On Thursday, 2 March 2017, a new joint programme of the European Union and Council of Europe “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey” has been launched at the Radisson Blu Old Mill hotel in Belgrade. 

As part of this programme, seven projects with a total budget of 3.38 million euros will be implemented in Serbia from January 2017 to May 2019. They aim to assist the authorities of Serbia in complying with European standards on ensuring justice, combating economic crime, promoting anti-discrimination and protecting rights of vulnerable groups. These projects are of particular importance in the context of Serbia’s EU aspirations.

Among the keynote speakers at the launching event were Verena Taylor, the Director of the Office of the Directorate General of Programmes of the Council of Europe and H.E. Ambassador Michael Davenport, Head of EU Delegation in Serbia.  On behalf of the national partners of the programme, Mr Radomir Ilic, State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice and Ms Tamara Rastovac Siamashvili, Head of the Department for OSCE and CoE at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs greeted the guests in their welcome speech. The Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade Tim Cartwright moderated the event, which was also be attended by representatives of state institutions, civil society and international organisations.

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Background information on the Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey

On 11 April 2016, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, and the EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, announced a new co-operation initiative aimed at supporting South-East Europe and Turkey in their efforts to comply with European standards. The joint initiative is running from May 2016 to May 2019 focusing on three themes: ensuring justice, fighting economic crime as well as combating discrimination and protecting the rights of vulnerable groups. Its budget is €25mln, out of which €20mln has been provided by the European Union and €5mln by the Council of Europe. The Horizontal Facility will cover actions of the Council of Europe in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, “The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” as well as Kosovo*. Turkey will not be recipient of technical assistance but may benefit under this Facility from the Council of Europe legislative expertise under the Expertise Co-ordination Mechanism. More information on the Horizontal Facility is available here.