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Author: WeBalkans

New study shows resilience and response in EU neighbours during pandemic crisis

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A new study from the European Training Foundation (ETF) and Eurofound demonstrates the resilience and response that citizens in the EU and ten EU neighbouring countries faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report, Living, working and COVID-19, shows that despite the challenges, citizens from Albania, Georgia, Jordan, Kosovo*, Lebanon, Moldova, Morocco, North Macedonia, Palestine*, and Tunisia remain optimistic.

 

The findings underscore the importance of investing in education and the potential of teleworking as a tool for work-life balance and flexibility and provide a roadmap for citizens in the EU neighbourhood to build a better future for all.

 

The report confirms the role of skills development for citizens in the EU’s neighbourhood to create a better future for themselves and their communities. With the imminent European Year of Skills, the report is a call to action for the development of essential skills. The EU’s initiative will support small and medium-sized enterprises in addressing skills shortages and promote reskilling and upskilling of the workforce to boost the EU’s 2030 social targets, which include 60% of adults participating in yearly training and 78% in employment.

 

The ‘Living, working and COVID-19’ survey, first launched by Eurofound in early 2020, aims to capture the wide-ranging impact of the pandemic on the work and lives of EU citizens. The fifth round of the survey, which was implemented in spring 2022, also sheds light on a new uncertain reality caused by the war in Ukraine, record-high inflation, and sharp rises in the cost of living. The Eurofound-ETF report provides a comprehensive picture of the impact of COVID-19 on the lives and livelihoods of people in the EU and its neighbours.

Commissioner Várhelyi in Serbia to attend a ceremony on the Corridor X railway project and to discuss priorities under EU accession negotiations

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Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi will be in Serbia today to announce a €2.2 billion financial package that will enable a substantial modernisation of the railway tracks of Corridor X.

The Corridor X railway project is one of the Economic and Investment Plan flagship investments, connecting the region with the EU via Croatia, through Belgrade and further to Niš, Skopje and Greece. The project will contribute to the modernisation of the railways in Serbia and improve Serbia’s connectivity with other European rail networks. It is part of the EU’s €30 billion Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans which aims to mobilise investments in the areas of transport, energy, green and digital transition, to create sustainable growth and jobs.

An EU grant of up to €600 million is foreseen for this project. Out of this, €265 million has been already approved so far for the Belgrade – Niš fast railway that will allow to travel between the two cities with the speed of up to 200 km / h and in around 100 minutes. The rest of the package consists of a €1.1 billion loan from the EIB and a €550 million EBRD loan.

During his visit, Commissioner Várhelyi will meet President Aleksandar Vučić, Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, Minister of European Integration Tanja Miščević, and Minister of Interior Bratislav Gašić to discuss accession negotiations priorities, in particular in the rule of law area, and cooperation in the areas of sustainable connectivity, energy, and migration.

The Commissioner will also discuss the EU support to Serbia to face the current energy crisis following the recent signature of the €165 million budget support to help mitigate the energy prices amongst vulnerable households and SMEs under the €1 billion Energy Support Package for the Western Balkans.

“Connecting Pearls” – Uniting Cross-Border Municipalities through Nature and Tourism

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With EU support, cross-border municipalities in Serbia and North Macedonia join forces to share their heritage with visitors.

Rich nature and cultural heritage are the common traits of the border region between North Macedonia and Serbia. The Osogovo Mountains and the Kukavica mountain massif within the boundaries of the municipalities of Kriva Palanka and Leskovac have an exceptional natural landscape. The abundance of wild blackberries, raspberries, mushrooms, medicinal herbs and tasty traditional food such as kačamak polenta is an additional delight for visitors to the region.

The abundance of opportunities to enjoy natural, cultural and historical sites offers the possibility of developing many forms of tourism and satisfying the curiosity of every visitor. However, this tourism potential was not well known in the region and even less internationally. The municipalities of Leskovac and Kriva Palanka therefore decided to join forces and, with European Union support, to make this destination recognisable with its attractive tourist offer, by launching a joint cross-border cooperation project.

