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Author: WeBalkans

Commission publishes report on health and wellbeing of musicians

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In the context of its “Music Moves Europe” initiative, the European Commission has published the report “The Health and Wellbeing of Professional Musicians and Music Creators in the EU – insights from research for policy and practice”. The report reveals that the health and well-being of professional musicians and music creators in the EU is vulnerable to several risk factors and that action on many fronts is needed in order to protect them.

 

While the report highlights the main risks for the physical and mental health of professional musicians and music creators, it also gives examples of successful interventions and actions (policies and practices) from several EU Member States to address these risks. It distils key policy lessons from research and provides recommendations for policies and practices that can improve the physical and mental health and safety of musicians and music creators in the EU. In terms of education, prevention and treatment.

Tell us your European heritage story – new funding call for European Heritage Days 2023

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European Heritage Stories is a grant initiative for innovative projects developed by local communities across Europe.  It is organised by the European Commission and the Council of Europe.

 

The European Heritage Days are events which bring European citizens together to celebrate, share and support the work being undertaken by communities in Europe. Their pan-European nature helps highlight cultural heritage’s European dimension and value. With the European Heritage Stories, communities across the continent are invited to share their special stories about Europe’s cultural heritage.

 

The deadline for applications is 28 February 2023. Interested applicants can submit their application in English or French.

Ambassador Sattler meets FBiH Association of Employers to discuss growth and competitiveness reforms

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On 12 January 2023 the Head of EU Delegation/EU Special Representative to BiH H.E. Johann Sattler met with the President, the Director and a group of Members of the Federation BiH Association of Employers. The objective of the meeting was to exchange information on the current developments and ongoing/upcoming initiatives by both the EU Office in BiH and the Association, to overcome the main obstacles to enhanced growth, increased competitiveness and to reverse the trends of emigration and labour shortages. Ambassador Sattler underlined that the granting of EU candidate status to BiH presents newly formed authorities with opportunities to tackle longstanding challenges and implement key reforms.  
All participants to the meeting agreed that insufficient economic growth, stagnating per capita income and high official unemployment – accompanied by labour shortages in some key sectors – represent the key challenges that BiH businesses are facing nowadays. Global disturbances that spurred inflation are further exacerbating these problems that need to be addressed as a matter of urgency, including through legislative changes at various government levels. Additional changes are needed to further strengthen the business environment, including through targeted interventions in specific sectors, including wood and dairy industry, transportation services etc.  
It was agreed that in pursuing reforms, which need to be inclusive and take into account EU integration requirements, the EU Office in BIH and the employers will cooperate and meet more frequently, in order to discuss and develop reform proposals that would – once adopted and implemented – improve the country’s economic well-being and bring BiH closer to the EU.

The journey of a hard-working Roma woman providing for her son who was born with a disability

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An EU-funded project supports returnees’ reintegration in the Western Balkans.

For 25 years, Blerta Lushnjari from Albania went back and forth between Albania and other countries, motivated by securing proper healthcare for her son. Antonio was born with a disability and has a complex mix of conditions and Blerta’s hometown, Elbasan, had neither capacities for a proper diagnosis nor provision of free medical services for people with disabilities. With Blerta’s economic situation, it was impossible for her to pay private doctors.

Without a proper diagnosis, it was scary. Blerta was unable to care for Antonio properly without knowing the therapies or medicines that could help alleviate his pain. Nor did she know how to provide for decent living in the future. In the search for better medical attention, they again went abroad, finally managing to get the diagnosis – paraplegia and mild intellectual disability – and secure proper care. However, without settled status, they had to return home to Albania. “When we were abroad, the doctor visited Antonio once a week and he had physiotherapy. But when we came to Albania, there was no such service: nothing at all. So his condition deteriorated.”

“Life was harder. I couldn’t feed my children. Homeless, I was moving between relatives: one week at one person’s house and the next at another’s.”

Many people from the Western Balkans go abroad for work opportunities, but the Roma face particular challenges reintegrating when they return. The most common challenge reported by returnees in the region, including Albania, is employment, followed by lack of decent housing and access to education. In Albania, there was no social protection programme targeting returnees specifically. Back in Elbasan, Blerta was without a home or work, and now had two children to support. Lack of formal education made it difficult for her to find profitable work, and posed challenges for the paperwork needed for a stable life. “Life was harder. I couldn’t feed my children. Homeless, I was moving between relatives: one week at one person’s house and the next one at another’s,” says Blerta.

