12. 9. 2017 | PR, Serbia - Traineeships, Slovenian Development Assistance
Centre for European Perspective will conduct a new project in cooperation with the Ministry of European Integration of the Republic of Serbia entitled “Professional traineeships for Serbian public servants”. The project aims to directly strengthen readiness and capacity of the public and civil servants of the ministry of European integration in order to better equip them for the EU accession negotiations.
In the course of the project, CEP foresees to train and educate up to five public servants that will get acquainted with the good practices and organizational solutions of the Slovenian public sector. Special attention will be devoted to the fields related to the European legislation, the demands of aquis communitaire and its implementation. Successful practical examples of Slovenian engagement as a full member of the EU, data bases of the EU and reporting to the European Commission will be examined in details.
The project is funded from the Program of International Development Cooperation of the Republic of Slovenia and the Ministry of European Integration of the Republic of Serbia and implemented by the Centre for European Perspective.
27. 7. 2017 | PR, Slovenian Development Assistance
Slovenia has built up a sound development programme over the last 12 years, particularly in the Western Balkans, and should now work on tightening its focus in other regions in order to get the most impact from its aid contributions, according to a new OECD report. The first DAC Peer Review of Slovenia welcomes a steady rise in Slovenia’s foreign aid budget in the last few years, although it notes that an increase in funds spent on hosting foreign refugees arriving in Slovenia has been a factor pushing up official development assistance (ODA) levels. In-donor refugee costs made up 11.2% of Slovenia’s ODA in 2015.
Slovenia sends two thirds of its bilateral aid to countries in the Western Balkans, where it is able to share its transition experience as an early joiner among former Yugoslav Republics of the European Union and NATO, and is helping to develop poor areas. The Review recommends that Slovenia narrows its geographic and thematic focus in other regions to avoid spreading its aid too thinly outside the Balkans.
“It is encouraging to see Slovenia increasing its development aid and showing such willingness to share its transition experience with countries in the Western Balkans striving for a similar path,” said DAC Chair Charlotte Petri Gornitzka. “Outside the Balkans, Slovenia can enhance its impact by focusing more on a smaller number of high-value projects, delivered through partnerships in carefully selected countries and sectors.”
An OECD member since 2010, Slovenia joined the Organisation’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) in 2013, having begun its development co-operation programme in 2005. The biggest share of Slovenia’s bilateral aid is spent on areas the DAC sees as key, such as strengthening good governance, the rule of law and social infrastructure and services.
Slovenia provided 0.18% of its gross national income, or USD 80 million, as ODA in 2016, up from 0.15% (USD 63 million) in 2015. That compares with a DAC average of 0.32% and a UN target of 0.70% which only six DAC donors have reached. Slovenia committed in 2005 to provide 0.33% of GNI as ODA by 2015 but pushed the target back to 2030 after the global economic crisis knocked its budget plans off course.
Slovenia’s aid is made up 100% of grants, with no loans included, and the country complies with the DAC’s ODA reporting rules. Slovenia has not yet reported other official flows or private flows to developing countries to the DAC, however, and is encouraged to do so.
The top five recipients of Slovenian aid in 2015 were Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo. Slovenia sent only 15.1% of its ODA to least-developed countries in 2015, below a DAC average of 28.4%.
Each DAC member is reviewed every five years in order to monitor its performance, hold it accountable for past commitments and recommend improvements. Reviews use input from officials in the Review country and partner countries – Montenegro and Cabo Verde for this Review – as well as civil society and the private sector. Read more on DAC Peer Reviews.
The DAC Peer Review of Slovenia – full report.
Main conclusions.
OECD Press Release.
MFA Slovenia Press Release.
4. 7. 2017 | Macedonia - Finance, PR, Slovenian Development Assistance
On the margins of the International Development Cooperation of the Republic of Slovenia within the framework of support to the Republic of Macedonia, on 29 June 2017 the Minister of Interior of the Republic of Macedonia Oliver Spasovski received a Slovenian delegation in the following composition: Andreja Dolničar Jeraj, CEP Programme Director and Head of Delegation; Harij Furlan, Head of State Prosecutions Office for Organised Crime and Corruption; Darko Majhenič, Director of National Investigation Bureau; Damjana Slapar Burkat, Head of Sector for Investigation in the Financial Administration; Jože Levašič, District State Prosecutor in the State Prosecutions Office for Organised Crime and Corruption; Igor Razpotnik, Head of Investigations in National Investigation Bureau; and Karmen Šemrl, Expert for Knowledge Transfer.
