9. 12. 2021 | POTC, PR
Klikni tukaj za branje prispevka v slovenskem jeziku. 🇸🇮
Today, on 9 December 2021, the Peace Operations Training Centre (POTC), in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, successfully conducted a third workshop for the design of the course Community and People Centred Approach for future participants of international missions and operations. The workshop was organized in a hybrid format and was attended by representatives of defence policy, civil defence, military, police, international and humanitarian organisations and others.
The aim of the workshop was to learn about the approach and contribution of international organisations to an integrated approach to action in areas of international operations and missions, with an emphasis on action at the level of local communities and populations. In the presentations made, experts from NATO, UN, EU and OSCE presented the legal, strategic, doctrinal and tactical documentary basis for community and populations engagement (coordination and cooperation) in missions in the context of the implementation of various projects and other forms of engagement at the local level. They stressed the importance of building trust with local stakeholders, patience, learning from mistakes, identifying relevant actors working in the same area. At the same time they highlighted the challenge of reaching populations in remote locations and of limited operations in security emergencies and in the context of mission mandates.
Building on the shared experience and knowledge of all participants from all three Community and People Centred Approach workshops conducted in 2021, POTC will develop a high-level course on effective engagement between future participants in international missions or operations and local communities and populations in host countries and pilot it in 2022.
6. 12. 2021 | EUPCST, PR
Centre for European Perspective will host the next European Union Police and Civilian Services Training (EUPCST) Steering Committee Meeting, scheduled to take place between 14 and 16 December 2021 in hybrid form. CEP is an active member of the consortium of 23 European partners that all focus on enabling staff in civilian crisis management and stabilisation actions to work in a more efficient, effective, and sustainable manner in order to achieve their mandates. EUPCST project started in the beginning of 2018 and has been prolonged until the end of 2022. So far, more than 25 international training courses and 15 debates were successfully delivered across Europe.
Participants joining the meeting via Zoom and in-person at Jable castle will discuss the results of the activities implemented from 2019 to 2021, and talk about faced challenges and proposed improvements for the future engagements. Tentative plan for the activities in the upcoming year will be prepared to further develop and transfer knowledge and skills for international missions through training programmes and knowledge sharing congresses and workshops.
2. 12. 2021 | EUPCST, PR
Training of Trainers course for Civilian Crisis Management Experts, held from 29. 11. to 2. 12. 2021, has successfully concluded. Due to the pandemics, we welcomed the participants in a shortened online format but nonetheless we were glad that we were able to get to know them at least virtually, listen to their valuable input and engage in inspiring discussions with them.
Four-day course brought together 14 participants from eight countries. Participants – civilian and police experts – together with two experienced lecturers slowly put together a patchwork puzzle of classical lectures, stimulating practical exercises, creative ice breakers, and relaxing energisers while sharing experiences, knowledge, and new ideas.
First half of the course strengthened participants’ knowledge about what it means to be a trainer, about teaching and learning theories and which techniques to use in a training session. Second half of the course focused on delivering a training session online, planning a presentation and finally presenting it in front of the class for a session of peer-to-peer evaluation.
We hope and believe that participants, some of them already waiting to be deployed to EU Common Security and Defence Policy missions, were able to gather skills and confidence to take up the roles of trainers and successfully implement their own trainings in the future.
We wish them all the best in all their future professional training endeavours!
The training is organised as part of the European Union Police and Civilian Services Training (EUPCST) that provides tailor-made training activities for individuals working in the EU’s CSDP and other international missions.
29. 11. 2021 | PR, Transformative Power of Digital
Mengeš, 29 November – The digital portfolio is one of the top priorities of Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the EU and upcoming Three Seas Initiative Ministerial Conference on digital transformation, organized by the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of European Union, will feature discussions around key strategic challenges and digital policies.
Recognizing the importance of engaging in the ongoing debate on EU’s digital future, Centre for European Perspective – CEP is proud to announce a new publication titled ‘Paving the digital path in Central and Eastern Europe – Regional perspectives on advancing digital transformation and cooperation’, featuring articles from expert authors Theodore Christakis (AI-Regulation), Fredrik Erixon and Oscar Guinea (ECIPE – European Centre for International Political Economy), Soňa Muzikárová (GLOBSEC Policy Institute), Christian Kvorning Lassen (EUROPEUM), Ewelina Kasprzyk and Kamil Mikulski (Kosciuszko Institute), Katja Mohar Bastar and Jaka Repanšek (Slovenian Digital Coalition), Márton Ugrósdy (IFAT – Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade) and Mindaugas Ubartas (Infobalt) with a foreword by Minister of Digital Transformation of Slovenia, H.E. Mr Mark Boris Andrijanič.
Digital technologies are the future of our everyday life. The Covid-19 pandemic further increased the pace of adoption and penetration of digital solutions into all pores of our society, from our workplaces to our social interactions. Engaging in the ongoing debate on the EU’s digital future is crucial because of the impact it will bring for decades to come. It is, therefore, crucial to look at digital development from two perspectives – what the EU as a whole needs (for instance, what kind of digital standards will prevail in the future and whether or not they correspond to EU’s values) and what individual member states need, what challenges they face and where opportunities lie.
This publication aims to continue our quest to enhance cooperation in CEE and bring regional perspectives on digital transformation. Théodore Christakis affirms that the EU already is a digital regulatory superpower with international cooperation and strategic partnerships helping to secure digital standards that protect and support its values. Fredrik Erixon and Oscar Guinea alert us to the often-overlooked aspect of the new digital regulations that are still unknown but may prove to be critical for Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, while Katja Mohar Baster and Jaka Repanšek focus on two factors crucial for ensuring a digital future for Slovenia, the CEE and the entire EU: smart digital regulation and unified, competent and innovative digital environment.
