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
8. 6. 2019 | Macedonia - Finance, PR, Slovenian Development Assistance
Click here to read more about the project in Slovenian language. 
A working visit of the high-level delegation of the Republic of North Macedonia was successfully concluded with the ceremonial signing of joint guidelines for financial investigations on 7 June 2019 in Slovenia, at the Center for European Perspective. The common guidelines are the result of the impressions summarised after the demonstration of the functioning of the Slovenian financial investigation system, which took place from 4 to 7 June 2019. The composition of the delegation was at the highest level, involving heads of all the institutions of the Republic of North Macedonia, important for financial investigations: General Prosecutor Ljubomir Joveski, Head of the State Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime Vilma Ruskovska, Director General of the Customs Administration Gjoko Tanasoski, Director General of the Public Revenue Office Sanja Lukarevska, Director of the Financial Police Arafat Muaremi, Director of Financial Intelligence Office Blažo Trendafilov, with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of the Interior and Central Registry. The working visit is part of the Development Assistance of the Republic of Slovenia in Chapter 24 of the accession to the EU, in the part of financial investigations.
The working visit started on 4 June 2019 with the introduction of the role of the Slovenian regional level and the operation of financial investigations by the District Public Prosecution of Koper, Criminal Police Department at the Police Administration Koper and Financial Office Koper. In Koper, Macedonian delegation was received by the head of District Public Prosecution Koper Barbara Milič Rožman and Head of the Economic Crime Department Alenka Drolc in the addition to the participation of Slovenian national level representatives.
On 6 June, the familiarisation with the functioning of Slovene financial investigation system continued in Ljubljana, where the Macedonian delegation was received by the Slovenian State Prosecutor General Drago Šketa, and presented, together with the head of the Specialized Prosecution for Organised Crime Hari Furlan and representatives of the Slovenian Supreme and Specialized Prosecution, features and some important experiences that can be useful for the Macedonian system of operation. The demonstration of the functioning of the Slovenian financial investigation system continued with the familiarisation of involvement of the Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia in financial investigations and the role of the Administration for the Prevention of Money Laundering and the Agency for Public Legal Records and Related Services. Representatives of the Ministry of the Interior – Police presented their approaches to the strategic and operational planning of integrated and financial investigations and demonstrated some of the features of the system that are necessary for the effective operation of investigators. Program Director Andreja Dolničar Jeraj emphasized at the conclusion the importance of an integrated approach in the functioning of the financial investigation system and the good cooperation of all institutions for achieving results.
This is a two-year project of international development cooperation of the Republic of Slovenia (2019-2020), the activities of which will continue in the Republic of North Macedonia. The project is financed by the Republic of Slovenia from the funds of the International Development Cooperation Program of the Republic of Slovenia at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and is implemented in cooperation with the aforementioned Slovenian authorities.
27. 5. 2019 | Macedonia - Finance, PR, Slovenian Development Assistance
Click here to read more about the project in Slovenian language.
A delegation from the Republic of North Macedonia, led by State Prosecutor General Ljubomir Joveski, will be on a working visit from 4th to 7th June 2019 in Slovenia. The delegation will include the heads of the Customs Administration, Public Revenue Office, Financial Police Administration and Financial Intelligence Office, with Ministry of Interior and Central Registry involved. The purpose of the working visit is to demonstrate the functioning of Slovenian system of financial and integrated investigations, especially in terms of successful confiscation of property of illegal origin, exchange of applicable experiences and further development of the functioning of North Macedonian system in this area.
The project is part of programme activities of the Slovenia’s Development Cooperation Programme financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and carried out together with the Supreme State Prosecution, State Prosecution for Organised Crime and Corruption, Financial Administration, Ministry of Interior/ Police of the Republic of Slovenia as well as Office for Money Laundering Prevention and Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Public Legal Records and Related Services.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
[email protected]
6. 3. 2019 | Macedonia - Finance, PR
The Centre of European Perspective was honored to welcome Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani at Jable Castle on his official visit to Slovenia.
He was welcomed by Program Director Andreja Dolničar Jeraj and CEP Executive Director Katja Geršak. The discussion revolved around cooperation between the Republic of Northern Macedonia and CEP. CEP is currently involved with the implementation of Slovenian Development Assistance to Northern Macedonia and is jointly working with multiple projects. Both sides also expressed certainty that the joint work on the accession of North Macedonia to the EU will be intensified in the future. We look forward to continue our fruitful cooperation.