Minister thanked for the support provided by Slovenia to the Ministry of Interior and Macedonia in the accession to the EU in optimising the system of financial investigations and confiscation of unlawful proceeds of crime and property of illegal origin. Minister Spasovski and Programme Director Andreja Dolničar Jeraj agreed that the cooperation and coordination among law enforcement authorities in financial investigations of organised crime and corruption is of particular importance. Minister Spasovski reaffirmed willingness of the Ministry of Interior regarding reform initiative and expressed political support for achievement of sustainable results and expectations that well established cooperation will be further strengthened with additional Slovenian’s support in any of other reform needs.
O slovenskem razvojnem sodelovanju z ministrom za notranje zadeve Republike Makedonije Spasovskim
Ob robu aktivnosti v okviru projekta mednarodnega razvojnega sodelovanja Republike Slovenije z Republiko Makedonijo je v četrtek, 29. 6. 2017, minister za notranje zadeve Oliver Spasovski sprejel slovensko delegacijo v naslednji sestavi: Andreja Dolničar Jeraj, programska direktorica in vodja delegacije; Harij Furlan, vodja Specializiranega državnega tožilstva, Darko Majhenič, direktor Nacionalnega preiskovalnega urada, Damjana Slapar Burkat, vodja Sektorja za preiskave Finančne uprave, Jože Levašič, okrožni državni tožilec v Specializiram državnem tožilstvu, Igor Razpotnik, vodja preiskav na Nacionalnem preiskovalnem uradu, in Karmen Šemrl, strokovnjakinja za prenos izkušenj.
Minister se je zahvalil za pomoč, ki jo Slovenija namenja MNZ in Makedoniji pri približevanju EU v optimizaciji sistema finančnih preiskav in odvzemov protipravno pridobljene premoženjske koristi in premoženja nezakonitega izvora. Minister Spasovski in programska direktorica Andreja Dolničar Jeraj sta se strinjala, da je zelo pomembno dobro sodelovanje in koordinacija med organi v finančnih preiskavah organiziranega kriminala in korupcije. Minister Spasovski je potrdil pripravljenost Ministrstva za notranje zadeve glede prevzemanja reformne pobude in izrazil politično podporo za doseganje trajnostnih rezultatov ter pričakovanje, da se bo dobro sodelovanje še utrdilo s podporo Slovenije v še kateri od reformnih potreb MNZ.
1. 7. 2017 | Macedonia - Finance, PR, Slovenian Development Assistance
In the period from 26 to 29 June 2017, the first phase of the capacity building process in the field of financial investigations and confiscation of unlawful proceeds and property of unlawful origin took place in Macedonia.
The two-day workshop was attended by 15 representatives of the Ministry of the Interior / Police (who are in charge of the project on Macedonian side), Customs Administration, Financial Police, the Directorate for Money Laundering Prevention and the Public Revenue Administration, while five representatives of the Ministry of the Interior Interior / Police participated in the individual councelling/coaching. In the exchange of experiences, the representatives of Macedonia and Slovenia have identified differences and related advantages and disadvantages that occur in the conduct of financial investigations. As one of the possible tools for more effective prevention of organised crime and corruption and upgrading of the system for confiscation of unlawfull proceeds under criminal law, participants also studied experiences in confiscation of property of illegal origin in civil justice procedure. In the discussions the participants agreed that only the measure which can be effectively implemented can lead criminals to the conclusion that crime does not pay.
This is a two-year project (2017-2018) funded from the Program of International Development Cooperation of the Republic of Slovenia and implemented by the Ministry of the Interior/ Police, State Prosecutor’s Office for Organised Crime and Corruption and Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia, led by the Center for European Perspective.
