26. 10. 2023 | Decentralisation, local self-government, PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, U-LEAD: with Europe
At the 12th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region held under the Slovenian Presidency, CEP’s Executive Director, Ms Nina Čepon, contributed to the panel discussion titled ”Bottom-up recovery and transformation of Ukraine–Supporting Ukraine and Moldova on their way to the EU” on the 24th of October.
She shed light on CEP’s impactful collaboration with Ukrainian municipalities, a process initiated back in 2018 under the scope of the Programme ‘U-LEAD with Europe’ implemented by the German organization GIZ in Ukraine. The dedication to enhancing Ukrainian municipalities continues through our ongoing development project titled ‘Post-Conflict Reconstruction in Ukraine’ funded by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and implemented in partnership with ‘U-LEAD with Europe’.
This project remains committed to transferring knowledge tailored to specific needs and providing sustainable assistance to Ukrainian municipalities as they advance in their development, modernization and contribute to the Ukrainian path toward EU membership while dealing with the everyday challenges of wartime. Activities are focusing on topics such as green transition, civil protection and resilience, economic development, anti-corruption and transparency in local governance, and deliver an important skillset to raise their absorption capacities in terms of donor engagement, namely those of efficient planning, project appraisal and obtainment of external funding.
Čepon emphasised that Ukrainian municipalities are set to play a pivotal role in post-conflict reconstruction and development in Ukraine as they are forward-looking, and they strive toward economic development and other objectives despite being faced with their complex everyday circumstances at this time. Slovenia’s wealth of experience in modernization and the EU accession process promises to bring significant, concrete value.
3. 10. 2023 | PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance, U-LEAD: with Europe
A successful consultation meeting on Slovenian-Ukrainian cooperation and aid to Ukraine in post-conflict reconstruction and modernization was held yesterday at Jable Castle.
The event, organised with the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia (SOS), followed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Republic of Slovenia and U-LEAD with Europe Programme, and was intended to analyze the achievements to date, good practices in the cooperation projects of Slovenian municipalities with Ukraine to date, and a look into the future of cooperation between Slovenia and Ukraine in the field of post-conflict reconstruction and modernization. i.e. current needs, challenges and our tasks in advance.
Joining us were the Mayor of Domžale, mag. Renata Kosec, Mayor of Hrastnik, Mr Marko Funkl, Mayor of Logatec, Mr Berto Menard, Mayor of Idrija, Mr Tomaž Vencelj, Mayor of Kočevje, Dr Vladimir Prebilič, and Mayor of Lenart, Mr Janez Kramberger. We were delighted to welcome the delegation from the Ukrainian municipality Bucha, with the First Secretary of the Bucha City Council, Mr Taras Sharapivsky and the Head of International Relations of the City Council, Ms Viktoriya Danilova.
The discussions touched upon the Slovenian-Ukrainian cooperation of municipalities within the U-LEAD with Europe initiative “Bridges of Trust” and the CEP-led project Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine, financed by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia. Both projects aim to improve the institutional capacity of Ukrainian communities Bibrka, Bucha, Drohobych, Hnivan, Krynychansk, Pereščepensk and Polyana, in the spheres of reconstruction and local development, as well as in terms of nationwide efforts for accession to the EU. The mentorship program will be implemented by the Slovenian municipalities of Domžale, Hrastnik, Idrija, Lenart, Logatec, Kočevje and Puconci with the assistance of Slovenian experts.
During the event, the municipality of Kočevje signed a cooperation agreement with the city of Bucha with the intention of deepening cooperation in various fields, business relationships in the field of high-technology development.
Bucha’s representatives are continuing their visit to Kočevje today, where they met with representatives of the Japanese company Yaskawa and representatives of the Kočevje business area. They will also join the festivities on the municipal holiday.
The project and the event are funded by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia through development cooperation funds.
26. 9. 2023 | Macedonia - Finance, PR, Regional cooperation, Slovenian Development Assistance
We’re always happy to welcome guests at our beautiful castle, and today we were able to host not only one but two delegations working towards the same goal – preparing their countries to join the European Union in the shortest and fastest manner.
Mr Zurab Khamashuridze, Director, Department of European Integration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was heading the delegation of the Parliament of Georgia, which is a national coordinating body for all activities related to the process of EU integration. The discussion evolved around CEP experiences with candidate countries and 12 priorities set by the European Commission to be addressed by Georgian authorities before being granted candidate status. Building on good past cooperation on the digital diplomacy program, it was agreed that we can upgrade our relationships and provide concrete support in priorities linked to the rule of law, anti-corruption measures, and involvement of civil society in decision-making processes, to name a few.
State Secretary from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia, Mr Filip Toseski, attended bilateral consultations with his Slovenian counterparts and paid a visit to CEP. As this was his first visit to Slovenia, we presented the four pillars that CEP is working on, and we were happy to learn that he has already heard about interesting and useful CEP training courses. Topics of concrete Slovenian support to North Macedonia were discussed, not forgetting to praise the already established good cooperation between the Specialized State Prosecution Office, the Financial Police and the Customs Administration from both countries in the framework of bilateral cooperation on financial investigations supported by Slovenian Aid.
It was agreed that Slovenia has valuable expertise that can be utilised by North Macedonian colleagues to accelerate their way towards full membership of the European Union.