“Mountain lovers from our area visited the region regularly. However, there was an obvious lack of infrastructure for reaching some of the most beautiful sites, and not many people outside of the region knew that such natural beauty exists in Leskovac and Kriva Palanka.”

Maja Kocić is a project manager from the city of Leskovac in Serbia. As one of the developers of this project, she explains that the need for this initiative was evident. “Mountain lovers from our area visited the region regularly. However, there was an obvious lack of infrastructure for reaching some of the most beautiful sites, and not many people outside of the region knew that such natural beauty exists in Leskovac and Kriva Palanka,” says Maja.

The environment connecting the cross-border region is as beautiful as a pearl and so the cities decided to name the project “Connecting Pearls”. The project includes a variety of activities and interventions. Initially, the partners organised workshops to facilitate cooperation between tourism organisations across the border. The workshops included ten organisations from both sides of the border who then formed a cross-border stakeholder working group for future action.

Following this, the project moved on to badly-needed small-scale interventions. On both sides of the border, the project contributed to laying paths and hiking trails, the construction of children’s playgrounds and summer houses, and the installation of benches, solar lighting, information boards, and waste bins.

In addition, the project organised promotional events titled “green weekends”, which gathered hundreds of people and included live music, traditional food tasting and hiking trips.

“As a result of the Connecting Pearls project, we have a considerable increase in the number of visitors from all over Serbia, and we expect the same increase in international visitors too.”

About the project

Connecting Pearls is a cross-border cooperation project between Serbia and North Macedonia, which is implemented with funds for pre-accession assistance from the European Union (IPA II) and is carried out by the city of Leskovac in the Republic of Serbia in partnership with the municipality of Kriva Palanka in North Macedonia, as well as the Centre for Development of the Jablanica and Pčinja districts.

The goal of the Connecting Pearls project is to improve the visibility and quality of the regional cross-border tourist offer through the mapping of natural, cultural and historical heritage, and the improvement of locations through construction work in both Leskovac and Kriva Palanka.

Maja explains that the project’s impact is visible and tangible and will be even more in the coming months and years. “As a result of the Connecting Pearls project, we have a considerable increase in the number of visitors from all over Serbia, and we expect the same increase in international visitors too,” says Maja.

She also explains that the cross-border cooperation nature of the project has contributed considerably to the quality of the impact. “We’ve benefited a lot from the exchange of ideas, perspectives and management skills with the municipality of Kriva Palanka in North Macedonia, and we are going for another joint project soon.”

Introducing unique Gacko kajmak to the world

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An EU-funded project is helping an NGO from Bosnia and Herzegovina with branding and promoting of traditional kajmak with a unique recipe.

Gacko is a small municipality with around 8,000 inhabitants in south-eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is mainly known for the nearby coal mine and thermoelectric powerplant which is also the largest employer in the area. However, Gacko has also its own unique and characteristic way of producing kajmak, a type of cream cheese produced and consumed across the Western Balkans.

The traditional method of making kajmak is by boiling the raw milk slowly, then simmering it for two hours over a very low heat. After it is taken off the heat, the cream is skimmed and left to chill, and mildly ferment, for several hours or days. Unlike this traditional production method, in the Gacko recipe, the kajmak is matured for several months in sacks made from sheepskin or goatskin. As a result, the Gacko kajmak turns from a white to a yellowish colour, with a firm but not hard consistency, a slightly salty taste, and a characteristic aroma acquired during its ripening. When it is removed from its sack, the cheese is dry and crumbly.

“Our kajmak is a unique and very valuable product, and that is why we want to protect and promote it.”

However, not many people have an opportunity to enjoy this unique taste as it is mainly sold in the markets or restaurants of the Gacko region. With this in mind, the Gacko Kajmak Producers Association has launched an initiative to introduce Gacko kajmak to the world. Dragana Milović is the President of the Association, which was founded in 2021. At the beginning, the association had nine members and now it has 24 members, mainly women from rural regions. Dairy production, including kajmak, is the main income for 90% of them.

