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Commissioner Várhelyi in Kosovo to discuss key reforms and launch EU-Kosovo Programme to strengthen law enforcement

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in News.

The Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, will visit Kosovo on 25 May, where he will meet with Kosovo government officials, including President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu and Prime Minister Albin Kurti as well as opposition leaders and civil society representatives. These meetings will be an opportunity to review EU-Kosovo relations and to discuss recent developments as well as key reforms, including in the area of the justice reform, energy transition and the fight against organised crime and corruption.

 

Commissioner Várhelyi and the Minister of Internal Affairs and Public Administration, Xhelal Sveçla, will launch the EU-Kosovo Home Affairs Programme, aiming to further align Kosovo’s actions on law enforcement and fighting organised crime with EU standards. This €6.5 million EU funded Programme will be implemented over a period of three years with the support of France, Italy and Belgium, and will contribute to strengthening capacities of Kosovo institutions in fighting organised crime and strengthening international cooperation.

 

Kosovo and the EU signed a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) which has been in force since 1 April 2016. Visa liberalisation for Kosovo will come into effect on 1 January 2024. The Commission will report again on Kosovo’s progress on its European path in the 2023 enlargement package, which will be released in the autumn.

Enhancing Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings: Transforming Sarajevo’s Infrastructure

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in Stories.

An EU funded project is working on revitalizing Sarajevo’s public buildings for a brighter and greener future.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country characterized by significant energy inefficiency in its building, industrial, and service sectors. Public buildings in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) have an average energy consumption three times higher than the EU average, rendering them completely energy inefficient. More than 70% of public buildings in BiH were constructed over 30 years ago, without much consideration for energy efficiency (EE). Moreover, over 80% of public sector buildings currently rely on fossil fuels or district heating systems, primarily coal-based.

Sarajevo, the largest city in the country with an estimated population of 360,000, is situated in the Sarajevo Canton. This regional administrative district encompasses the city of Sarajevo and its surroundings, with a total population of approximately 450,000. The Canton of Sarajevo heavily relies on electricity imports, accounting for 61.6% of its consumed electricity in 2021, while 38.3% was sourced domestically. However, there is progress in this area, supported also by the European Union through the “Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings in Sarajevo Canton” project.

“The EU is delighted to support the efforts of the Sarajevo Canton Government in tackling air pollution through numerous projects. For this specific initiative, which will lead to cleaner heating, improved insulation, and overall better conditions in schools, kindergartens, student dormitories, and outpatient clinics in the Sarajevo Canton, the EU is providing a grant of €2 million. This project represents an important stride towards a collective endeavour to enhance the environment and air quality in the Sarajevo Canton.”

A significant boost to the energy efficiency of public buildings in Sarajevo is underway, thanks to a financing package of €10 million from the European Union (EU) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The EU has granted €2 million, while the EBRD has contributed a €8 million loan for the refurbishment of 40 buildings in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. These works are a priority initiative under the Green City Action Plan for the Sarajevo Canton.

The investments primarily focus on 29 schools and related facilities, six kindergartens, three student dormitories, and two outpatient clinics. The implementation of energy-saving measures is expected to result in estimated energy savings of approximately 13.7 GWh and an annual reduction of 4,774 tonnes of CO2 emissions. The energy efficiency measures encompass the introduction of cleaner and more efficient heating systems, improved insulation, better lighting, and overall enhancements.

One of the beneficiaries of this support is the Labudovi Kindergarten in Sarajevo, where energy efficiency works have recently been completed. These works involved thermal insulation of the facade, partial replacement of worn-out openings, installation of thermostatic valves on existing radiators, installation of calorimeters and automatic heating control with a circulating pump, replacement of inefficient lighting with new LED bulbs, and preparatory and accompanying measures for building renovation.

Gilles Rebattet, Head of Operations, Section for Economic Development, Natural Resources and Infrastructure at the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, attended the ceremony marking the completion of the works at Labudovi Kindergarten. He highlighted the detrimental impact of air pollution, which has significant economic consequences, reduces life expectancy, and increases medical treatment costs. “The EU is delighted to support the efforts of the Sarajevo Canton Government in tackling air pollution through numerous projects. For this specific initiative, which will lead to cleaner heating, improved insulation, and overall better conditions in schools, kindergartens, student dormitories, and outpatient clinics in the Sarajevo Canton, the EU is providing a grant of €2 million. This project represents an important stride towards a collective endeavour to enhance the environment and air quality in the Sarajevo Canton,” remarked Rebattet.

