24. 4. 2023 | Macedonia - Finance, PR, Slovenian Development Assistance
Kliknite tukaj za branje prispevka v slovenskem jeziku.
To move forward on the path to the EU and achieve European standards in the field of financial investigations and procedures for confiscating proceeds of crime and assets of illegal origin, North Macedonia has relied on the knowledge and experience of Slovenia, which has been assisting North Macedonia in this area through international development cooperation and humanitarian aid programs since 2019.
In 2019, the institutions responsible for financial investigations in North Macedonia adopted the Common Guidelines for Financial Investigations based on the Slovenian experience. They further concluded that the Guidelines provide a good starting point for an efficient and effective approach to strategic and operational planning of financial investigations. In 2021-2022, the Macedonian institutions, with Slovenian experts’ support and cooperation, strengthened their capacity to put the Common Guidelines into practice in the framework of the project “Chapter 24 Assistance – Financial Investigations”. At the end of 2022, the Macedonian investigative and law enforcement authorities dealing with financial investigations took the initiative to strengthen financial investigation capacities in 2023-2024. With the development assistance of the Republic of Slovenia so far, they have achieved a significant mindset breakthrough and some progress towards European standards in the field of financial investigations. They are aware that they not only need to proceed with activities. They also need to accelerate their dynamics. Slovenia will continue to support them in this process over the next two years with development assistance.
A kick-off meeting and first consultations with representatives of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Financial Police, the Customs Administration, and the Ministry of the Interior will take place in North Macedonia between 8 and 10 May 2023. Representatives who have received training in the past period will also attend the consultations. The reunion of Macedonian investigators with Slovenian experts will be an opportunity to discuss how to apply theoretical and classroom knowledge appropriately in real-life situations and cases, considering the criteria applicable in the EU.
Activities are funded by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia through its International Development Cooperation Programme and implemented in cooperation with the State Prosecution, Financial Administration, Ministry of the Interior, and the Police of the Republic of Slovenia.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
Centre for European Perspective
19. 12. 2022 | North Macedonia - Communication, PR
Klikni tukaj za več o projektnih aktivnostih v slovenskem jeziku 
The third workshop for the Working Group in charge of communication in the negotiation process on the content of Chapter 24 was held in Strumica, North Macedonia, from 13-15 December. During the workshops, the members of the group, coming from the Ministry of the Interior, the Financial Police, the Customs Administration, the Ministry of Justice, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the National Security Agency, continued to strengthen their communication capacities both in the area of content and in the area of communication skills and techniques.
After years of waiting, North Macedonia finally started its EU membership negotiations this summer. The first reviews of alignment with the EU acquis have already started, so adequate and good communication of the Working Group with all stakeholders and in all directions is of utmost importance. Practical exercises and experiences from other countries are particularly welcome.
The participants of the workshops in Strumica received training in communication on the fight against organised crime (financial investigations, money laundering), migration (legal and illegal migration, readmission), and border management through interactive exercises and based on current messages from the latest EC Progress Report on North Macedonia. The exercises were conducted in two directions: on the one hand, training in understanding or interpreting the messages and information provided by the EC in the Progress Report, and on the other hand, training in information transfer or reporting back to the EC team members on the achievements and work carried out by North Macedonia.
The workshops also gave participants the opportunity to learn about the experience of communication in the negotiation process with colleagues from Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. They were very grateful for guidance on their good practices and advice on how to avoid bad ones.
The practical exercises also offered the participants training to improve their oral and written communication skills and techniques, both with domestic and foreign audiences.
These were the last workshops of the project Communication in Negotiation Chapter 24, which is implemented with Slovenian international development assistance from January 1, 2021, and ends on 31 December, 2022. The members of the Working Group in charge of communication in the negotiation process on the content of Chapter 24 confirmed that their communication capacities have been greatly strengthened and that they have made significant progress in this area. They expressed their deep appreciation for the knowledge, guidance, and training they have received and considered it extremely useful for the work they are doing and the work that lies ahead of them on the road to the EU.
The project is part of the activities of Slovenia’s Development Cooperation Programme, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
Centre for European Perspective
30. 11. 2022 | PR, Serbia - management of patrols
Klikni tukaj za več o projektu v slovenščini.
The Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Bratislav Gašić is in Slovenia today where he will meet with the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia mag. Tatjana Bobnar. They will discuss current issues in the field of internal affairs and strengthen bilateral cooperation as well as cooperation in the region. For 14 years, the Ministries have been cooperating within the framework of the Republic of Slovenia’s international development assistance, through which Slovenia has been providing assistance to Serbia in achieving the criteria for joining the EU.
One of the more visible projects in the field of development assistance is the strengthening of patrol management efficiency, which has been running since 2019. In the framework of the project, the Slovenian police provide assistance to the Serbian police in implementing a system for more efficient and coordinated work of police officers in the field, for their faster response to people in need, and for better responsiveness to the prevention of illegal migration. The system also contributes to the greater safety of police officers on duty and the overall safety of Serbian citizens. The goal of the project is a joint and coordinated fight against organized crime, prevention of illegal migration and timely assistance to citizens.
During the migrant crisis, the need for better border control and better containment of illegal migration appeared in the border area. At the time, the Serbian police did not yet have a system in place for the efficient management of patrols. The new system is a combination of Slovenian knowledge and experience as well as modern information and communication technology compliant with European standards and designed according to the needs of Serbian police officers. For the implementation of the system, the already existing Serbian resources have been used.
After the successful pilot project (2019-2020), the second phase of the project took place in the period 2021-2022. During this time, the system was successfully implemented in 98 organizational units of the Serbian police, in 14 out of 27 police directorates and in 5 out of 6 regional border police centres.
