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Author: WeBalkans

Commissioner Várhelyi visits Serbia to discuss priorities under EU accession as well as cooperation on energy

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EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi is travelling to Serbia on 1 and 2 December 2022 to discuss priorities under the EU accession process, with a strong focus on energy cooperation. In the afternoon, he will visit Elektromreža Srbije (EMS) with Minister of Energy Dubravka Đedović and Minister of European Integration Miščević for a presentation of the implementation of the Trans Balkan Electricity Corridor – an energy project co-financed by the European Union that will ensure greater energy stability and efficiency in Serbia. In the evening, he will meet with opposition Deputy Speakers and heads of caucuses in the Serbian Parliament. On 2 December, he will meet with Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić, Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, Parliament Speaker Vladimir Orlić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dačić as well as Minister of Interior Gašić. He will also witness the signing of the EU funding agreement setting out the legal framework for the future EU pre-accession assistance to Serbia, and of two EU-funded projects supporting Serbia’s capacity to manage migration flows and border controls.

YEAs participate at the Block the hatred. Share inclusion! event in Pljevlja, Montenegro

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Providing a space for young people to voice their opinions, discuss the challenges they face in their local communities is essential for building a more inclusive society, free from discrimination. This was highlighted at a   workshop for students   that took place in Pljevlja on 23 November as a part of the initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe, “Block the Hatred. Share the Love!” and in co-operation with RYCO – Regional Youth Cooperation Office.The event gathered students, representative of Institutions, local NGO’s from Pljevla and Young European Ambassadors (YEA).

 

At the event, YEAs and other young people had the opportunity to discuss with the decision-makers in front of the municipality of Pljevlja, the Ombudsman, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Sports and Youth. As part of the discussion, they talked about the ways in which hatred spreads through the system and society and what young people can do to support the institutions to fight the hate speech and show how important respect and unity are. They also pointed out to the benefits of multicultural environment and the need to encourage other young people not to give up and to continue their work and activism for the benefit of their societies.

 

The “Block the Hatred. Share the Love!” initiative, part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022, aims to combat various forms of hate speech targeting specific communities and individuals in Montenegro.  The campaign is supported by prominent public figures, institutions and activists, who promote diversity and equality in Montenegro and in the region, through personal storytelling, testimonies and exchange of good practices.

YEAs at EYE Varaždin

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The European Youth Event (EYE) is a regular international event initiated by the European Parliament in 2014, gathering young individuals from all over Europe to share their ideas on Europe’s future. Besides the main event, which takes place every two years in Strasbourg, France, this year two local EYE events were organised as well, with one being in Varaždin, Croatia. Around 600 young people aged 16 to 30 gathered here to socialise and exchange their views with experts, activists, influencers and decision-makers.

 

The programme included activities and panel discussions such as “Effective Housing Policies for Young People – Wishful Thinking?” and “European Year of Youth 2022”. This year, Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) participated in the EYE Varaždin activities. Along with participation in other activities, YEAs organised six Kahoot quizzes with questions from all six Western Balkan countries. The six winners of the quizzes won package of gadgets.

Completion of works on the state-of-the-art prison in Kragujevac, Serbia

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On Tuesday 16 November 2022, high level officials from Serbia, EU and other donor countries attended the opening of the  Kragujevac prison. The total cost for the new prison facility is €40 million. It was part-financed with a €17 million loan from the CEB and a €3 million in technical assistance grants from the EU and WBIF Bilateral Donors.  
One of the most modern and secure penitentiary institutions in Europe, Kragujevac prison can house up to 500 inmates in 265 cells, including some fitted for inmates with disabilities. The complex consists of 11 buildings with a total area of 22,000 square meters, providing space for socialising, work activities, vocational training as well as modern equipment and healthcare facilities. It will employ 270 people.  
Since 2009, with support from the EU, WBIF Bilateral Donors, and the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), Serbia has embarked on a programme to modernize its prison facilities in line with the European Prison Rules. Within the programme, a WBIF project has been launched, concerning the construction and equipping of two new prison facilities in Pančevo and Kragujevac. The Pančevo prison facility, with capacity for 500 inmates, was completed in 2018.

EU,EBRD and donors help Gradačac in Bosnia and Herzegovina to improve its water supply

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Gradačac is a small but vibrant town in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with around 40,000 people and many local businesses. It is known for its entrepreneurial spirit and agribusiness, but has struggled with an unstable and insufficient water supply. With support from the European Union(EU)ö European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and bilateral donors to the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), Gradačac has now extended its water network and upgraded its wastewater infrastructure.

