CEP with 7 new development project in the Western Balkans

23. 3. 2017 | Albania - Local Governments, BIH - Entrepreneurs, European Digital Diplomacy Exchange, Kosovo - Entrepreneurs, Macedonia - corruption, Macedonia - Finance, Macedonia - Resources, Montenegro - EU Accession, PR, Serbia - Migration, Slovenian Development Assistance

CEP and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia signed a two-year contract in the framework of Slovenia’s development cooperation for seven new projects that account for 430.400 EUR. Up until today, CEP successfully conducted over 100 development projects in the Western Balkans region.

The projects in 2017 and 2018:

Empowering Kosovo and BiH’s Young Entrepreneurs

The two projects show how Slovenia supports young entrepreneurs and start-ups and empowers young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo to cooperate among each other. By gaining such knowledge, young people will be able to trigger changes that are crucial for better use of the potential of their good ideas and knowledge – on the local, entity and national level. Entrepreneurial mindset and innovative thinking are core to the healthy economic growth, which ensures wellbeing and development for the population. In the framework of the two projects, 20 people from BiH and 20 people from Kosovo will get a chance to participate at the leading regional start-up conference, where they will meet investors, big corporations, listen to the most experienced start-up teams on the international scene and network with the young entrepreneurs with a similar mindset. Youngsters with the best ideas will be able to develop their entrepreneurial ideas and attract the attention of potential investors.

Assistance to Montenegro on EU Accession
The project aims to directly help the working groups from Montenegro in the EU accession negotiations and the relevant state institutions that contribute to the process. Slovenian experts will offer consulting in the framework of the opened negotiation chapters. The dynamics and content of the project will follow the dynamics of the negotiations of Montenegro and their preparation of negotiating strategies, opening and closing of the chapters and other conditions that Montenegro needs to fulfill before its accession to the EU.

Support to Albanian Local Governments on the Preparation of EU/International Projects
The project is focused on the transfer of good practices from Slovenia in the field of strategic programming on the national level and implementation of the projects on the local level. It is based on a number of workshops, through which Slovenian experts offer training in project management to the representatives of Albanian municipalities, regional development agencies and representatives of youth and other non-governmental organizations. They share their experiences when it comes to the implementation of the internationally (with a special emphasis on the EU) supported and financed projects on the regional and local level. At the end of the trainings, participants prepare their own draft application with an authentic project idea.

Support to Macedonia in the EU Accession in Chapter 24 – Financial Investigations
With the project, CEP continues to support Macedonia to strengthen their capacities in fight against organised and serious crime and corruption. Since financial gains are both the pre-condition and the main incentive for organised crime, effective implementation of financial investigations and freezing and confiscation of assets in the framework of the Chapter 24 represent the most successful type of measures in fight against organised and serious crime and corruption. The project includes three workshops, individual consultations and development of a study curriculum with selected cases from Slovenia. The project is conducted in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs/Police, Specialised State Prosecutor’s Office and Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia.

Capacity Building on Illegal Migration Information Exchange (Serbia)
In 2018, Serbia will receive assistance in order to improve the information exchange system in the field of illegal migrations. With increased migrations, the trafficking in human beings represents the most profitable business of the criminal organizations. The fight against such activities became the priority of all the EU states, and also Serbia, being part of the accession process. In the framework of the project we will exchange experiences and conduct an analysis of the gaps in the current cooperation and information exchange. The workshop that will follow will help develop a communication strategy proposal with practical directions for a more efficient system of operational information flow and effective response to the illegal migrations on the field.

Support to the Development of Efficient Use of Resources Policies (Montenegro)
The focal topic is development and implementation of environmentally responsible policies that support sustainable development and efficient use of natural resources. The objective of the project in 2018 is to assist the adoption of economic solutions that protect the natural resources, for instance the new development paradigm of circular economy that can prevent the negative trend of exploitation of the non-renewable sources and excessive pollution while boosting economy. The public sector has to be a role model that emits an important signal to the Montenegrin market, striving an increase of the supplies of environmentally friendly products and services. During the workshop, the role of the green public procurement and the circular and low-carbon economy will be presented as well.