25. 4. 2022 | PR, Youth
Photos by Marko Arandjelović
Communication is an intrinsic part of our life, be it professional or personal. It is not only about transferring information, but it is an interactive process that requires knowledge and specific skills. To effectively communicate, stakeholders need to attain in-depth and applicable communication knowledge, skills, and tools. This is the main goal of EUSAIR Communication Academy which started last week.
EUSAIR Communication Academy is a capacity building programme for EUSAIR Government communicators, EUSAIR Key implementers, and youth participants. The Academy is composed of three modules that will take place in 2022. The project is a result of cooperation between the EUSAIR Facility Point Lead Partner and the Centre for European Perspective.
EUSAIR (EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region) is a Macro-regional Strategy joining 10 countries striving to find solutions for common challenges in the common sea basins and its hinterlands. The Strategy joins EU Member states and non-EU Member states working together as equal partners. In this process, cooperation is not only one of the main objectives but is a means to achieve the Strategy’s aims. Cooperation cannot take place without communication.
Between 19 and 22 April Module I of EUSAIR Communication Academy took place online. On the first two days, it was attended by 50 participants: government communicators from EUSAIR states and EUSAIR key implementers. On the following two days, it was attended by a group of 25 youth participants from the EUSAIR countries that share an interest in EUSAIR and macroregional cooperation and strive to improve their communication skills. Each day the participants attended several different workshops and trainings focused on the foundations of communication. They learned about key aspects of communication, the main principles of good internal communication, the importance of digital communication, the difference between traditional media tools and new media tools and much more.
The Academy will continue with online Module II in the last week of May and conclude with an in-person training in October.
21. 4. 2022 | PR, Serbia - management of patrols
Klikni tukaj za več o projektu v slovenščini 
Serbia has recently invested heavily in its police force, as the effective functioning of the police, as well as other rule of law bodies, especially with regard to migration and the fight against crime, which is not just in Serbia’s best interest, but it is also one of the basic requirements for EU membership. In the area of strengthening capacities for management of patrols for effective response in the field, Serbia has been working successfully with Slovenia through the international development cooperation programme.
Within the framework of this cooperation, a second field visit was held between 11 and 17 April 2022 in support of the system for the management of patrols in Serbia. It took place on the territory of the organisational units of the Police Administrations of Užice, Novi Pazar, Zaječar, Požarevac, Pančevo and Sremska Mitrovica as well as the police units of the Border Police Administration at the border crossing points with Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Romania.
The field visit was an opportunity to review the implementation of the changes made so far and to discuss further improvements as well as provide advice on EU experience and standards in the organisational units already involved in the system for management of patrols. For those organisational units that are just joining the system, the visit was an opportunity to review the conditions for joining, carry out a preliminary consultation and to agree on the dynamics of integration.
The second field visit confirmed that strengthening the management capacity of the border, general and traffic police patrols is progressing well towards the goal of better responsiveness in protecting and assisting people, in particular, vulnerable groups; better coordination of police work in the field, including in the response to migration and in the fight against organised crime; and better protection of police officers in the performance of their duties.
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
11. 4. 2022 | PR
Photo by Urša Rahne
Last Friday, on 8 April, the Executive Director of the Centre for European Perspective (CEP) Katja Geršak actively participated in an expert panel on European Cooperation in the Western Balkans (WB). The panel was part of a working seminar, organized within the scope of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union and with the help of the French Embassy in Slovenia, it was done in cooperation with the Centre of Excellence in Finance (CEF) in Ljubljana.
The panel was organized as part of the preparation for the Conference on Western Balkans in June 2022. It was organized for the diplomatic community – ambassadors from EU member states and from WB countries. Panelists presented their activities implemented in the region which was proceeded by a discussion on possible ways to enhance regional cooperation and cooperation of EU stakeholders to help advance development and EU integration in the region.
Concrete experiences of EU-Western Balkans cooperation were presented by three panelists from three organizations:
- Francesco Ferrero from European Investment Bank (EIB)
- Jana Repanšek, executive director of CEF
- Katja Geršak, executive director of CEP
CEP has been traditionally present in the region with its development cooperation projects. Currently, it is providing support to North Macedonia in the EU accession process, more specifically in the field of financial investigations and communication in the negotiation process. At the same time, it is enhancing the capacity to better manage border patrols in Serbia. Some other flagship projects in the region, supported by various other donors, include European Digital Diplomacy Exchange and Countering Foreign Perpetrated Disinformation in WB. Last but not least, Peace Operations Training Centre (POTC), working within the scope of CEP, provides training for personnel deployed to peacekeeping missions and operations and shares know-how in the WB region as well.
CEP plans to continue to implement development cooperation projects with the help of all relevant stakeholders.
7. 4. 2022 | Macedonia - Finance, PR
Klikni tukaj za branje prispevka v slovenskem jeziku.
Strengthening the field of financial investigations is one of the goals, but also one of the latest recommendations of the European Commission, which North Macedonia has recently been successfully pursuing with Slovenia’s international development assistance.
Following the adoption of the National Strategy for Financial Investigations in July 2021, the competent authorities involved in financial investigations are now paying intensive attention to the procedurals for the implementation of the Common Guidelines for Financial Investigations. In doing so they rely primarily on the Slovenian experience.
As part of such cooperation, consultations for the competent Macedonian authorities and exchange of experience on the implementation of financial investigation procedures took place on 28 and 29 March 2022 in North Macedonia. The consultation was attended by representatives from the Ministry of the Interior, Customs Administration, Financial Police Office and the State Prosecutor’s Office who are directly involved in standard procedures for financial investigation.