6. 7. 2023 | EUSAIR, PR, Regional cooperation, Strategic Communication
Countries and regions face challenges that know no borders; hence to tackle them successfully, they need to be addressed collectively. The EU Macro-regional strategies identify common needs and challenges of the region, as well as regional cooperation potentials. They connect people across borders, sectors and governance levels and help to coordinate joint policies. The EU Macro-regional strategies are meaningful and make regions stronger, more resilient and attractive.
EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region directly influences 70 million people from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia. It contributes to further integration of the internal market, to the region’s stability, and to foster cooperation between EU and non-EU countries.
It is of utmost importance that great results of the EU Macro-regional strategies are presented to the public, which is often challenging as the issues are complex. For that reason, in the framework of EUSAIR, the EUSAIR Communication Academy was organised for EUSAIR key implementers, government communicators and journalists. While the first edition focused on the tools and techniques needed for effective digital communication, the second edition focused on transferring abstract issues simply, comprehensively and persuasively.
EUSAIR Communication Academy 2.0 occurred from July 5th to July 6th in Thessaloniki. Thirty participants from seven countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia) attended the Academy. Four speakers shared knowledge with us and answered two main questions: what to communicate and how to communicate it successfully. All the lectures were followed by practical and short presentations. Some great ideas sparked, and we had interesting discussions. Like always, the official programme of the EUSAIR Communication Academy was combined with a rich informal part aiming to foster an environment for experience sharing, creating new links and strengthening the old ones.
4. 7. 2023 | EUSAIR, PR, Regional cooperation, Strategic Communication
EUSAIR Communication Academy 2.0
(5-6 July 2023)
This week a second edition of EUSAIR Communication Academy will be taking place in Thessaloniki in Greece.
The training is a continuation of EUSAIR Communication Academy, a three-part capacity-building program that took place in 2022. Whereby the first edition focused on the tools and techniques needed for effective digital communication, EUSAIR Communication Academy 2.0 will focus on explaining complex and abstract issues in a simple, comprehensible, and persuasive way. The participants will gain the critical skills and tools to support them in effectively communicating EUSAIR to the stakeholders and interested public. Participants attending the EUSAIR Communication Academy are EUSAIR key implementers, government communicators, and journalists.
During a two-day programme 30 participants from EUSAIR countries will attend communication workshops on the topics of simplifying messages and simplifying language, leveraging AI tools for communication purposes as well as effective communication with the media. The theory will be applied to practical tasks conntected to EUSAIR and its communication, such as developing EUSAIR key messages and writing press releases.
The official programme of the EUSAIR Communication Academy will be combined with a rich informal programme aiming to foster an environment for experience sharing among diverse participants.
![[16 June] Transatlantic Economic Leadership in the 21st Century](https://www.cep.si/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CEP-webinar-June-2023-1-1080x675.webp)
6. 6. 2023 | PR, Transformative Power of Digital
The Centre for European Perspective (CEP) and INFOBALT invite you to an interactive roundtable discussion titled:
Transatlantic Economic Leadership in the 21st Century
Friday, 16 June, 09:00 CET/10:00 EET
ROCKIT VILNIUS, Gyneju str. 14
Follow live here.
Russian aggression in Ukraine, China’s strive not only for economic but for political influence, and authoritarian regimes questioning international order may create a challenge to transatlantic economic leadership. On the one hand, the Russian war in Ukraine has established grounds for the further consolidation of the EU and NATO alliance, including moving to joint procurements, speeding up green financial packages, and reviewing regulations on economic dependencies on semiconductors, raw materials, and hydrocarbons (oil and gas) supplies. At the same time, the global economy is going through a technological shift with digitalization and the growth of the intangible economy, e.g., stock of patents, brands, R&D, and software, defining much of the productivity growth in modern economies. As Europe and the US remain the central sources for this shift, they are perfectly positioned to harness it and create a new wave of globalization.
Concurrently, a Europe that is not afraid to receive ideas, technologies, and people from the rest of the world, a Europe without fear of technological change and capable of taking risks to fight climate change and support social diversity and economic prosperity, would be a dynamic Europe that we need, confident in its capabilities and with public policies that promote exchange and competition.
All in all, if Europe and America can find the (common) ground for establishing the policies and rules that will guide new commerce and concretize their strategic partnership, they can increase their capacity to generate new prosperity and stand up against new aggressions by malevolent regimes.
- What will the digital economy of the future look like?
- Is the EU’s strategic autonomy the right answer to achieve its “long-term” industrial and technological ambitions?
- What competitiveness policies should the EU pursue to ensure higher economic growth?
- What should our next steps (future policies) be to ensure that our strategic partnership can reap the benefits of the emerging ideas-based economy, trade in services, and ideas?
Joining us to discuss these questions are:
❖ Jovita Neliupšienė, Deputy Foreign Minister of Lithuania
❖ Jaka Repanšek, Chair of the Strategic Committee on Digital Regulation and Environment of the Slovenian Digital Coalition
❖ Marta Poslad, Head of Public Policy, Central and Eastern Europe, Google
❖ Fredrik Erixon, Director of ECIPE
Moderated by: Dr Rolandas Kačinskas, Foreign Policy Advisor to the Speaker of the Seimas
Join us for a discussion live or on social media, as the discussion will be streamed on INFOBALT’s and CEP’s Facebook profiles.