Catching up with developed European countries requires the countries of the 3 Seas Initiative (3SI) to grow faster, become more competitive and build on its potential and synergy effects, write Ewelina Kasprzyk and Kamil Mikulski. They argue that increasing connectivity should be the centre point of such efforts. Soňa Muzikárová tackles the importance of skill development and posits that the shortage of relevant skills, talent and brains is likely to be the number one bottleneck for further growth; therefore, governments may want to stay open to collaboration with the private sector and other economic actors on skill enhancement. Márton Ugrosdy takes an honest look at what he calls a too optimistic approach to the CEE digital potential and highlights some of the current challenges through the Hungarian case study. Christian Kvorning Lassen discusses the challenges facing Czechia in digital development, explores policy solutions for a successful digital transformation and outlines key priorities of the upcoming Czech Presidency in support of such transformation – progressing the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Market Act (DMA), continuing work on making e-commerce part of the EU commercial policy and to further develop the Digital Compass. Finally, Mindaugas Ubartas makes a case for creating a digital environment that enables a real-time economy and moves away from document management in favour of data management as a means of avoiding the middle-income trap.
We are thankful for contributions from prominent European think tanks and organizations and find their perspectives invaluable.
Read and download the publication HERE.
In case of any questions, please contact:
Mr Tine Šušteršič
CEP Project Manager
24. 11. 2021 | PR
Western Balkan countries set to define their common vision on the future of Europe
Ljubljana, XX November – The first in a series of workshop as a substantive contribution of Western Balkans 6 (WB6) countries to the EU-wide debate on the Future of Europe will take place on 1 December 2021 in a hybrid model from Podgorica. It will be organised by the Centre for European Perspective in co-operation with the European Integration Office of Montenegro and structures in charge of co-ordinating European affairs from WB6. Assistance will be provided by the regional project for the Promotion of EU Integration, funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
The event will begin with an introductory address by Mr Zdravko Krivokapić, Prime Minister of Montenegro and Mr Gašper Dovžan, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia.
The first panel of the workshop will provide a platform for discussion between relevant stakeholders in the European integration process at the level of Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers for European Integration and Chief Negotiators from the Western Balkans countries. The discussion will focus on next steps in the European integration process of WB6, a possible common approach to specific common topics and sectoral policies, as well as the existing challenges.
The second panel of the workshop is entitled “Climate Change and Environment Goals” and will explore the possibilities for the Western Balkans to contribute to the EU priority goals on climate change and environmental degradation. The discussion will focus on the European Green Deal and what role the Western Balkans can play in transforming the EU into a resource-efficient and competitive green economies.
The third and final panel on “Investing in Youth Today” will focus on what investment into the youth can contribute to a more prosperous Europe. Facilitating platforms, which provide equal opportunities for youth in education and the labour market, as well as to empower young people to take an active part in building their societies, is crucial for the economic development of WB6. Moreover, fostering opportunities for youth in the Western Balkans is a key challenge in WB countries’ European integration efforts.
Panelists will be: Mr Zef Mazi, Chief Negotiator, Ms Darija Ramljak, Assistant Director and Head of Strategy and Integration Policies Division in DEI, Ms Zorka Kordić, Chief Negotiator, Mr Nikola Dimitrov, Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, Mr Miroslav Gačević, Assistant Minister, Department for Political and Economic Criteria in the Process of Accession to the European Union and Mrs Donika Gërvalla, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora.
This event has been initiated by the European Integration Office of Montenegro and structures in charge of co-ordinating European affairs from WB6 and it will be organised by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Regional project on promotion of EU integration on behalf of the German Government, the Centre for European Perspective in co-operation with and under the auspices of the Slovenian presidency of the Council of the EU, with the support of the EU-funded EU4ME project.
24. 11. 2021 | Macedonia - Finance, PR
Klikni tukaj za branje pripsevka v slovenskem jeziku. 
While negotiations on EU membership are awaiting opening in North Macedonia, the competent Macedonian authorities are actively working on strengthening the system of financial investigations and the system of confiscation of proceeds of crime and property, which could be of illegal origin.
In pursuit of interest to conduct effective financial investigations, after the adoption of the National Strategy for Financial Investigations in July 2021, the competent Macedonian authorities are in the process of development and interdepartmental coordination of standard operating procedures. Harmonized standard operating procedures will more specifically define the course, characteristics and cooperation in financial investigations of the authorities, which in North Macedonia carry out financial investigations (Ministry of the Interior, Financial Police Directorate, Customs Administration and the State Prosecutor’s Office). Slovenia, which supports North Macedonia in bringing it closer to EU standards in the field of financial investigations, will between 30 November and 2 December 2021 provide advice in interdepartmental coordination and standardization of financial investigation procedures in North Macedonia.
Strengthening the system of financial investigations is an important condition for North Macedonia’s membership in the EU, and above all, it is a key tool for crime prevention. Effective financial investigation and confiscation of assets where it cannot be proved to be obtained legally, carries the message that crime does not pay. With the planned measures, authorities in Macedonia reiterate the interest of North Macedonia that the more property is confiscated from criminals, the more the state can use it to improve the quality of public services for the people of North Macedonia, including health, education, social welfare and for the fight against crime itself.
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 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