“Our kindergarten has truly received a wonderful makeover that distinguishes us. We have insulated the building and replaced all safety valves for heating, and I believe that both current and future generations will enjoy the beauty of our kindergarten.”

About the project

The “Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings in Sarajevo Canton” project is being implemented as part of the Regional Energy Efficiency Programme (REEP/REEP Plus) for the Western Balkans. This programme has been identified as one of the flagship projects under the “Renovation Wave” in the “Clean Energy” investment window of the European Commission’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans. These projects make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the living standards and health of citizens. The activities carried out under REEP/REEP Plus align with the EU Regulation and Green Agenda Targets for the Western Balkans, following the five pillars of the European Green Deal. The Regional Energy Efficiency Programme was established by the Western Balkans Investment Framework in 2012. Various organisations cooperate to make it a success, including the Energy Community, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Commission and KfW Development Bank. It comprises more than €600 million of investments from the EBRD and KfW Banking Group, which are combined with grants from the WBIF.

Labudovi Kindergarten in Sarajevo is the first facility to undergo a complete renovation, bringing better conditions for the little ones, reducing heating costs, and minimizing harmful emissions into the air.

“Our kindergarten has truly received a wonderful makeover that distinguishes us. We have insulated the building and replaced all safety valves for heating, and I believe that both current and future generations will enjoy the beauty of our kindergarten,” emphasizes Špresa Zenoni, a longtime preschool teacher at Labudovi. She adds that the insulation of the facility has provided a more pleasant and joyful environment for the children in the kindergarten.

 

Restored Albania’s Iconic Mosaic Regains its Original Shine on Tiranas’s Main Square

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16 May marked the official unveiling of the restored facade Mosaic at the National Historical Museum in Albania’s Skanderbeg Square. The ceremony was part of the Europe Week celebration and was attended by representatives of the EU Delegation, Ministry of Culture, UN and UNOPS, media, heritage experts, and the creators of the Mosaic. The Mosaic was restored under the EU-funded EU4Culture programme, implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in close partnership with the Ministry of Culture of Albania.

 

The mosaic of the façade of the National Historical Museum is considered to be one of the finest examples of late Albanian Socialist Realism. Installed in 1981, it showcases, across its 565 m2 surface area, some of the important milestones of the country’s history, spanning from antiquity to the Communist era. Its design was crafted by the renowned artists of the time, including Vilson Kilica, Josif Droboniku, Agim Nebiu, Anastas Kostandini, and Aleksandër Filipi.

 

In November 2019, Albania was struck by the deadliest earthquake in the past 50 years. Its effects were devastating, causing extensive damage across 11 municipalities, including numerous cultural heritage sites, with the Mosaic being one of them. In response to this crisis, the European Union launched the EU4Culture project, implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in close partnership with the Ministry of Culture of Albania. This project focuses on renovation and revitalization of cultural heritage sites that were damaged by the earthquake, and is one of the largest cultural heritage programs funded by the EU worldwide, with a total budget of €40 million.

MADE OF US campaign reaches Serbia today

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“Made of Us – An EU-Western Balkans road trip” campaign, funded by the EU and brought to you by WeBalkans, continues this week in Serbia. This awareness campaign aims to promote a positive image of the EU to the people of the Western Balkans, and vice versa. Its protagonists are 12 young EU and Western Balkan vloggers who travel across the region in pairs. Each of the pairs share their experiences along the way by creating their own online content.

 

The EU Delegation in Serbia hosted a media lunch today to announce the start of the journey in Serbia. Ms. Plamena Halacheva, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia welcomed the vloggers.