According to Dragana, the objective of the Association is to have their product branded and recognised locally and regionally. In order to achieve that, specific procedures need to be followed. The first is to establish a production traceability system, which would ensure product branding by competent institutions. The Association believes that kajmak branding will lead to wider recognisability, and in turn, to a higher demand and a better price. The aspiration of the Association members is to improve their material situation by producing kajmak, particularly in rural areas. Consequently, the production must be standardised, while at the same time preserving the tradition and the recognisable kajmak taste made in the region. “Our kajmak is a unique and very valuable product, and that is why we want to protect and promote it,” says Dragana.

“The support that we got from both the EU and UNDP through the ReLOaD2 project was of high importance as it enabled us to get closer to our aim of branding and promoting Gacko kajmak to more people.”

About the project

The Regional Programme for Local Democracy in the Western Balkans 2 (ReLOaD2) is a continuation of EU-supported initiatives – Local Democracy Strengthening Project (LOD, 2009-2016) and the subsequently expanded Regional Programme for Local Democracy in the Western Balkans (ReLOaD, 2017-2020). The overall objective of the project is to strengthen participatory democracies and EU integration in the Western Balkans by empowering civil society and encouraging young people to actively take part in the decision-making process, and by improving a supportive legal and financial environment for civil society.

The Association recently got the support of an EU-funded project for their initiative. The Regional Programme on Local Democracy in the Western Balkans 2 (ReLOaD2) is being implemented in 63 local governments across the Western Balkans and Gacko municipality is one of the 13 partner local government units included in in Bosnia and Herzegovina, funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The support from the project included training on hygiene and milk quality, proper cattle feeding and keeping records on livestock fodder and milk quantities. Participants also received training on the method of establishing a production traceability system in the Gacko kajmak production process and on the requirements for branding. In addition, the project also provided the association with equipment for milk processing and testing which is crucial for quality control.

The implementation of this project is the first step towards the branding of Gacko kajmak. It is a very important issue for both the local community and the region as farming is the main sources of income in the Gacko region. “The support that we got from both the EU and UNDP through the ReLOaD2 project was of high importance as it enabled us to get closer to our aim of branding and promoting Gacko kajmak to more people,” says Dragana Milović.

EU and Germany support digital transition and contribute to job creation in Kosovo’s IT sector

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The EU Ambassador in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog and Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy, Vera Baumann, inaugurated on 14 February in Pristina Innovemia Innovation Academy.

 

The academy, in partnership with the digital media company MetDaan and the Innovation and Training Park, will offer training and re-training in digital and tech entrepreneurship, social media, and video editing to the existing employees or young people looking to work in the IT sector, in particular supporting the digital transition of micro and small enterprises.

 

With the EU and German funding of  €150.000, the academy will provide training courses to at least 210 young people under age 35, all while encouraging the participation of women.

 

“Launching of this academy is an important step towards building up digital skills in Kosovo. It will help young people increase their employability. With the digital transition of micro and small enterprises, it will contribute to the overall competitiveness of Kosovo’s economy,” said Ambassador Szunyog.

 

The EU and Germany are one of the prominent supporters of the digital transition in Kosovo.

Increasing the employability of vulnerable returnees in North Macedonia

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An EU-funded project supports effective reintegration of returnees from the EU with particular attention to Roma.

Demir Demireli is a 38-year-old returnee to North Macedonia, now an on-demand construction worker in his hometown. With the summer season over, demand in the sector is plummeting, leaving Demir with thinning daily pay-outs and long winter months ahead, struggling to take care of his ill wife and four children. “Of course, I would like a full-time job, a good job…I want to have a regular salary…But I can’t read or write,” says Demir. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the number of people in similar situations in North Macedonia is not small. The majority of returnees are Roma, many of whom decided to leave the country because of poverty, and the assessments carried out by UNDP show that most asylum seekers and returnees are in the 30-44 age group, with low levels of education. Employment is singled out as the biggest challenge reported by returnees: it is an important channel for ensuring both the economic and social prosperity of vulnerable citizens.