 

With the support of the EU,EBRD and other donors, the city built 100 km of new water pipes, which helped increase the number of households connected to the mains supply to 80 per cent. The project also included the replacement of old asbestos pipes, considered unsafe, in the city centre, making it the first city in Bosnia and Herzegovina to completely remove asbestos pipes from its network.

 

The investment was financed with a €6 million EBRD loan and a €3.4 investment grant from the Western Balkans Investment Framework and Sweden.

EU in Kosovo joins the Ministry of Justice in the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign

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With the aim to helping raise awareness about the need to prevent and report any form of gender-based violence, the EU in Kosovo, Switzerland, and UNDP, joined forces with the Kosovo Ministry of Justice and NGO Integra in implementing this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign.

 

This global campaign, initiated back in 1991, traditionally runs from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, International Human Rights Day, and addresses all forms of violence against women including sexual and domestic violence against women and girls.

 

In Kosovo, it will include a large number of communications and outreach activities coordinated by the Ministry of Justice, such as, among others, roundtables with judges, prosecutors, women and girls, municipal visits, theatre plays, TV spots, and projection of messages on the Government buildings.

Council agrees negotiating mandate on visa free travel on Kosovo

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EU member states’ ambassadors today agreed the Council’s negotiating mandate on a regulation on visa free travel for holders of passports issued by Kosovo. On the basis of this mandate, the presidency will start negotiations with the European Parliament.

 

The draft rules would allow Kosovo passport holders to travel to the EU without a visa for a period of stay of 90 days in any 180-day period. Under the Council position, the exemption from the visa requirement would apply from the start date for the operation of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and in any case no later than 1 January 2024.

An ex-coal mine reworked as North Macedonia’s first large solar plant

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EU support for diversification of energy sources.

Towering over the brambles and scrub of the valley is a huge old thermal power plant chimney. This Oslomej coal-fired power plant in Kičevo, North Macedonia was commissioned in the early 1980s and was the pride of the then Republic of Macedonia. In the decades that followed, the plant declined until there were only a few veteran workers leaving in the buses at the end of a shift. The 125MW plant was kept on a reduced working footing mainly as a reserve in case of problems elsewhere in the system. However, what has gone on in the surrounding scrubland has been an exciting development that will help North Macedonia move decisively forward with decarbonisation.

The Western Balkan countries are still heavily reliant on coal, particularly lignite. In 2016, 16 of the coal power plants around the Western Balkans emitted as much sulphur dioxide as all of the 250 power plants in the European Union. In North Macedonia almost half of the country’s energy came from coal as recently as 2018 and the country was heavily dependent on fossil fuels. There were then two thermal powerplants which ran on lignite – REK Oslomej in Kičevo, and REK Bitola – and Skopje was named the most polluted capital in Europe.

“This power plant is an example of decarbonisation and transition to renewable energy sources both in North Macedonia and in the region. This is the first power plant to be built on a former coal mine dump in the Western Balkans.”

However, North Macedonia was keen to diversify its energy sources and clean up its air, and now this ambition is becoming a reality. The country’s first large-scale solar plant, Oslomej 1, was financed with the support of the European Union, Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) bilateral donors and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and is now connected to the grid and producing clean electricity.

The 10MW facility was built at the former Oslomej lignite mine. The EBRD provided a  €5.9 million loan, and the €8.7 million project includes a €1.6 million grant from the Western Balkans Investment Framework. “This power plant is an example of decarbonisation and transition to renewable energy sources both in North Macedonia and in the region. This is the first power plant to be built on a former coal mine dump in the Western Balkans,” says Aleksandar Stefanovski, engineer for new technologies at Power Plants North Macedonia.

“There is a future in green energy. We see the positive side because it should provide permanent, secure employment to the workers since those facilities last for 25 to 35 years. It is a very comfortable place for a person to reach retirement age and enjoy job security.“

About the project

In February 2022, the European Commission unveiled a €3.2 billion investment package to support 21 transport, digital, climate and energy connectivity projects in the Western Balkans. This is the first major package of projects under the EU’s ambitious Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, which the Commission adopted in October 2020 and the projects are designed to bring tangible benefits to all six partners in the region. The Oslomej 1 solar power plant is one of these 21 flagship projects, selected for EU financing through the WBIF in 2022. The project has been identified as “Flagship 4 – Renewable energy” in the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans 2021-2027.

The project plans to construct a second photovoltaic power plant, Oslomej 2, as a continuation of this one. This will have a capacity of 10 megawatts. Together, the two power plants will produce energy for 5,000 households in Kičevo and the region. “There is a future in green energy. We see the positive side because it should provide permanent, secure employment to the workers since those facilities last for 25 to 35 years. It is a very comfortable place for a person to reach retirement age and enjoy job security,” says Čedomir Arsovski, head of development and investment at the Oslomej Energy and Mining company.