 

The vloggers, Jelena Radovanović (fluorescentni_producent) from Serbia and Joshua Steib (joshua.steib) from Germany, set off on their journey today. They will be on the road for a total of seven days between 16 and 22 May, showcasing the best of Serbia as well as EU investments in the region. Their itinerary includes visits to various locations, including technology, culture, and health-related projects supported by the EU. Among the EU-funded projects that they will be visiting are Anoris, a company that invented a “smart glove” for supporting visually impaired individuals, the BioSense Institute, which has created several inventions, including a robot that assists with farming, and a project in city of Ruma that aids young people in professional development and the production of healthy food.

 

The campaign started on 18 April and will continue until 30 May, with each week focusing on one of the WB6 partners. The vloggers will cover a total of 18 EU-supported projects, 6000 km by car, and meet interesting and inspiring local personalities along the way, all the while showcasing the natural scenery, extraordinary landmarks and unique cultural heritage that the Western Balkans have to offer. The twelve vloggers will record their experiences using their own equipment and social media channels, translating the journey into high-quality social media and web content, photos and videos, which will be disseminated on the WeBalkans channels.

High Representative Borrell and Commissioner Johansson host high-level ministerial conference on the Roadmap to comprehensive Small Arms and Light Weapons control in the Western Balkans

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On 16 May, High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, are hosting a high-level ministerial conference on the implementation of the Regional Roadmap for comprehensive Small Arms and Light Weapons control in the Western Balkans. Gunnar Strömmer, Minister of Justice of Sweden, is participating on behalf of the Presidency of the Council. The conference is attended by ministers of interior and/or foreign affairs of the EU and of Western Balkan partners, as well as by international and regional organisations and several other non-EU countries.  
The conference is an important opportunity to discuss the possible continuation of the Regional Roadmap beyond 2024 and how the EU will continue to support the Western Balkan partners in their efforts to improve the comprehensive control of firearms in the region.  
Cooperation with the Western Balkans on small arms and light weapons is an important element of the EU’s strong engagement on security with the region. The Regional Roadmap is part of the EU Action Plan on Firearms trafficking 2020-2025for South East Europe. It was signed by the Western Balkan partners in 2018. It runs until 2024 and has seven specific goals to improve comprehensive control of small arms and light weapons in the region.  
All six Western Balkans partners are successfully implementing the Roadmap, they have now effective strategies in place for the control of firearms, and have also adapted their national legislation to harmonise it with EU legislation.

Connecting Europe: Commission signs high-level agreements with Western Balkans to improve transport links

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On 16 May, the Commission signed high-level agreements with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. The agreements adapt the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), the EU’s network of railway lines, roads, ports and inland waterways connecting EU towns and cities, by linking it to the Western Balkans. This is a major step towards greater transport connectivity between the European Union and our Western Balkan partners.  
Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, said: “With the signature of these agreements, and with our proposal for a Western Balkans European Transport Corridor, we are laying the ground to integrate the transport network of the Western Balkans into the EU’s. It will promote the development of sustainable and resource-efficient transport connectivity between the EU and these countries. The importance of closer and seamless transport connections cannot be underestimated.”   
The Transport Community, which brings together the EU Member States represented by the  Commission and the Western Balkan partners, actively supports the execution of projects connecting the six countries with each other, and with the EU.  
The integration of the Western Balkan transport networks into the TEN-T will also help prepare EU candidate countries and potential candidates for their future accession to the EU.

Connectivity Summit “Sustainable Links-Stronger Economy”

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Efficient transportation of people and goods ensures access to jobs and services and enables trade and economic growth in the economies. This was a key message at the Connectivity Summit, organised by the Transport Community Permanent Secretariat and the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) Secretariat, under the auspices of the Ministry of Capital Investments of Montenegro. Deputy Prime Minister Ervin Ibrahimovic and the Director General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations Gert-Jan Koopman opened the Summit, that gathered Transport Ministers, Customs Directors, International Financial Institutions and other high-level representatives, experts and stakeholders from Western Balkans region to discuss and agree on moving forward the issues related to sustainable and efficient trade, transport and logistics.

 

The high-level Understanding on Indicative TEN-T Maps in the Western Balkans was signed by the EU and the Transport Community Treaty contracting parties. The establishment of the new Western Balkans- Eastern Mediterranean Corridor aims to strengthen region’s economic, social and territorial cohesion and create seamless transport systems across borders, without physical gaps, bottlenecks or missing links. The Joint CEFTA-TCT Declaration “Taking Forward the Green Lanes”, committing to further facilitate transport and trade with aim to reduce waiting times and improve the efficiency of the EU logistic and value chains, has been also endorsed. It will give further impetus to all relevant authorities to work on full extension of the Green Lanes and establishing one-stop and synchronised border controls.