“By talking to returnees, we understood that the first six months after return are very important, as this is the time when they may decide to leave again if they face serious challenges. What we also understood is that they have limited support from institutions or other bodies specifically targeting their needs in these first six months.”

This is why UNDP’s project, with its holistic approach, is focused on ensuring that returnees and Roma enhance their employability prospects. The project supports institutions with solutions for economic and social reintegration of vulnerable returnees. It is funded by the European Union and carries out activities in Albania and Serbia as well as North Macedonia. Suzana Ahmeti Janjić from UNDP in North Macedonia explains that the need for this type of project was obvious as the way the returnees have been treated was largely ad-hoc, as there is no designated system in place which focused on their problems and needs. “By talking to returnees, we understood that the first six months after return are very important, as this is the time when they may decide to leave again if they face serious challenges. What we also understood is that they have very limited support from institutions or other bodies specifically targeting their needs in these first six months,” says Suzana.

In partnership with institutions in three municipalities in North Macedonia, the UNDP project has already started activities to improve the situation on the ground. As Suzana explains, first they started with raising awareness of institutions at the local and central level about the problems of the returnees. At the central level, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy initiated the establishment of an informal coordination body that focuses on the problems of returnees. At the local level, UNDP has integrated returnees and their needs as one of the target groups in local economic development strategies, also with a specific budget allocated for supporting interventions referring to their needs.  Suzana considers one of the achievements in this regard to be the design of the specific employment measure which was accepted by the Employment Service Agency as part of the national employment plan for 2022, an important central level strategic document, in which returnees are recognised as a vulnerable group. “This is an example of a tangible result, and we have already started with concrete support for implementation of this measure, which among other things includes vocational education and digital and soft training,” says Suzana.

“The returnees are valuable human capital for employers. It is not like in the past when thousands of people were looking for a job: it has started to become a little bit the other way around.”

About the project

The Reintegration of Returnees in the Western Balkans project is focused on addressing key barriers to the socio-economic reintegration of vulnerable returnees, and the drivers of social and economic exclusion and outmigration in the Western Balkans. The project is part of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) II Multi-Country Action, EU support to Fundamental Rights of the Roma Community, and Reintegration of Returnees, entrusted to UNDP, the World Bank, and the Council of Europe. The overall objective is to contribute to the effective reintegration of vulnerable returnees from the EU with particular attention to Roma. The support to Roma returnees also contributes to reducing the existing socio-economic gap between Roma and non-Roma women, men and children.

Suzana explains that because of the increased dynamics in migration, companies are recognising more and more challenges related to the availability of skilled workers. The project therefore wants to invest more in adult education because, like Demir, most of the returnees do not have primary or secondary education, which is a barrier for their formal employment. “The returnees are valuable human capital for employers. It is not like in the past when thousands of people were looking for a job: it has started to become a little bit the other way around,” says Suzana.

Returnees and Roma also face challenges when they have a good business idea and entrepreneurial spirit to start their own business. They often have limited financial capital and few of the networks needed to start a business, as well as limited management experience and knowledge of topics such as business planning, financial management or legislation in areas such as tax regulations.  Many of the viable business ideas that returnees and Roma have remain informal due to lack of systematic support. As a form of support, especially to young and innovative returnees with ideas that can generate income and jobs, the project is providing start-up grants to help open new or formalise existing businesses. The project also provides targeted support to enhance business management skills, the knowledge necessary to operate a formal business, and access to networks of entrepreneurs.

The signing of works contracts for flood protection measures in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina

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On 7 February 2023, six works contracts supported by EU technical assistance grants, concerning the construction of flood protection measures for ten Republika Srpska municipalities were signed at a ceremony in the premises of the public company Vode Srpska in Banja Luka. The event gathered representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Republika Srpska, European Investment Bank (EIB), Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), and several other stakeholders as well as media.