Uspešna izmenjava izkušenj Makedonije in Slovenije o finančnih preiskavah
V Makedoniji je v času od 26. do 29. junija 2017 potekala prva faza procesa krepitve zmogljivosti na področju finančnih preiskav in odvzemov protipravne premoženjske koristi in premoženja nezakonitega izvora.
V dvodnevni delavnici je sodelovalo 15 predstavnikov Ministrstva za notranje zadeve/Policije (ki so tudi nosilci projekta na makedonski strani), Carinske uprave, Finančne policije, Uprave za preprečevanja pranja denarja in Uprave za javne prihodke, v enodnevnem individualnem svetovanju pa 5 predstavnikov Ministrstva za notranje zadeve/Policije. V izmenjavi izkušenj so predstavniki Makedonije in Slovenije ugotavljali razlike in z razlikami povezane prednosti in slabosti, ki se pojavljajo v izvajanju finančnih preiskav. Kot enega izmed možnih orodij za učinkovitejše preprečevanje organiziranega kriminala in korupcije in nadgradnjo sistema odvzema nezakonito pridobljene premoženjske koristi v okviru kazenskopravne zakonodaje, so udeleženci preučevali tudi odvzem premoženja nezakonitega izvora v civilni pravdi. V diskusiji so se udeleženci strinjali, da le ukrep, ki ga je možno učinkovito izvesti, lahko storilce kaznivih dejanj in kriminalne združbe privede so sklepa, da se kriminal ne izplača.
Gre za dvoletni projekt (2017-2018), ki je financiran iz sredstev Programa mednarodnega razvojnega sodelovanja Republike Slovenije in ga izvajajo Ministrstvo za notranje zadeve/ Policija, Specializirano državno tožilstvo in Finančna uprava Republike Slovenije pod vodstvom Centra za evropsko prihodnost.
19. 6. 2017 | Macedonia - Finance, PR, Slovenian Development Assistance
Macedonia will receive support for the accession to the EU in the Chapter 24 in the framework of the programme of Slovenia’s Development Cooperation and the focus of this support will in next two years (2017-2018) be to build capacities in the area of financial investigations. From 26 to 29 June 2017 a workshop will take place in Macedonia involving those in Slovenian and Macedonia who direct the work of investigation and suppression of organised crime and corruption.
They will exchange experiences and recognise differences, which can significantly influence the success of identification and confiscation of proceeds of crime and property of unlawful origin. Since the main motive of perpetrators of organised crime as well as means for their functioning, is to gain proceeds, financial investigations and confiscation of proceeds of crime are important tool in fight against organised crime and corruption. The project, managed by the Centre for European Perspective, is conducted in the cooperation with the Ministry of Interior/Police, Ministry of Justice, Specialised State Prosecutor’s Office for Organised Crime and Corruption and Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia.
The project is part of the programme activities funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia with funds for international development cooperation.
Makedoniji pomoč Slovenije na področju finančnih preiskav
Makedonija bo v okviru programa mednarodnega razvojnega sodelovanja Slovenije prejela pomoč pri približevanju EU v poglavju 24, pomoč pa se bo v naslednjih dveh letih (2017-2018) osredotočala na krepitev zmogljivosti na področju finančnih preiskav. Od 26.-29.6.2017 bo v Makedoniji potekala delavnica, na kateri bodo izmenjali izkušnje tisti, ki so v Sloveniji in Makedoniji vključeni v usmerjane dela pri preiskovanju in pregonu organiziranega kriminala in korupcije, in ugotavljali razlike, ki lahko pomembno vplivajo na uspešnost ugotavljanja in odvzema protipravno pridobljene premoženjske koristi in premoženja nezakonitega izvora. Ker je glavni motiv in hkrati sredstvo za delovanje storilcev organiziranega kriminala pridobitev premoženjske koristi, so finančne preiskave in odvzem premoženja nezakonitega izvora pomembno orodje v boju proti organiziranemu kriminalu in korupciji. Projekt, ki ga vodi Center za evropsko prihodnost, se izvaja v sodelovanju z Ministrstvom za notranje zadeve/Policijo, Ministrstvom za pravosodje, Specializiranim državnim tožilstvom in Finančno upravo Republike Slovenije.
