PR - CEP

Sustainable Housing Solutions: Ukrainian Municipalities Learn from Slovenian Good Practices

17. 7. 2026 | PR, Ukraine

A five-day thematic cluster visit to Slovenia brought together representatives of nine Ukrainian hromadas and the Lviv Regional Military Administration with Slovenian housing experts, public institutions and municipalities to exchange knowledge, strengthen partnerships and develop practical strategies for addressing sustainable housing for communities and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine.

From 6 to 10 July, the delegation participated in an intensive programme of workshops, policy discussions, study visits and strategy sessions as part of the Recovery and Reconstruction in Ukraine programme. The visit aimed to transform knowledge into concrete action by equipping Ukrainian local authorities with practical tools and policy approaches that can support long-term, resilient housing development.

The cluster visit was organised around the idea that today’s solutions can become tomorrow’s homes. Throughout the week, participants explored Slovenian experiences in housing policy, affordable housing provision, urban regeneration and participatory planning while discussing how these models could be adapted to the Ukrainian context.

Building a Strong Foundation for Housing Recovery

The programme began with introductory workshops where participants identified the main housing challenges facing their municipalities and exchanged experiences from previous cooperation activities. Particular attention was given to the housing situation in the Lviv region, the needs of internally displaced persons and the development of local housing strategies that respond to both immediate and long-term reconstruction priorities.

A key contribution came from the Ukrainian think tank CEDOS, which presented research on Ukraine’s rental housing market and the challenges surrounding rent subsidies for internally displaced persons. The discussion provided participants with valuable evidence for understanding existing policy gaps and identifying opportunities for future reforms.

Participants also learned about alternative housing models presented by the Institute for Studies of Housing and Space (IŠSP), including non-profit housing cooperatives and approaches that diversify housing providers while strengthening community resilience. Experts from MOBA Housing introduced innovative financing mechanisms for community-led and cooperative housing initiatives, demonstrating how long-term financial instruments can support affordable housing development beyond traditional banking systems.

Learning from Slovenia’s Housing System

During the visit, the Ukrainian delegation met with representatives of Slovenia’s key housing institutions and explored how national and local policies have evolved to increase the supply of affordable housing.

Sessions included presentations by representatives of the Ministry of environment and spatial planning of Slovenia, responsible for housing policy, the Housing Fund of the Republic of Slovenia and the Public Housing Fund of the City of Ljubljana. Discussions focused on recent reforms, financing mechanisms, public rental housing, strategic planning and the challenges of expanding non-profit housing in response to growing demand.

The delegation also visited Novo Brdo in Ljubljana, one of Slovenia’s flagship non-profit housing developments, where participants examined how quality architecture, community planning and social inclusion contribute to successful affordable housing projects.

The programme continued in Celje, where local officials presented the municipality’s housing strategy and showcased examples of non-profit housing development, assisted living facilities and neighbourhood regeneration. Site visits and workshops demonstrated how municipalities can play an active role in improving housing conditions while creating more sustainable and inclusive urban environments.

From Knowledge Exchange to Strategic Action

Beyond expert presentations and field visits, participants took part in a full-day Strategy Lab led by Professor dr. Nenad Filipović of IEDC – Bled School of Management. The workshop focused on translating ideas into practical strategies, helping participants understand how to design, implement and monitor effective housing interventions capable of delivering measurable results.

Another important component of the programme was participatory urban design, where the Ukrainian delegation learned how involving residents and local stakeholders in planning processes can improve public spaces and strengthen communities alongside housing development.

Strengthening Slovenian–Ukrainian Partnerships

The thematic cluster visit created valuable opportunities for cooperation between Ukrainian municipalities and Slovenian research institutions, municipalities, housing organisations and civil society partners. Discussions extended beyond knowledge sharing to explore future joint projects, financing opportunities, pilot initiatives, capacity building and continued institutional collaboration.

The visit also established a strong foundation for the thematic housing cluster to continue supporting Ukrainian communities as they work towards sustainable, affordable and resilient housing solutions in line with Ukraine’s reconstruction priorities and evolving housing legislation.

The cluster visit brought together expertise from the Institute for Studies of Housing and Space (IŠSP), CEDOS, MOBA Housing, IPoP – Institute for Spatial Policies, Prostorož, IEDC – Bled School of Management, the Housing Fund of the Republic of Slovenia, the Public Housing Fund of the City of Ljubljana, the Municipality of Celje and other Slovenian partners, creating a comprehensive platform for policy dialogue and practical learning.

