20. 5. 2025 | Decentralisation, PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, U-LEAD: with Europe, Ukraine
Ljubljana, 20 May 2025 – From 28 to 30 May 2025, the Centre for European Perspective and the City of Lviv are hosting the ‘Forum of Slovenian-Ukrainian Cooperation: Strengthening Partnerships for Recovery and Reconstruction’, organised by the Centre for European Perspective (CEP) in cooperation with U-LEAD with Europe, implemented by GIZ, and supported by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia. The event is part of the broader programme “Recovery and Reconstruction in Ukraine”, the cornerstone of Slovenia’s development cooperation with Ukraine in 2025–2026.
The Forum will bring together Slovenian and Ukrainian municipalities, government representatives from Slovenia and Ukraine, EU officials, mayors of Slovenian and Ukrainian municipalities, representatives of Dnipropetrovsk and Lviv regional administrations, to exchange good practices in local and regional recovery and reconstruction, explore future cooperation, and discuss Slovenia’s targeted support for Ukraine’s EU accession process. Special focus will be placed on the role of international municipal partnerships (IMPs) in Ukraine’s post-war recovery, reconstruction and development. Thematic panels will take place, focusing on several key topics, such as waste management and housing policy.
The CEP Programme ‘Recovery and Reconstruction in Ukraine’ builds on mutual solidarity between the Slovenian and Ukrainian communities, aiming to foster long-term partnerships for the rebuilding of Ukraine. The Forum in Lviv will reaffirm Slovenia’s role as a committed partner in Ukraine’s recovery and European future.
4. 4. 2024 | Decentralisation, Economic development, local self-government, PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, U-LEAD: with Europe, Ukraine, Waste management
Več o aktivnostih v slovenskem jeziku najdete tukaj.
This sunny Thursday, the municipality of Idrija hosted the final event of the mentorship visit under the auspices of the project ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’.
The mentorship visit between Idrija and Pereschepinska focused on strengthening the heritage protection capacities of Pereschepinska hromada and the establishment of a waste management system in Pereschepinska and the sub-region. It took place from 20 March to 4 April 2024 and signals the end of the fourth mentorship visit between Slovenian and Ukrainian municipalities. Joining the mentorship in Idrija were Mr Iaroslav Tsvirkun, Mayor of Pereschepinska hromada and Ms Svitlana Bulava, Head of the Sector for Investments at Pereschepinska hromada. They were mentored by the municipality of Idrija mentor, Ms Lenka Grošelj and Mr Matevž Straus, Director of ID20 Institute.
Opening the Thursday final event at the castle Gewerkenegg in Idrija was Ms Jelka Klemenc, CEP Senior Advisor, who introduced the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships project and thanked both municipalities for the excellent work over the three weeks. Continuing was the Mayor of Idrija, Mr Tomaž Vencelj, who expressed strong support for the project and thanked the involved partners and experts, who aided the successful conclusion of the project. Mayor Vencelj also expressed the willingness for further cooperation between Idrija and Pereschepinska, signalling the openness for the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Idrija and Pereschepinska, where additional possible fields of cooperation could be expressed.
Speaking on behalf of the Pereschepinska mentees was the Mayor, Mr Iaroslav Tsvirkun, who thanked the municipality of Idrija and its mentors for excellent support and warm welcome, adding that their shared knowledge and willingness to help was crucial for the preparation of the project drafts. He also thanked all involved organisations, the organising team at CEP and the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs for their support. Continuing on, he presented the three weeks of mentorship and the two project drafts that were prepared during the mentorship visit. The drafts presented are a strong basis for the future cooperation between Idrija and Pereschepinska, especially in terms of natural and cultural heritage protection.
In the first week, mentees from Pereschepinska focused on building upon their knowledge of project management, project writing, and project funding with the help of CEP expert, Mr Klemen Srna.