Despite all the challenges, Blerta was still full of the positive energy which is apparent in the warmth of care for her family: her main goal was to fulfil all her children’s needs. She joined many NGO activities developed for women and their integration in society, and was particularly involved with a vocational training programme for women returnees. The project was called “Strengthening national and local systems to support the effective socio-economic integration of returnees in the Western Balkans”, funded by the EU and implemented by UNDP. Mirjeta Ramizi from UNDP Albania explains that Blerta has been actively involved in many project activities. One of the activities was a business idea for production and marketing of natural handmade soap. Along with other women, Blerta was trained in this craft and provided with raw material and marketing assistance. This income-generating activity is in its initial stages and is running well but, according to Mirjeta, the ladies have higher ambitions, and their newly founded company is looking to expand their market.

As an ambitious and hardworking woman, Blerta also joined another programme, focused on the development of individual business ideas. Since she returned to Albania, she had been making a living through the repair and resale of second-hand goods. Now, with the support of the project, she is planning to turn this part-time activity into a fully developed business. The project is helping her to develop a business plan for opening premises or a trailer-like mobile shop to sell the second-hand goods.

“Through this project we established effective local and national partnerships and drew attention to the needs and challenges of vulnerable communities and returnees.”

About the project

The “Strengthening national and local systems to support the effective socio-economic integration of returnees in the Western Balkans” project is part of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) II Multi-Country Action Programme entrusted to UNDP, the World Bank and the Council of Europe, to support the fundamental rights of Roma and other vulnerable returnees, in Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia. The project addresses the reintegration of the significant number of returnees from the EU during recent years, since the Western Balkans countries were declared “safe countries of origin”. The project works closely with local institutions responsible for providing services for the reintegration of returnees, with a focus on those from Roma and Egyptian ethnic minorities, as well as with local civil society actors and the local business community. The community of returnees is considered both a beneficiary and a partner during the implementation, aiming to create ownership of the activities by the returnees themselves.

In Albania the project is providing support in the municipalities of Berat, Devoll, and Fier, where the number of returnees is higher than in other municipalities. Apart from direct assistance to the returnees, which is implemented in cooperation with partner NGOs, the project also provides support to Albania’s local and central government in developing strategies and action plans to address the needs of returnees. Mirjeta from UNDP explains that the economic crisis caused by the war in Ukraine and earlier crises caused by the COVID 19 pandemic have shifted the attention of government into these immediate issues. “Through this project we established effective local and national partnerships and drew attention to the needs and challenges of vulnerable communities and returnees,”she says.

Blerta’s son, now 17, is doing much better. He receives regular physiotherapy at home and at a local centre, supported through a UNDP project with EU and Sustainable Development Goal Fund financing. He has access to better medical care and is still surrounded by a loving family who give attention to his development and care. Blerta’s daughter Leje, now ten, has interest in languages, has won several running medals and loves spending time with her brother. The family still faces struggles with housing though, looking for a home with basic facilities that they can afford. Blerta says, “The biggest dream is to have a house for my two children, so that even when I’m not with them, they will be organised and live a decent life.”

Judicial reform for stable institutions in Serbia

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Judicial reform is important for the citizens of Serbia because it will bring about a more autonomous judiciary and independent prosecution service, and the rule of law remains the main pillar of Serbia’s European integration, said EU Ambassador to Serbia, Emanuele Giaufret, at the final public debate on the set of judicial laws. “The implementation of the law will be the focus of the European Union and the full implementation of these laws will bring progress to Serbia. We also expect Serbia to adopt the recommendations made by the Venice Commission on the proposals of these laws so that we can say that the legal solutions are fully in line with European standards and practices,” said Giaufret.  
The EU Ambassador added that the Venice Commission said that for real change, a change in political and legal culture is also needed. While political and judicial authorities have a primary responsibility, civil society organisations and citizens, also have an important role to play.  
The public consultation process on judicial laws was held within the “EU for support of judicial reform” project, which has been implemented in Serbia by the Council of Europe and the European Union since 2022.

Study on the situation and the needs of rural youth in North Macedonia

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A Young European Ambassador (YEA) from North Macedonia, Damjan Zlatanovski, organised an event in support of number 6 of the 11 European Youth Goals, “Moving rural youth forward”. The event was organised in cooperation with Europe House Kriva Palanka.

