

Cultural organizations and initiatives in the region have consistently taken the lead in promoting important cross-cutting issues such as human rights, gender equality, democracy, good governance, and environmental sustainability. Anibar and ICSS, in particular, have been instrumental in advocating for innovative models of civic public partnerships to govern public infrastructure. Through this project, the implementing organization will have the opportunity to forge partnerships and integrate these issues into cultural and artistic programs held at the cultural spaces.

BIRN Serbia and IJAS Report: Journalists Feel Undefended From Online Attacks

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Online threats against journalists are more intense and common than physical ones, but most newsrooms have not set up safety protocols to help them respond to these attacks, while laws do not provide efficient protection, BIRN and IJAS’s new report reveals. Working in an environment that is becoming primarily digital has left journalists and media more exposed to online to attacks, insults and threats, but many newsrooms have not established mechanisms to deal with such cases and legislation does not provide adequate protection either.

 

These are some of the findings from the latest report, “Journalists’ Safety in the Digital Environment”, which BIRN Serbia and the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia, IJAS, published on July 18. The report also notes the lack of professional solidarity with attacked journalists and the fact that journalists and editors mainly turn to the public – which is the only thing they still trust – hoping that publicising attacks and threats will save them from potential attackers.

 

The full report in Serbian and English is available on BIRN Serbia’s website.

Grant agreement for the solar plant in Oslomej signed

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The European Union and WBIF bilateral donors, together with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), are consolidating their support for solar energy projects in North Macedonia with grant financing for the first large-scale solar plant. A WBIF bilateral donor grant agreement of €1.6 million was signed on 30 June 2023 in Skopje, complementing an EBRD loan of €5.9 million. The grant will support Elektrani na Severna Makedonija (ESM), the country’s state-owned electricity company, in financing the final construction stages of a 10 MW solar plant being built on the site of the exhausted coal mine in Oslomej. Test operations began in April last year.  
The photovoltaic power plant, built in the vicinity of the thermal powerplant Oslomej, is the first example of energy transition in Southeast Europe, where electricity will be produced from the sun through panels placed on top of the old and exhausted coal mine. It is the first in a series of power plants that should completely replace the installed capacity of the thermal power plant. The new photovoltaic power plant Oslomej is expected to have an annual production of 15-17 gigawatt-hours of electricity, to emit 13,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year and to provide the electricity needs of about 2,800 households.  
As well as providing financing, EBRD is working with the authorities of North Macedonia to address the implications of inequality in the energy transition and to identify opportunities for economic diversification in the area, including for redeployment and reskilling. The EBRD is helping the country conduct a ‘just transition’ diagnostic and establish an action plan through inclusive policy dialogue with the authorities. The ‘just transition’ project is expected to act as a model for the wider Western Balkans region, which faces similar challenges and requires a green, inclusive and just transition in the energy sector.

Regional Cooperation Council published the results of Balkan Barometer

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For the 9th time in a row, the Regional Cooperation Council is publishing the results of Balkan Barometer – the annual survey among six thousand people from the entire Western Balkans, giving an overview of their opinions on regional cooperation, EU integration, trust in the public institutions and media, their biggest concerns, employment, climate change, security, digital life, transport, rule of law, travel, etc. Results are available in the database athttps://www.rcc.int/balkanbarometer/.

 

“The Balkan Barometer reveals 3 main public opinion trends in the Western Balkans. First the good news, 76% of people believe regional cooperation is good for their economy. Moreover, 69% agree that what brings the Western Balkan citizens together is more important than what separates them. The second one is that the support to EU membership in the region is now 59% or 3% less than in 2021. And the third one is depopulation concern as 44% think to live abroad, 5% more than in 2022. It is also extremely worrisome that 71% of young people are considering leaving their home country,” said RCC Secretary General, Majlinda Bregu.

 

Balkan Barometer 2023, Public Opinion edition main findings:

 

-1 in 5 associate the Balkans with hope or cooperation

-For 15%, the Balkans means confidence, but for 1 in 10, it means fear

-51% are not satisfied with the economic situation

-27% say corruption is the biggest problem

-69% say the law is not applied to everyone equally – 7% more than in 2022

-45% feel threatened by illegal possession and misuse of weapons

-71% say the war in Ukraine affected their purchasing power significantly

-75% do not trust political parties

-65% expressed an increased concern regarding the spread of fake news

 

“The Balkan Barometer tells a story of people worried about their jobs, wellbeing and how everything what is going on around us is affecting our vulnerable region. It tells a story of willingness to make our home a better place of living, so that we can feel safe, secure and with a better future ahead for us and our children. In regional cooperation and the things that unite us, people see hope and opportunity to better themselves,” concluded Bregu.

Support for five projects in the field of human rights promotion and development of a democratic political culture

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Representatives of four non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and one informal group in the field of human rights promotion and the development of a democratic political culture have signed contracts as part of the grant scheme “Right on Time,” receiving support totalling € 76,752.

 

Jovan Bojović, Legal Advisor at Juventas and coordinator of the “Right on Time” grant scheme, stated that, within the € 350,000 grant scheme, three public calls for proposals are being implemented.“The Commission has decided to support five projects in the first round. Specifically, out of the available €105,000, about €76,752 will be allocated, while the remaining amount of £28,248 will be distributed through the second round of evaluation and the second public call,” Bojović explained.

 

He mentioned that the supported projects include the informal group SveMir’s project “Media-Gender Literacy” and the projects of the non-governmental organisations Association for Support of Roma and Egyptians – “The Right Time for Us,” Bunt Scene – “Exposed Violence,” the Network for European Policy “Master” – “I Have the Right!” and the Legal Centre – “FREEDOMKEEPERS: Mobile Teams in Local Communities Combating Human Trafficking.” Bojović announced that the second public call is scheduled to be launched on 1 December of this year, while the final public call is planned for 1 March 2024.