Projekt je del programskih aktivnosti, ki jih financira Ministrstvo za zunanje zadeve iz sredstev za mednarodno razvojno sodelovanje.
25. 5. 2017 | Albania - Local Governments, PR, Slovenian Development Assistance
In the framework of the project ‘Assistance to Albanian municipalities in the preparation of the EU and other international projects’ between 23 and 26 May 2017 Centre for European Perspective (CEP) is conducting this year’s second workshop in Tirana. The workshop is a continuation of the first workshop that was held in April in Albanian Vlora. Same participants continue with the preparation of their project proposals.
Participants are representatives of local government (different municipalities and regional development agencies), various ministries, university and Donor Coordination Office of the Prime Minister. The workshop started with the presentations of logical frameworks that were prepared by all participants’ groups. Preparation of the log frames took place during the last four weeks since the first workshop has finished. The second workshop addresses the familiarization with the standard grant application pack, budget planning, risk assessment, horizontal principles, project partner search and project implementation (including reporting, evaluation and dissemination). The main objective of the second workshop is that each group of participants prepare an outline of the project proposal that could successfully compete in a concrete call.
The very successful project initially started in 2012 with a focus on strengthening the capacities of the Albanian Institutions for disbursement of funds from Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA). Since then, CEP conducted 8 workshops on project preparation for civil servants. Last year’s follow up on training shows that 71 project applications were submitted with 27 projects awarded (these figures are from December 2016).
CEP is preparing a training in cooperation with the Balkan Center for Cooperation and Development (BCCD), the American development agency USAID and the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tirana.
The project is part of the CEP program activities financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the scope of international development cooperation.
Photos: BCCD
Pripravimo uspešen projektni predlog – druga delavnica CEP v Tirani
Center za evropsko prihodnost (CEP) v okviru projekta ‘Pomoč albanskim občinam na področju priprave EU in drugih mednarodnih projektov’ med 23. in 26. majem 2017 v Tirani izvaja letošnjo drugo delavnico. Delavnica je nadaljevanje prve delavnice, ki je bila izvedena aprila. Ista skupina udeležencev nadaljuje s pripravami projektnih predlogov.
Udeleženci so predvsem predstavniki lokalnih oblasti (različnih občin in razvojnih agencij), med njimi pa so tudi predstavniki nekaterih ministrstev, univerze in urada predsednika vlade za koordinacijo donatorjev. Delavnica se je začela s predstavitvijo in pregledom logičnih okvirjev projektnih idej, ki so jih udeleženci, razdeljeni v skupine, pripravili v štirih tednih, kolikor je minilo od prve delavnice. V okviru druge delavnice bodo udeleženci med drugim podrobno spoznali standardno obliko projektnih razpisov, pripravo finančnega načrta projekta, oceno tveganja, upoštevanje horizontalnih načel, iskanje projektnih partnerjev in samo izvajanje pridobljenih projektov (vključno s poročanjem, evalvacijo ter diseminacijo). Cilj druge delavnice je, da ima vsaka skupina udeležencev ob koncu zasnovan okvirni projektni predlog, ki bi lahko uspešno konkuriral na konkretnem razpisu.
CEP podobna usposabljanja za albanske javne uslužbence uspešno izvaja že od leta 2012. Podatki iz decembra 2016 so zelo spodbudni in kažejo, da so občine in razvojne agencije, ki so sodelovale na usposabljanju minulo leto, prijavile 71 projektov, pri čemer so bila sredstva dodeljena 27 projektom v skupni vrednosti dobrih 3,7 milijona evrov.
CEP pripravlja usposabljanje v sodelovanju z Balkanskim centrom za sodelovanje in razvoj (BCCD), ameriško razvojno agencijo USAID in Veleposlaništvom RS v Tirani.
Projekt je del programskih aktivnosti CEP, ki jih financira Ministrstvo za zunanje zadeve iz sredstev za mednarodno razvojno sodelovanje.
Fotografije: BCCD