The activities were implemented by the Centre for European Perspective (CEP) in cooperation with U-LEAD with Europe and supported by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia through the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships Programme.

Link to the Flickr photo album

More about the Recovery and Reconstruction in Ukraine programme

EUTI Training – Call for Applications: Training of Trainers (ToT): Communication & Conduct

13. 7. 2026 | EUTI, POTC, PR

The Centre for European Perspective (CEP) and the Peace Operations Training Centre (POTC), under the auspices of EUTI – European Union Training Initiative, will hold the Training of Trainers (ToT): Communication & Conduct.

The call for applications is now open.

This course is designed to equip participants, eg. trainers, to transfer expertise and knowledge to their target groups. It focuses heavily on inclusive communication and non-exclusionary communication approaches, systematically identifying and neutralizing hidden barriers that can marginalize participants. As such, it serves as a vital tool to ensure proper preparedness of peace operations personnel and the effective dissemination of updated peacekeeping standards.

Training dates: 7–9 September 2026

Training location: Jable Castle, Loka pri Mengšu, Slovenia

Target Group: Primarily police and civilian trainers and instructors involved in preparing personnel for national and international missions and operations. Also open to military personnel, mission staff, and professionals who regularly facilitate workshops or group processes.

Capacity: 20 participants.

Priority: Given to participants from EU Member States.

More information—including the full training agenda, detailed module breakdown, specific course learning outcomes, and logistics (travel and accommodation arrangements)—is available in the call for applications.

Application

Interested candidates must apply using the Application Form by Friday, 9 August 2026.

Course Concept

Apply here

Upcoming Cluster visit – Slovenian Models for Sustainable Housing: Practical Solutions for Ukrainian Regions and IDP Response

3. 7. 2026 | PR, Ukraine

Slovenian Models for Sustainable Housing: Practical Solutions for Ukrainian Regions and IDP Response will take place from 6 to 10 July 2026 in Ljubljana, Bled and Celje, Slovenia.

CEP is hosting a thematic visit for Ukrainian representatives of municipalities, regional authorities and housing professionals working on housing policy, urban development and the response to the needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The programme will present Slovenian approaches to sustainable housing development, combining policy discussions with practical examples of non-profit housing, municipal housing strategies, innovative financing models and participatory urban planning. Through expert presentations, workshops and site visits, participants will exchange experiences, discuss common challenges and explore solutions that could support housing reconstruction and long-term resilience in Ukraine.

The visit will also provide an opportunity to connect Slovenian and Ukrainian experts, strengthen institutional cooperation and identify good practices that can be adapted to the Ukrainian context. Particular attention will be given to affordable housing, community-led approaches and strategic planning for post-war recovery.

The initiative contributes to CEP’s broader support for Ukraine by strengthening local capacities, fostering knowledge exchange and promoting sustainable regional development as part of Ukraine’s European integration process.

The Recovery and Reconstruction in Ukraine programme is supported by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia through the Slovenian Aid & Partnerships programme.

More information about the Recovery and Reconstruction in Ukraine programme

New Research Paper: Integrating Artificial Intelligence in EU Civilian CSDP Missions

24. 6. 2026 | EUTI, PR

Within the European Union Training Initiative (EUTI), a new research paper exploring the opportunities, structural risks, and regulatory implications of embedding Artificial Intelligence (AI) into EU Civilian Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions has been published.

Drafted by Dr. Francesco Paolo Levantino and Dr. Marta Stroppa from the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies (SSSA) within the framework of the EUTI Working Group on Innovation, the paper aims to contribute to current discussions on the responsible, effective, and human rights-compliant use of AI in civilian crisis management, in line with relevant EU and international legal and policy frameworks.

Shifting from Reactive to Anticipatory Crisis Management

As geopolitical instability, hybrid threats, and human rights violations intensify globally, civilian crisis management faces operational pressure. The paper outlines how AI systems can support a transition from reactive responses to a more proactive and adaptive framework.

Some of the insights from the Paper:

The authors examine how Generative AI (GenAI) can move training beyond generic case studies. By utilizing frameworks like the BOPPPS model, instructors can leverage AI to instantly build role-specific scenario “injections”.
Across the live mission lifecycle, AI can significantly improve situational awareness through satellite imagery and computer vision, reduce cognitive overload for human decision-makers, and optimize smart logistics or personnel matching.
A core focus of the analysis is dedicated to technical limitations. The paper notes that fragile crisis environments often suffer from incomplete or biased datasets, warning that uncritical reliance on AI can trigger automation bias, deskilling, or create contextually plausible but factually flawed hallucinations.
The integration of technological innovation must not occur in a normative vacuum. The paper highlights that under the EU AI Act, systems used to evaluate learning outcomes or guide vocational pathways in training environments are classified as High-Risk, legally mandating strict human oversight, logging, and data governance.