Launch of new project to enhance judicial cooperation within and with the Western Balkans

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The Western Balkans Criminal Justice Project – WBCJ – kicked off today with a launch conference attended by high-level representatives of the regional partners and several EU institutions. Funded by the European Commission and implemented by Eurojust, the initiative aims to strengthen judicial cooperation within the Western Balkans as well as between the region and the EU in the fight against organised crime and terrorism. Participants are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.

 

Today’s launch conference marked the end of the inception phase and the official start of the Project’s operational activities. The conference was attended by delegations of the Western Balkan partners as well as representatives of the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations and the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers and the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

 

The WBCJ Project (full title: Enhancing cross-border cooperation in criminal justice in the Western Balkans) is an IPA III project with a budget of EUR 6 million and a duration of four years (with a possible extension). It revolves around a Contact Group of practitioners from the Western Balkan region who are responsible for identifying common cases that would benefit from enhanced coordination. These selected cases receive financial support and expert advice from Eurojust to facilitate coordinated parallel investigations/prosecutions and joint investigation teams. The inception phase started in September 2022 with a number of high-level consultation visits by the Eurojust Presidency to the six Western Balkan partners, the establishment of both the Eurojust Project Team and the Contact Group, and the adoption of the first work plan.

 

Through the WBCJ Project, Eurojust seeks to further engage with its partners in the Western Balkans and to bring the EU’s judicial cooperation tools closer to practitioners in the region as well as to build trust between the relevant judicial actors.

BIRN launches call for applications for a three-day training course on legally safe and crisis reporting

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BIRN Kosovo has opened a new call for applications for its first three-day training course on legally safe reporting and crisis reporting, as part of the EU-funded project “Strengthening Quality News and Independent Journalism in the Western Balkans and Turkey II”. Considering the fragile state of democracy in the Western Balkans, skills in crisis reporting such as covering riots and protests but also elections are essential for maintaining high professional standards, as well as for maintaining the personal safety of journalists.

 

Journalists are often targeted by smear campaigns in the tabloid press and social media for doing their work professionally. They also face difficulties in preserving their digital security and keeping their work and sources safe. This regional training is designed to answer these challenges by using a multi-sector approach, involving experts in different related fields to share their knowledge and skills. Practical simulations will take place in order to demonstrate adequate techniques for responding to attacks, as well as how to act pre-emptively.

 

The aim of the regional training camp is to provide journalists with specialized knowledge that helps them protect themselves and their newsrooms from different kinds of attacks, including physical attacks, legal actions such as Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation – SLAPP lawsuits, as well as to preserve their digital security. A wide range of trainers and guest speakers will administer the sessions including BIRN managing editors and other external guest speakers.

New opportunities for vulnerable communities through the socially responsible public procurement

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A panel discussion “Can Socially Responsible Initiatives offer new opportunities to vulnerable communities?” took place on 27 April in Brussels. The event aimed to shed light on the potential of socially responsible public procurement to create new opportunities for vulnerable communities, including Roma communities, while promoting gender equality and sustainable infrastructure.

 

The WBIF pilot project was the focal point of the discussion, exploring how socially responsible public procurement can create new employment opportunities, with a focus on Roma communities. The panel featured experts from the European Commission, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and Roma Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (REDI), among others.

 

The panel discussion, moderated by Petrica Dulgheru, Director of REDI, included Álvaro Gutiérrez Maestrof rom Secretariado Gitano in Spain, who shared good practices and provided examples of how initiatives in Spain could be transferred to other countries in the region. The panellists also discussed the challenges of implementing socially responsible public procurement in the region, including the lack of awareness and understanding of the concept. They acknowledged the importance of increasing awareness and education around the concept and discussed potential solutions to address these challenges. The event was held as part of Roma Week 2023 in the European Parliament, which is dedicated to discussing the issues and challenges facing Roma communities across Europe.