 

Professors from the Faculty of Agriculture Sciences and Food at Ss Cyril and Methodius University (UKIM), led two focus groups where a total of 14 young people between the ages of 15 and 24 discussed the challenges and the needs of rural youth; young people’s prospects for decent livelihoods, including employment and training opportunities; engagement in agri-food systems; their mobility decisions; their roles as innovators; their contribution to rural development; and their aspirations with regard to social inclusion and participation in policy processes.

 

The main goal was to provide insights into possible solutions for more informed decision-making at the policy level, to identify policy recommendations to encourage young people to stay in or return to rural areas, and to support youth to become more visible as agents of change in agri-food systems as well as enhancing their contribution to the country’s rural development.

YEAs support humanitarian action in North Macedonia

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The European Union delegation in Skopje, Ambassador David Geer, Europe House, and FoodBank of Macedonia organised a humanitarian initiative in North Macedonia for Orthodox Christmas. On 4 and 5 January they donated 30 food packages to socially vulnerable families. Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) from North Macedonia contributed to packing as well as donating the food packages.

Winds of change for North Macedonia’s energy production

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EU support to the country’s green energy revolution.

Bogdanci is a small town in North Macedonia close to the border with Greece. The area is known for strong winds that blow throughout the year. The constant wind in Bogdanci is known as the Vardarec, which blows along the valley of the river Vardar at an average speed of 7.2 m/s, which makes it a pretty strong wind for this part of the Western Balkans. This is the reason that the feasibility study funded by the EU’s Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) identified Bogdanci as the ideal location for the first wind farm in North Macedonia.

“Everyone will benefit from the wind parks’ green energy, whether it is for households or industry: everyone will use green energy.”

The wind park is on a site selected following an extensive analysis of data and wind flow simulation. The construction of Phase I of the park, financed by loans from KfW and the electricity generation company ELEM, was completed in 2014 and has a capacity of 36.8 MW and average annual production of around 112 gigawatt hours, which supplies green energy for approximately 16,000 households in the south of the country.

In the first phase, 16 wind turbines were installed and a 11-kilometre-long 110 kV transmission line was constructed, along with a substation and access roads which connect the wind park with the energy network. Phase II is ongoing and will add 14 MW in electricity generation capacity to the existing facilities, to bring total capacity to 50 MW according to the original plan.

“North Macedonia has set very ambitious climate targets. For starters, there was the Paris Climate Agreement and the fact that the country is committed to reducing greenhouse gases by 52%. By the end of the decade, the country also has to have shut down the thermal power plants that are powered by coal, and that puts the country in a very difficult situation. Everyone will benefit from the wind parks’ green energy, whether it is for households or industry: everyone will use green energy,” says Robert Sarlamanov from KfW Development Bank.

“Average annual production will be around 112 gigawatt hours. To simplify, it would cover the annual consumption of energy for about 16,000 families, which would be approximately the annual consumption of the energy of the households from the neighbouring towns of Gevgelija, Bogdanci, Valandovo and Dojran.”

About the project

The Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) was jointly launched in 2009 by the European Commission (the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement – formerly DG ELARG, now DG NEAR),international financial institutions and bilateral donors, to enhance harmonisation and cooperation in investments for the socio-economic development of the Western Balkans. Together with the Western Balkan beneficiaries, the WBIF forms a unique partnership, defining priorities and support packages needed for strategic investments and institutional reform. The WBIF contributes to the European perspective of the Western Balkans not only by supporting investment projects improving competitiveness and growth, but also by reinforcing regional cooperation and connectivity.

The wind park is having a considerable impact on the energy supply of the region. “Average annual production will be around 112 gigawatt hours. To simplify, it would cover the annual consumption of energy for about 16,000 families, which would be approximately the annual consumption of the energy of the households from the neighbouring towns of Gevgelija, Bogdanci, Valandovo and Dojran,” says Goce Dzambalovski from Power Plants North Macedonia.