Actionable Recommendations

The publication concludes with seven foundational benchmarks aimed at guiding the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CivOpsHQ), and member states as they design official official EU operational strategies:

Embed AI initiatives logically within existing CSDP training and operational policies.
Utilize the EU AI Act, GDPR, and EUDPR as strict baseline quality benchmarks even where their direct application isn’t strictly mandatory.
Conduct thorough, use-case-specific impact assessments (such as Fundamental Rights Impact Assessments) prior to any deployment.
Prioritize comprehensive AI literacy across all personnel lines to preserve and reinforce meaningful human judgment over automated systems.

Read the full paper to explore the complete findings and policy recommendations:

Read here

EDDE Concludes Four-Day Workshop on Centering Citizens in a Secure Digital Society

16. 6. 2026 | European Digital Diplomacy Exchange, PR

The Centre for European Perspective concluded the four-day European Digital Diplomacy Exchange workshop “Centering Citizens in a Secure Digital Society,” held from June 9–12 in Durrës, Albania. The workshop convened more than 50 participants and speakers from 20 countries across Europe and the United States to examine how public sector adoption of emerging digital technologies can center citizens in democratic processes that bolster social productivity, public trust, and national resilience.

The conference brought together mid- and high-level government communications officials, private technology sector representatives, security experts, media figures, and academic thought leaders to discuss how governments can best empower citizens with the critical political, social, and cultural information necessary to protect national information sovereignty and counter foreign propaganda. These capacities are integral to ensuring that citizens can participate productively in the information economies that increasingly shape their nation’s future.

Across four days, participants engaged in lectures, structured discussions, and hands-on activities that bridged the theory and practice of strategic communications. The workshop emphasized how governments can fulfill their role as strong stewards and facilitators of public information and public discourse, while adapting their communication practices to the norms, values, and behaviors of the digital information environment through which citizens increasingly access, assess, and engage with public information.

The programme began with opening remarks by Nancy VanHorn, Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Tirana, and Jakob Štunf, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to Albania. The first day focused on digital public affairs, public diplomacy, information sovereignty, citizen engagement, and trust in democratic governance, with sessions led by EDDE organizers Matt Jacobs and Ingrid Omahna, Professor Nicholas Cull of the University of Southern California, and Professor Dejan Verčič of the University of Ljubljana.

The following sessions moved from strategic foundations to practical application. Professor Cull explored the value of national brand and reputational security through “Building Brand Affinity with a National Selfie,” while Celeste Sepessy led participants through “Policy Storytelling,” examining how government communicators can transform abstract policy positions into narratives that speak more directly to citizens’ needs, values, and lived experiences.

The workshop also focused on refining digital strategic communications through audience segmentation, multimedia, and emerging technologies. Celeste Sepessy introduced demographic and psychographic approaches to audience analysis, Magdalena Mactas, Senior Advisor at UNICEF and Founder of MAG Agency, explored how multimedia can make policy narratives more accessible, evocative, memorable, and persuasive, and Oskar Braszczyński, Government and Politics Partner at Meta, addressed the opportunities and challenges of emerging AI tools for public sector institutions.

The final day focused on how proactive, credible, and citizen-centered strategic communications can serve as a national security asset by helping public institutions build resilience against foreign adversarial information activities. In a session led by Steven Hardy and Sabrina Spieleder from NATO’s Office of Strategic Communications, participants examined how foreign adversarial propaganda threatens national security by undermining national information sovereignty, weakening the voices of citizens, and impacting relationships between representative governments and their public. The session also explored processes and practices for identifying and countering foreign informational manipulation and interference, both by individual countries and by collective partners working toward shared objectives.

Throughout the workshop, participants applied the lessons from each session through practical activities, including account analysis, audience segmentation, policy storytelling, multimedia planning, and group discussions on the responsible integration of emerging technologies. These activities supported EDDE’s broader capacity-building approach: helping public institutions develop the strategic communications capacities necessary to ensure citizens are informed, empowered, and able to participate productively in democratic life.

By convening practitioners from across sectors and across national borders, EDDE continues to bolster a vital platform for cooperation and collaboration. The workshop reinforced the importance of ensuring that governments, industry, media, academia, and security experts are collectively engaged in addressing challenges in the information space that continue to pose a threat to national sovereignty, national security, and national social resilience.