Additional investments in solar power plants are planned in North Macedonia. The WBIF has already approved financing for an extension of the plant in Oslomej 2 and the construction of a new plant in Bitola for a combined total capacity of 30MW. The EU is supporting this investment with a €5.1 million investment grant.

Commissioner Várhelyi visits Bosnia and Herzegovina to discuss EU reform priorities, migration and energy security

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EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyiis travelling to Bosnia and Herzegovina from 28 to 29 November 2022 to discuss EU reform priorities and discuss wider cooperation in key areas, in particular on migration.  
Following the European Commission’s recommendation on candidate status, Commissioner Várhelyi will meet in Sarajevo with the members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and officials to discuss next steps and reforms related to the countries EU path. Commissioner Várhelyi will also discuss cooperation on migration management and attend a signing ceremony between Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Ministry of  Security and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) on stepping up voluntary and non-voluntary returns, supported by the European Commission with €500,000 funding.  
The Commissioner will also officially open FabLab, one of the key digital hubs supported by the EU4DigitalSME project to increase the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises.

A Bosnian company qualifies for the World Cup in Qatar

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A small fashion company from Travnik in Bosnia and Herzegovina is exporting goods to Qatar with the help of the EU.

Mirela Džinić is the founder and creative director of the fashion company Senses from Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She says that the members of her family who were into sewing clothes instilled in her a love for creative work and fashion since her early youth. However, given the circumstances following the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina she had to accept the first job that she came across, which was an administrative position in the local branch of a bank. “Although I longed to work in a business related to fashion, I had no option. Opportunities were scarce and I was lucky to get this job at the bank,” she says.

Mirela kept this job for over ten years, and she would probably have stayed for the rest of her life if the bank had not gone bankrupt and been closed. She was in her thirties, the mother of two girls, and jobless, and needed to find a solution. Eventually she got a job with a textile factory, where she worked for over two years in various positions. “It was a different world completely. I worked as a project coordinator, modeler, constructor and technologist. I covered the whole cycle from the idea to the sample and to serial production and distribution,” she says.

“The training cycle provided by the EU-funded project was really creative and inspiring and increased my ambition and motivation to start something of my own.”

Two years later, with a feeling of fulfilment and a need to explore more as she felt that she had nothing more to give to this company and nothing new to learn, she decided to make the big brave leap to opening her own company. The practical experience, the motivation and creativity were there, but Mirela was lacking experience in management and fundraising to start a new company. Right at that time she came across an EU-funded project that supported start-ups with management training and initial funding for the launch of their business endeavours. The project supported her with learning to think like an entrepreneur and trained her on the whole business cycle, starting from the basic business idea and going on to business plan, target groups and marketing plan. “The training cycle provided by the EU-funded project was really creative and inspiring and increased my ambition and motivation to start something of my own,” says Mirela.

She chose to develop an idea based on children’s fashion, as according to her something like that was missing in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and she launched her company, Senses. Along with her team she developed a unique gift package of children’s clothes which was something totally new on the market, and success followed immediately after presenting the product to the market. “The idea was to start a small but high-quality brand that is competitive with the international and other brands on the market. By using high quality raw material, unique designs and handcraft we have achieved that,” says Mirela.

“As a small company from Travnik, being recognised by a market such as Qatar – that can afford to buy products from any brand in the world – was a privilege and meant a lot to us.”

About the project

EU4Business is an EU project that aims to strengthen Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capacity for economic growth and employment by fostering competitiveness and innovation in selected sectors. It has a budget of €16.1 million: €15 million funded by the European Union and €1.1 million by the Federal Republic of Germany.

EU4Business is part of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Local Development Strategies – Local Self-Government and Economic Development Programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The EU support and progress for Senses continued even after the initial start-up process. This year, the EU in Bosnia and Herzegovina decided to support a number of small companies for promotion of their brands by connecting them with online influencers. Senses was among the companies selected to be part of this programme. Mirela was paired with an influencer, a mother of two girls, who was willing to promote Senses products.

Apart from the anticipated increase of social media presence and turnover in the local market, in Mirela’s words the other thing that happened was something extraordinary . A lady of Bosnian origin living in Qatar, who happened to be following the influencer, saw the brand and decided to contact Mirela for a business deal. The deal resulted in the production and shipment of the first load of Senses products to the international market. “As a small company from Travnik, being recognised by a market such as Qatar – that can afford to buy products from any brand in the world – was a privilege and meant a lot to us,” says Mirela.

The first shipment was of children’s clothes with designs related to the World Cup. Having been very satisfied, the partner from Qatar has already ordered a second shipment which will be based on another theme and delivered in 2023.