 

The European Union, through WBIF, has provided nearly €13.5 million in grants to activities related to flood risk management in BiH. The “Flood Risk Management Project in Republika Srpska” with a total investment value of €104 million, is being implemented with the mentioned EU grants, a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) of €74 million and a Beneficiary contribution of €4 million. Additional €16 million grants were provided through the IBRD/IDA, GEF/UNDP and IPA 2014 funds.

 

Implementing these flood protection investments will improve the performance and reliability of the flood protection system in Republika Srpska and reduce the overall risk of floods and associated damages. This project will positively impact the economy, society, environment, and public health, while directly improving the quality of life in 30 municipalities with almost 700,000 inhabitants in Republika Srpska. It will further contribute to the transposition and implementation of the EU Acquis Communautaire, particularly the Flood Directive, which requires a coherent cross-border approach.

2023 Erasmus+ European Universities call attracts 65 proposals involving 500 institutions across Europe

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The European Universities initiative supports higher education institutions to achieve greater quality, performance, attractiveness and international competitiveness. It promotes common European values and a strengthened European identity. The initiative does this by setting innovative and diverse models of long-term institutionalised cooperation between higher education institutions (HEIs) across Europe. The initiative is implemented under Erasmus+ through a series of calls for proposals.

 

The 2023 call attracted a total of 65 proposals for the two topics: “Intensification of prior deep institutional transnational cooperation” and “Development of new deep institutional transnational cooperation”. The call gathered around 500 higher education institutions as full partners.

In total, the call covers 26 EU Member States, five third countries associated with the Erasmus+ programme and four countries from the Western Balkans.

EU energy support of €165 million to help most vulnerable households and SMEs in Serbia

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The EU Ambassador in Serbia Emanuele Giaufret and President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić witnessed today the signing of a €165 million budget support to fight the energy crisis in Serbia. With this EU aid, announced by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in October 2022, vulnerable households and SMEs in Serbia will pay less for energy.  
The agreement was signed by the Minister for European Integration, Tanja Miščević, and the Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, Plamena Halačeva. The event was attended by the Minister of Finance Siniša Mali, Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedović and General Director of “Elektromreža Srbije” Jelena Matejić. This immediate support is the first tranche of the ambitious €1 billion EU Energy Support Package to help the Western Balkans face the current energy crisis and promote its clean energy transition.  
The €500 million for six Western Balkan partners will provide direct funds to the region’s economies through budget-support measures: To balance the increase in energy prices for businesses and the energy sector, To keep energy prices affordable, especially for vulnerable households and To support policy measures to accelerate the green energy transition.  
The second part of the package – another €500 million – will cover priority flagship investments to diversify energy supplies, boost renewable energy and improve energy efficiency. It will also promote the clean energy transition of the region and cut dependency on Russia’s fossil fuels.

TEDxYouth@MarijinDvor, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

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TEDxYouth@MarijinDvor is the biggest TEDxYouth event in the Western Balkans. This time, the event was organised by Young European Ambassadors (YEAs), Hadzera Selimovic and Ena Porca and it attracted nine speakers from Western Balkans and European Union. The official name of this year’s edition is “Reinventing the Future”.

 

Fifteen Young European Ambassadors participated in this year’s event; six others contributed to the organisational part. YEA from Montenegro, Ivana Sreckovic, was one of the event’s speakers. She talked about gender equality in business during her speech “Wo(Men) in Business: Is it a Man’s world?”. Other than Ivana, two additional speeches were conducted by YEA from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Anastasija Djordja Bosancic, and YEA from Kosovo, Fatbardh Kabashi.

 

Topics of other speakers were related to the environment, music, mental health awareness, research and similar topics.

 

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organised events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organised events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organised TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organised (subject to specific rules and regulations).