The Centre for European Perspective oversees and implements the European Digital Diplomacy Exchange project. Activities are supported and funded by the U.S. Department of State and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, within the scope of the Development Cooperation and Aid programme.

1st Regional Roundtable on UN Peace Operations

12. 6. 2026 | POTC, PR

“The First Central, Eastern Europe and the Balkans Roundtable on UN Peace Operations: Regional Perspectives on Strengthening Support and Advancing the Role of Training Centres” (hereinafter referred to as the Regional Roundtable on UN Peace Operations) took place at Jable Castle on 9 June.

This international intergovernmental event focused on the future of regional engagement in United Nations peace operations. It was organised by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia and the Peace Operations Training Centre (POTC), in cooperation with the Light Coordination Mechanism (LCM) in the Integrated Training Service (ITS) of the UN Department of Peace Operations (DPO).

With this event, Slovenia initiated a regional process, expanded in a “regional-plus” format, aimed at fostering regional cooperation in peace operations, developing the role of training centres, and strengthening cooperation with the UN and partner institutions. The event brought together representatives of participating regional Member States, observer Member States with speaking roles, the United Nations, partner institutions, and academia with the aim of strengthening regional cooperation, improving operational preparedness, and developing capabilities and training, including the evolving role of peacekeeping training centres. Peace operations are a key tool for conflict prevention, civilian protection, and post-conflict stabilisation.

As the first meeting of its kind in the region, the event also followed the 2025 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin and recent mission developments, including the upcoming closure of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) at the end of 2026, the event provided a timely platform to reflect on future priorities and lessons learned. Peace operations remain one of the most important tools of the international community for conflict prevention, the protection of civilians, and post-conflict stabilisation, but require continuous adaptation. They involve military, police, and civilian units that monitor ceasefires, protect civilians, and assist in rebuilding institutions and the rule of law. They reduce violence, prevent the spillover of conflicts, and create the necessary conditions for long-term peace and development.

To ensure the successful and effective implementation of peace operations, countries must provide sufficient personnel, material, and financial resources, which remains an ever-present challenge in planning and executing these operations. Despite the current focus of many European nations on the war in Ukraine and their commitments within NATO, alongside Slovenia’s active participation in EU CSDP missions and operations, maintaining readiness and participating in United Nations peace operations remain a vital dimension of Slovenia’s approach to international security cooperation and multilateral crisis management.

Countries in the region, including Slovenia, regularly face considerations regarding which UN missions to participate in, in what manner, with which units, and what or how much to contribute. During its mandate as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (2024–2025), Slovenia actively contributed to discussions on the future of peace operations.

Regional cooperation and the key role of training centres

As emphasised by mag. Aljoša Selan, Acting Director General of the Defence Policy Directorate at the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, future peacekeepers will require competencies that extend beyond traditional military skills. They will need to operate in complex information environments, understand emerging technologies, support the protection of civilians, engage with local populations, and contribute to integrated approaches involving military, police, and civilian actors. Training institutions, such as the Slovenian POTC, which was co-established, and is co-funded, and co-managed by the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, and the Ministry of Interior of Slovenia, and operates within the Center for European Perspective, therefore play a particularly important role in ensuring that personnel remain prepared for future operational requirements.

Strengthening training, education, and professional networks is the primary answer to maintaining readiness, expertise, and influence during a period when traditional operational opportunities are becoming less frequent. Furthermore, the Slovenian representative, Mr Selan, stressed that Slovenia does not see regional cooperation as an option, but as a necessity. It should develop along three main lines: first, closer links between peace operations training centres; second, joint training activities, exercises, and personnel exchanges; and third, a more coordinated regional approach within the United Nations system.

The Head of POTC, Samo Selimović, added that when connecting these centres, this refers to highly concrete forms of interstate cooperation. This includes trainer exchanges, opening training courses to personnel from other nations, and the collaboration of centres in preserving and transferring skills, knowledge, and practical experience from complex missions, such as UNIFIL.

Overall, the roundtable participants agreed that regional cooperation should primarily focus on fostering information sharing and lessons learned (e.g. from MINUSMA and UNIFIL), while also building partnerships on peacekeeping training, capacity building, and co-deployments. They emphasized that UN peacekeeping must be adaptable, shifting toward flexible, scalable models that rely on interoperability and preparedness. They also highlighted the importance of realistic mandates, noting that overbroad or unfunded “Christmas tree mandates” present a serious issue. At the same time, they concluded that investment in training is one of the most cost-effective forms of support to UN peace operations, as maintaining readiness today is less costly than rebuilding capabilities tomorrow.

« Older Entries