The results of the consultation contribute to the capacity of North Macedonia for financial investigations and confiscation of proceeds of crime, in particular the property of the perpetrators, for which they cannot prove that it originates from legal sources. The proceeds of crime will be frozen and confiscated in North Macedonia in the next period in the investigating and prosecuting authorities proceedings to an even greater extent and dedicated to the rule of law and to improve the quality of public services in North Macedonia.
Some photos of activities:
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
5. 4. 2022 | North Macedonia - Communication, PR
Klikni tukaj za več o projektnih aktivnostih v slovenskem jeziku
Pending the date for the start of EU accession negotiations, North Macedonia is intensively preparing in accordance with the recommendations of the European Commission’s 2021 Progress Report. The Working Group set up for this purpose will be responsible for reporting on achievements in the field of reforms and progress under Chapter 24. The members of the group are experts from various Macedonian institutions dealing with the contents of Chapter 24. In preparing for effective and comprehensive communication with domestic and foreign stakeholders, as well as interinstitutional substantive cooperation, they also rely on the assistance of Slovenian experts.
Within the framework of the project of international development cooperation, the 2nd workshop was conducted for the members of the Working Group. This time the workshop took place from 28 to 31 March 2022 in North Macedonia. The aim of the workshop was to strengthen the presentation skills for communicating the content from Chapter 24.
The workshop was attended by representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, the Agency for National Security Agency, the Customs Administration, the Financial Police office, the Ministry of Justice and the Secretariat for European Affairs. Through practical interactive exercises, they developed and deepened skills, methods and techniques for more effective oral and written communication of the contents of Chapter 24. In addition, they got acquainted with the method and practice of reporting on the achievements of the European Commission and exchanged experience in communicating with the domestic professional and general public.
A constructive discussion successfully presented the current practices of presentation skills, pointed out the shortcomings and drew attention to the room and the need for improvements, which will be taken into account in the continuation of the project, in future workshops. According to the participants’ evaluation at the end of the workshop, the way of working was carefully thought out and the goal – strengthening presentation skills – was achieved.
The project is part of the programme 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
4. 4. 2022 | PR, Serbia - management of patrols
Klikni tukaj za več o projektu v slovenščini
The project ” Building capacities for management of patrols”, which Slovenia is implementing in Serbia within the frames of international development assistance, is continuing to upgrade the patrol management system and expand its users. As part of the following planned activities, a field visit to Serbia is planned between 11 and 17 April 2022. The field visit will be an opportunity to assess the technical capabilities and performance of the patrol management system and the impeccability of its operation and counselling on the spot in organizational units of the Serbian police that are newly joining the patrol management system.
Since its implementation, the project has already shown the positive effects of patrol management in the responsiveness of the police to the needs of the people and confirms the awareness of the benefits of such management in the wider area of Serbia.
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
4. 4. 2022 | EUCTI, PR
Last week Centre for European Perspective (CEP)’s digital communications team successfully conducted the 3-day Digital Communications in Civilian Crisis Management training in Georgia as a part of the EU Civilian Training Initiative (EUCTI). The second module of the training took place in a residential format, in Tbilisi. After last year’s online first module both trainers and participants enjoyed live sessions and face-to-face feedback.
Participants, 11 of them, came from European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) and from the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia. With the help of top experts in the field, they honed their skills in smartphone videography and photography, storytelling, and building infographics. They strengthened their rhetoric skills and learned what it takes to work in the era of influencer marketing. Last but not least, they familiarized themselves with the open-source tools for information verification.
Participants, or digital communicators as they can be called now, described the training as very useful and relevant. Practical elements such as hands-on work with modern video and photo equipment, interactive workshops, and the final simulation contributed greatly to the success of the training.
We remain optimistic that this training will inspire the participants to explore the world around them and share their findings with the rest of us. We wish to thank the participants and experts, who worked tirelessly alongside us for their dedication and valuable input throughout the course.
30. 3. 2022 | POTC, PR
Along with organizing and conducting training courses, Peace Operations Training Centre’s (POTC) regular activities also include monitoring trends in demand for new training content. We identified a number of potential new topics and have consulted national, European, and UN institutions on the most urgent and relevant training needs. We decided to develop a new comprehensive training on the protection of civilians (PoC) after consulting a number of stakeholders.
According to the Security Council Report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, armed conflict is continuously accompanied by high levels of civilian death, injury and psychological trauma, sexual violence, torture, and disappearance, as well as damaged and destroyed homes, schools, markets, hospitals and essential civilian infrastructure, such as electrical and water systems. Protection of civilians is a responsibility that includes military, police, and civilian functions within a peacekeeping mission and many missions have a mandate that includes PoC.
Personnel, deployed to peace operations and missions have consistently demonstrated a lack of understanding of their missions’ PoC mandates and the same lack of understanding is applicable to the core PoC tasks. We have hence developed a training format that will equip participants with a basic understanding of the PoC concept and its applications in peace operations and missions.
We are now inviting police and civilian personnel deployed or waiting to be deployed in IOM to our Protection of Civilians Training Course between 19 and 21 April 2022. The participants will address the PoC concept, elaborate on how conflict affects civilians and will identify different types of threats, perpetrators, and protection actors. They will also address the international legal framework on PoC, different tiers and/or operational phases of PoC, vulnerable groups, and special mechanisms for their protection. Check out the training program for more information.
Fill out the registration form to apply for participation before 12 April or contact [email protected] for any additional information on the new training.
