4. 1. 2021 | Macedonia - corruption, Macedonia - Finance, Macedonia - Resources, North Macedonia - RoL, PR
End of 2020 active to strengthen the capacities of the Republic of Northern Macedonia for financial investigations.
More about the project in Slovenian language.
For all those in charge of financial investigation in the Republic of North Macedonia, as well as for Slovenian representatives of the Police, the Financial Administration and the State Prosecution the end of 2020 was even more busy than usual.
On 29 December 2020, an online workshop was held with the purpose of presentation and discussion on a feasibility study to increase the availability of data, which are needed to conduct financial investigations. What is needed for an effective financial investigation of proceeds of crime and also the property which can be subject to extended confiscation for which the suspects of serious crime, punishable by imprisonment of a minimum of 4 years or set catalogueally cannot prove it was gained from legal income, that is to say, in a lawful way?
Study shows in detail investigators need to be supported with an appropriate legal basis that allows them access to data they need in the financial investigation. They must also have at their disposal up-to-date, complete and accurate data available from various data holders who exchange data with different efficiency within the established interoperability platform in North Macedonia. Furthermore, the obtained data are useful to us only if we know how to evaluate them correctly and determine proceeds of crime and volume of property, which could be of illegal origin. With the help of the study and the workshop, concrete possibilities for increasing the availability of data for financial investigations have been identified, which is an important step towards their realization.
The activities of the presentation workshop of the feasibility study on increasing the availability of data in the field of financial investigations successfully complete the two-year development assistance in the field of financial investigations in the period 2019-2020. At the same time, it opens a new two-year period of development aid 2021-2022, when Slovenian support to North Macedonia in the field of financial investigations continues.
The project is part of programme activities of Slovenia’s Development Cooperation Programme financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and carried out together with the State Prosecution, Financial Administration, Ministry of Interior and Police of the Republic of Slovenia.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
CEP
8. 12. 2020 | Macedonia - corruption, Macedonia - Finance, Macedonia - Resources, North Macedonia - RoL, PR
North Macedonia strengthens capacities for financial investigations
More about the project in Slovenian language.
Slovenian development aid to the Republic of North Macedonia is being successfully continued, with adjustments for following measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. A workshop for rule of law agencies on the financial investigation was held in North Macedonia from 23 to 27 November 2020. A few Slovenian and Macedonian representatives also participated remotely.
At the workshop, participants, with a practical approach and through case studies, focused on the area of data needed to conduct financial investigations. The workshop ended on 28 November 2020, with a meeting of the heads of the bodies responsible for financial investigations. A feasibility study on improvements in data needed for financial investigations in North Macedonia is also under preparation.
The project is part of programme activities of Slovenia’s Development Cooperation Programme financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and carried out together with the State Prosecution, Financial Administration, Ministry of Interior and Police of the Republic of Slovenia.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
CEP
16. 11. 2020 | Macedonia - corruption, Macedonia - Finance, Macedonia - Resources, North Macedonia - RoL, PR
Slovenia’s development assistance to North Macedonia in joining the EU continues
More about the project in Slovenian language.
Slovenia continues to provide development assistance to North Macedonia, aimed at strengthening the capacity of law enforcement institutions, in achieving the European standards expected for accession to the European Union within the negotiation chapter 24: Justice, Freedom and Security.
This chapter, in addition to the chapter on justice and fundamental rights, is a starting point for further progress towards full EU membership. The European Union has placed chapters on justice and fundamental rights, as well as justice, freedom and security, at the heart of the negotiation process, as these are the issues and areas that are most important to citizens. The process of harmonization and application of regulations in these two chapters is monitored throughout the negotiation process and negotiations in the other chapters can be stopped if the country has not made satisfactory progress in these two chapters.
A workshop will be held in North Macedonia from 23 to 26 November 2020, the purpose of which is to strengthen the capacity of North Macedonia in the field of financial investigations and the successful seizure of assets of crime and property of illegal origin.
The project is part of programme activities of Slovenia’s Development Cooperation Programme financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and carried out together with the State Prosecution, Financial Administration, Ministry of Interior and Police of the Republic of Slovenia.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
CEP
3. 10. 2018 | Development (ODA), Macedonia - corruption, Macedonia - Finance, PR
In the period 2017-2018, in the framework of the development assistance Slovenia provides support to the Republic of Macedonia in strengthening of capacities for financial investigations and seizure of assets with illegal origin which is an effective tool to prevent and reduce organised crime and corruption. For this purpose, a workshop for development of suggestions which will be useful with the implementation of changes will be held from 4 to 5 October 2018 in Skopje. A presentation with discussions will also follow on 5 October 2018 with Heads of Macedonian state bodies which are relevant for the implementation of financial investigations and with the Ministry of Interior of Republic of Macedonia as a lead on Macedonian side.
Project is part of CEP’s program activities implemented in the cooperation with the State Prosecution Office for Organised Crime and Corruption and Ministry of Interior/ Police of the Republic of Slovenia and financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia in the framework of Slovenia’s Development Cooperation.
24. 5. 2018 | Development (ODA), Macedonia - corruption, Macedonia - Finance, PR
At the margins of high-level inter-sectorial workshop dedicated to financial investigations, on 18 May 2018 the Minister of Interior of the Republic of Macedonia Oliver Spasovski received the following Slovenian delegation: Mr Darko Majhenič, the Director of National Bureau of Investigation, Mr Harij Furlan, Head of the Group of state prosecutors for the prosecution of organized crime at the Office of the State Prosecutor General of the Republic of Slovenia, and Ms Andreja Dolničar Jeraj, Programme Director at the Centre for European Perspective who lead the delegation. The Head of Sector for IPA and Community Programmes Mr Sasko Kocev and Advisor to the Minister Mr Veton Kranlievski also joined the meeting.
They discussed outcomes of the workshop and experiences of Slovenia with changes made to the legislation and implementation of financial investigations. Since the Ministry of Interior leads the project on Macedonian side, it was suggested Minister Spasovski would host autumn inter-sectorial meeting and consider future activities for cooperation in the next programming period.
Project is part of CEP’s program activities financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia in the framework of Slovenia’s Development Cooperation.
21. 5. 2018 | Macedonia - corruption, Macedonia - Finance, PR
“Teamwork in financial investigations and upgraded possibilities to seize property and assets of criminals is improving effectiveness of law enforcement in fight against organised and other crime,” was an emphasis of participants of high-level inter-sectorial workshop which was successfully implemented from 14 to 18 May 2018 in the Republic of Macedonia in the framework of the development assistance of the Republic of Slovenia to the Republic of Macedonia. The participation involved Public Prosecution, Financial Police Administration, Financial Intelligence Office, Public Revenue Office, Customs Administration and the Ministry of Interior, the lead partner on Macedonian side. The programme of the workshop was very concrete and directed at improved inter-sectorial cooperation by discussing various cases and approaches to the subject area. It was noted by Slovenian and well as Macedonian representatives, it was valuable to have such opportunity to exchange experiences with each other.
The workshop is part of a two-year project “Support to Macedonia in accession to the EU in the Chapter 24 – financial investigations” (2017 – 2018) as part of the program activities implemented in the cooperation with the State Prosecution Office for Organised Crime and Corruption and Ministry of Interior/ Police of the Republic of Slovenia and financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia in the framework of Slovenia’s Development Cooperation.
Project is part of CEP’s program activities financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia in the framework of Slovenia’s Development Cooperation.