The second week focused on heritage protection and waste management. Idrija, known for its excellent heritage protection and preservation projects, prepared a rich programme for mentees. It included site visits and presentations from Idrija ID20 Institute, Institute Dobra pot, Idrija Youth Centre, Šturmajce farm, Idrija Geopark, and Idrija Mercury Heritage Management Centre. Here, mentees learned more about heritage protection projects, UNESCO, funding possibilities, cooperation between the municipality and NGOs in the region, and more. Discussions with the municipality and Idrijsko-Cerkljanska Regional Development Agency highlighted possible energy efficiency projects connected to waste management and heritage protection. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the conversations and site visits turned to waste management and environment protection, with presentations on the Slovenian waste management system by CEP. Following was an important site visit to the Utility Company Idrija, where Idrija’s waste management system was presented in practice. On Wednesday, mentors and mentees visited RCERO Waste Management Centre Ljubljana, the biggest environmental project in Slovenia supported by the Cohesion Fund. It is the most modern facility for waste treatment in Europe and processes waste from more than a third of Slovenia.
The third week focused on the preparation of a project concept for the development of a heritage protection projects and waste management system in Pereschepinska municipality. Mentees were aided by CEP expert, Ms Slavka Zupan and Mr Matevž Straus and prepared a well-elaborated concept.
The mentorship concluded today with an internal debrief between CEP, mentors, and mentees, followed by a the closing event and the presentation of the mentorship results and projects drafts prepared during the mentorship visit. The plans will be elaborated and finalized during the project until its end in 2024, while initial activities have already begun during the mentorship visit in Idrija.
The Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs representative, Ms Mateja Urbanija, Ms Natalia Markevych Pritsa from the Embassy of Ukraine to Slovenia, Mr Lovro Klinar from the European Commission Representation in Slovenia. Media representatives, and representatives of organisations in Idrija involved in the activities joined the closing event.
The ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’ project is funded by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships and implemented in partnership with ‘U-LEAD with Europe’. U-LEAD with Europe programme is a partnership of the Ukrainian government and the European Union, and its member states Germany, Poland, Denmark and Slovenia, to support the establishment of multi-level governance that is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population of Ukraine.
20. 3. 2024 | Decentralisation, PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, U-LEAD: with Europe, Ukraine, Waste management
20 March 2024, Idrija – Today, we began the second three-week mentorship of 2024 in the municipality of Idrija under the auspices of the project ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’.
The event was opened by the Mayor of the Municipality of Idrija, Mr Tomaž Vencelj. He greeted the participants and expressed Idrija’s openness to cooperating with Pereschepinska municipality. He then presented Idrija through the video of the Idrija geopark and spoke of the possibilities for cooperation between the municipalities.
The following was the project presentation by Ms Jelka Klemenc, CEP’s project lead, who presented the project and its objectives.
On behalf of mentees from Pereschepinska, Mayor Tsvirkun presented the municipality, its challenges, possibilities, and expected outcomes of the mentorship visit.
The mentorship builds upon the needs expressed by Pereschepyne municipality, mainly the preservation of cultural heritage, waste management, and energy efficiency of public buildings, and will address topics crucial for the municipality’s further development, such as project management, project writing, and topics related to the EU enlargement process on the local level.
The Idrija municipality, with its rich heritage in cultural preservation, activities in the area of waste management, sustainability and zero waste, and the successful establishment of the Ljubevč waste collection centre, brings valuable experience that can be a boon to partners from Pereschepyne. Through presentations and site visits, mentees from Ukraine will gain insights into these practices and projects and explore project planning, preparation and management, and EU project funding.
The ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’ project is funded by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships and implemented in partnership with ‘U-LEAD with Europe’. U-LEAD with Europe programme is a partnership of the Ukrainian government and the European Union, and its member states Germany, Sweden, Poland and Slovenia to support the establishment of multi-level governance that is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population of Ukraine.
13. 3. 2024 | Decentralisation, PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, U-LEAD: with Europe, Ukraine, Waste management
On 20 March, we will begin the second three-week mentorship of 2024 in the municipality of Idrija under the auspices of the project ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’.