The new system provides a better insight into which patrols are available at what time, making their work more efficient. The system, at the same time, enables analysis of past work and better planning for future work. The quality of police work is measured as the time required for police to arrive to the location and take action from the time the call to the police was made. To shorten the response time of police units and for the action to be taken as flawlessly and as correctly as possible, it is extremely important for police units to have sufficient, good, fast, and accurate information on the ground when taking action.
The project period 2021-2022 is coming to an end. The last activity took place between 23 and 25 November in Kragujevac, where the final workshops were held. In Kragujevac, 94 leading representatives of the organizational units of the Serbian police using the new patrol management system gathered. The event was also attended by Slovenian colleagues who helped in developing and implementing the system. Igor Ciperle, deputy general director of the Police of the Republic of Slovenia, participated as a distinguished guest. As a sign of gratitude for all the help and cooperation in strengthening friendly ties between two important state institutions, he received a plaque from the Directorate of the Police of the Republic of Serbia.
The event ended with a ceremonial handover of a donation of computer equipment, received by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia as part of the ‘Strengthening of Patrol Management Capacities project’, financed by the International Development Cooperation Program of the Republic of Slovenia 2021-2022.
The results of cooperation in the field of strengthening patrol management capacity have so far been extremely good. It is vital to continue with the work and include all police directorates in the system and implement activities to permanently preserve the achieved results.
The project Building capacities for management of patrols is part of the program activities of international development cooperation, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and the Police of the Republic of Slovenia.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
Centre for European Perspective
14. 11. 2022 | PR, Serbia - management of patrols
Klikni tukaj za več o projektu v slovenščini.
Workshops will be held in Serbia from 23 to 25 November 2022, concluding a two-year cycle of international development assistance of the Republic of Slovenia, in the framework of which the Serbian Police, in cooperation with the Slovenian Police, developed, established, and implemented a new patrol management system. The system is based on modern technology and EU standards. Its main purpose is to enable police officers to respond more effectively to the needs of people when their life, safety, or property is threatened while also ensuring the greater safety of police officers when performing their work in the field.
The patrol management system is now used by the organizational units of 14 of the 27 police directorates in the interior of the country, as well as by the organizational units of the Border Police Directorate.
The final workshops will aim to review the status, assess the increase in a patrol management capacity, and review the planning of further activities to maintain, expand and continuously advance the patrol management system.
The project is part of the program activities of international development cooperation, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and the Police of the Republic of Slovenia.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
Centre for European Perspective
3. 10. 2022 | PR, Serbia - management of patrols
Klikni tukaj za več o projektu v slovenščini.
The Serbian police are integrating more and more of their police directorates into the new patrol management system to improve the safety of people and police officers and to provide the best possible service to the citizens. It is a system that pays particular attention to strengthening its role in saving lives. The capacity of patrol management in Serbia is increasing with the expansion of the system, bringing its functioning closer to EU standards. Currently, 14 out of 27 police directorates in the Republic of Serbia are already included in the system. Organizational units of the Border Police Directorate of the Republic of Serbia on these territories are also already part of the system. In developing and implementing the patrol management system, the Serbian Police are working with the Slovenian Police, which provides support through the international development assistance of the Republic of Slovenia.
Thus, the second workshop this year was held in Serbia from 26 to 29 September 2022 for the integration of 4 additional police directorates into the patrol management system. The workshops were organized for senior representatives of police directorates and organizational units of police directorates in the areas of Kragujevac, Leskovac, Smederevo, and Jagodina. Representatives of the Border Police Administration also participated in the workshops.
During the workshops, a Slovenian-Serbian mixed team of experts presented the management of patrols under the new system, shared experiences on its use and benefits with future users, and assisted in practical training.
Future users have recognized the benefits of the patrol management system: easier and more transparent organization of work, more effective communication, and more effective responsiveness to people’s needs. They particularly stressed the security aspect of police officers in the field, who put their lives and health at risk daily in the interest of public peace and order. The new patrol management system provides them with reliable communication and faster and more comprehensive information for their work in the field so that they can react optimally and appropriately to calls and incidents and help each other more effectively in situations where they are exposed to increased threats.
The Republic of Slovenia, through international development assistance, represents an important partner in strengthening patrol management capacity in Serbia. In addition to being based on Slovenian expertise, the system also provides adequate guidance for progress towards EU security standards. With efforts to improve security in Serbia, the Serbian police are also contributing to greater security beyond its borders.
The project is part of the program activities of international development cooperation, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and the Police of the Republic of Slovenia.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
Centre for European Perspective
19. 9. 2022 | PR, Serbia - management of patrols
Klikni tukaj za več o projektu v slovenščini.
The second workshop this year will be held in Serbia from September 26 to 29, 2022, aimed at expanding the patrol management system to new police departments. The new system brings easier and more efficient work into the organizational units of the Serbian Police, increases the safety of their officers in the field, and enables them to respond more quickly to their tasks.
The Serbian police have so far introduced the patrol management system in 10 of the 27 police directorates and will now extend it to four more on the territory of Kragujevac, Leskovac, Smederevo, and Jagodina.
In developing and implementing the patrol management system in Serbia that also follows the requirements of EU standards, the Serbian police are cooperating with the Slovenian police, which is providing help and support through international development assistance.
Slovenian police officers will also participate in these workshops. Together with their Serbian colleagues, who are already using the patrol management system, they will share their experience of using the system with future users and present its advantages and benefits. They will also help their Serbian colleagues to familiarise themselves with the system and assist them in practical work when they are trained to use it.
The project is part of the program activities of international development cooperation, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and the Police of the Republic of Slovenia.
Further information:
Andreja Dolničar Jeraj
Programme Director
Centre for European Perspective