In recent years, North Macedonia has achieved the greatest progress in the Western Balkans in energy transition. The country is conducting renewable energy auctions, replacing coal with solar power and gas, and signing strategic investment deals not only for large wind parks but also for photovoltaic plants. According to the Balkan Green Energy portal, electricity production at North Macedonia’s renewable energy power plants increased 14.7% last year against 2020, while output at coal-fired power plants fell 17.1%. The share of renewable energy in total electricity production also increased, from 29.2% to 31.4%, thanks to flagship projects like the Bogdanci Wind Park project.

One-stop shops transform youth employability

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A novel EU-funded education approach works across the Western Balkans.

Civil society organisations in the Western Balkans have joined forces to introduce a novel approach in education that aims to increase the employability of young people. The project has one major partner organisation in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia. In each country, the project is addressing gaps in what is provided by education institutions.

There are no quick fixes for education challenges, as the Centre for Youth Work (Centar za omladinski rad – CZOR) from Novi Sad in Serbia knows very well. This organisation has been working with youth for years. It used to provide courses, as well as working on youth advocacy, but youth employability really caught the organisation’s attention.

 

“We had the idea of piloting integrated services based on a one-stop shop for services for young people.”

CZOR identified that the services that young people were accessing were divided between different organisations so that the service users had to go from one programme to another to get all the skills they needed for employability.

“We had the idea of piloting integrated services based on a one-stop shop for services for young people,” says Vanja Kalaba from CZOR. The approach was successful, with more almost half of the youth involved either getting employed or securing an internship. Then Kalaba was convinced that this model could be expanded into a regional project.

Giving education a regional shot

CZOR was able to take their niche intervention in youth education to a regional level with EU funding. They were joined by organisations in Albania, BiH, Kosovo, and Montenegro in this approach that would eventually increase young people’s chances of getting a job. “We wanted to strengthen organisations by creating a network that would make the actors more recognisable and relevant, supporting them to engage with the government on youth employment and outreach to youth,” says Kalaba from CZOR

The outreach had a special focus on young people with who are not in education, employment, or training. Hundreds of candidates enrolled, hoping to get the required skills after a year-long programme including digital skills and entrepreneurship starter packs.

The partners providing the service have rich expertise including career counselling, entrepreneurship, digital skills, and social media. Now the organisations are putting their strengths together and providing candidates with everything in one place, from sharing their expertise to contacting potential employers.

“Enrolling in this format of education made me understand the IT sector better and be able to apply the knowledge in the future.”

About the project

The EU-funded “My Career from Zero to Hero” (02hero) project aims to enhance the capacities of civil society to be effective and accountable independent actors able to engage constructively with governments on the identified thematic priority of innovative solutions for youth employment in the Western Balkan Strategy. 02hero is an integrated model for NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) youth employability, based on one-stop-shop methodology, which provides all youth employability services in one place to develop the skills for future jobs in the 4.0 digital revolution.

Sajra Hadžiarapović participated in training provided by the partner organisation in Bosnia and Herzegovina – “Centre for Youth Education” in the town of Travnik. She says that the tailor-made course taught by lecturers specialised in programming and web design addressed gaps in her education. An element that she appreciated even more was the introduction of successful entrepreneurs as guest speakers. “Enrolling in this format of education made me understand the IT sector better, and be able to apply the knowledge in the future,” says Sajra, who hopes that now she stands a better chance of employment.

The consortium of organisations is currently focused on sustainability of its model so that it can become the essential address for encouraging employability amongst young people.

EU, EBRD and Sweden support SMEs and female entrepreneurs in Montenegro

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The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting women entrepreneurs and small businesses in Montenegro with a new financing package to Crnogorska Komercijalna Banka AD Podgorica (CKB), a member of the OTP group and the country’s largest bank. Some €3 million of the loan package will be allocated to supporting investments by women-led businesses. SMEs will also benefit from grant incentives of 15 per cent of the total loan amount, funded by the European Union.  
The funding will be provided through the EBRD’s Women in Business programme, which promotes women’s entrepreneurship and their participation in business. Women entrepreneurs will also have a chance to benefit from tailor-made business advisory services under the Bank’s Advice for Small Businesses programme. The Women in Business programme is co-funded by the government of Sweden, which has been supporting it in the Western Balkans since 2014.  
The loan will give SMEs in Montenegro access to finance, enabling them to go beyond their day-to-day operations and invest in upgrades with a view to reaching EU standards. SMEs can use the funds to upgrade technology, processes or services, particularly those related to product quality, health and safety and EU environmental requirements.