The fourth mentorship visit of the project will focus on developing collaboration between Pereschepyne and Idrija and enhancing knowledge and cooperation across multiple topics.
The mentorship builds upon the needs expressed by Pereschepyne municipality, mainly the preservation of cultural heritage, waste management, and energy efficiency of public buildings, and will address topics crucial for the municipality’s further development, such as project management, project writing, and topics related to the EU enlargement process on the local level.
The Idrija municipality, with its rich heritage in cultural preservation, activities in the area of waste management, sustainability and zero waste, and the successful establishment of the Ljubevč waste collection centre, brings valuable experience that can be a boon to partners from Pereschepyne. Through presentations and site visits, mentees from Ukraine will gain insights into these practices and projects and explore project planning, preparation and management, and EU project funding.
The ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’ project is funded by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships and implemented in partnership with ‘U-LEAD with Europe’. U-LEAD with Europe programme is a partnership of the Ukrainian government and the European Union, and its member states Germany, Sweden, Poland and Slovenia to support the establishment of multi-level governance that is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population of Ukraine.
5. 2. 2024 | Decentralisation, local self-government, PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, U-LEAD: with Europe
12 February, 10:00-11:30 CET
The war in Ukraine has shaken up the European Union’s approach to enlargement. Long seen as a purely technical process, the EU enlargement policy is now recognized as a geopolitical tool which will require a more strategic approach.
As Ukraine embarks on this journey, what is the process for joining the European Union, what implications does the Ukrainian path toward the EU have on the accession process of the Western Balkans, and which lessons can Ukraine take from the Balkans?
Joining us in a special webinar discussion was Mr Georg Ziegler, Adviser, Ukraine Service, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (NEAR), European Commission.
You can check out the recording of the session below or on our YouTube channel – here.
Georg Ziegler is an Advisor in the “Ukraine Service” of the European Commission in the Directorate General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (NEAR). Before his current role, he was Deputy Head of the Support Group for Ukraine. During his career, he has worked on preparing some Western Balkan countries for EU accession and on the 5th enlargement of the EU by Central and Eastern European countries until 2004; he was also posted by the German Government at the Embassy in Warsaw from 1990-95.
The activities are taking place under the project ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’, funded by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships and implemented in partnership with ‘U-LEAD with Europe’. U-LEAD with Europe programme is a partnership of the Ukrainian government and the European Union, and its member states Germany, Poland, Denmark and Slovenia, to support the establishment of multi-level governance that is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population of Ukraine.
26. 10. 2023 | Decentralisation, local self-government, PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, U-LEAD: with Europe
At the 12th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region held under the Slovenian Presidency, CEP’s Executive Director, Ms Nina Čepon, contributed to the panel discussion titled ”Bottom-up recovery and transformation of Ukraine–Supporting Ukraine and Moldova on their way to the EU” on the 24th of October.
She shed light on CEP’s impactful collaboration with Ukrainian municipalities, a process initiated back in 2018 under the scope of the Programme ‘U-LEAD with Europe’ implemented by the German organization GIZ in Ukraine. The dedication to enhancing Ukrainian municipalities continues through our ongoing development project titled ‘Post-Conflict Reconstruction in Ukraine’ funded by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and implemented in partnership with ‘U-LEAD with Europe’.
This project remains committed to transferring knowledge tailored to specific needs and providing sustainable assistance to Ukrainian municipalities as they advance in their development, modernization and contribute to the Ukrainian path toward EU membership while dealing with the everyday challenges of wartime. Activities are focusing on topics such as green transition, civil protection and resilience, economic development, anti-corruption and transparency in local governance, and deliver an important skillset to raise their absorption capacities in terms of donor engagement, namely those of efficient planning, project appraisal and obtainment of external funding.
Čepon emphasised that Ukrainian municipalities are set to play a pivotal role in post-conflict reconstruction and development in Ukraine as they are forward-looking, and they strive toward economic development and other objectives despite being faced with their complex everyday circumstances at this time. Slovenia’s wealth of experience in modernization and the EU accession process promises to bring significant, concrete value.
