16. 12. 2021 | EUPCST, PR
Centre for European Perspective successfully concluded the hybrid hosting of the third European Union Police and Civilian Services Training (EUPCST) Steering Committee meeting. The meeting taking place between 14 and 16 December in hybrid format enabled 18 project partners to discuss and network in-person at Jable castle, Slovenia, and with the rest of the partners via the Zoom platform online.
During the two-day programme the discussions between all partners focused on the results of the EUPCST activities implemented from 2019 to 2021 (which resulted in high satisfaction of participants, referring to the conducted evaluations), challenges faced during this period (mostly referring to COVID-19 pandemics), and proposed improvements for future engagements so that they can enable staff in civilian crisis management and stabilisation actions to work in a more efficient, effective, and sustainable manner and to achieve their mandates.
Partners also worked on the complementation of the tentative plan where they coordinated amongst each other the future activities that will be implemented in 2022. The plan for 2022 is ambitious and there will be many different opportunities provided for the transfer of knowledge and skills to the personnel deployed to international missions and operations through training programmes, knowledge sharing congresses, and workshops.
10. 12. 2021 | Macedonia - Finance, PR
Klikni tukaj za več o projektu v slovenščini 
In pursuit of the interest to conduct financial investigations effectively, after the adoption of the National Strategy for Financial Investigations in July 2021, the competent Macedonian authorities are in the process of developing 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). In doing so, Macedonian institutions rely largely on Slovenian experience and advice.
In the period between 30.11. and 3 December 2021, in the framework of the project of international development cooperation of the Republic of Slovenia, Assistance in Chapter 24 – financial investigations, consultations were held in Skopje in the field of standard financial investigation procedures. On 30 November 2021, Slovenian advice was first provided interdepartmentally, at a meeting convened on the initiative of the Ministry of the Interior. Subsequent consultations were conducted tête-à-têtes, with the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Financial Police, the Customs Administration and the Ministry of the Interior / Police. Consultations are to be continued.
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
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
