The European Union and Council of Europe signed Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey (hereafter referred to as “Horizontal Facility”) on 23 May 2016. The Horizontal Facility builds on the CoE and EU Policy priorities in the context of the Western Balkans and Turkey and on the CoE expertise in standard-setting, monitoring and cooperation methodologies. It aims to improve implementation of key recommendations of relevant Council of Europe monitoring and advisory bodies in the areas indicated in the Statement of Intent signed on 1 April 2014 by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the European Union Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy.

In the field of fighting corruption, economic crime and organised crime, three country specific actions were designed to support tailored reform processes more specifically in Albania, Montenegro and “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” (Republic of North Macedonia as of 12 February 2019). Those actions will aim to improve implementation of key recommendations of the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) and Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism (MONEYVAL), and to further strengthen institutional capacities regarding the code of conduct of public officials, whistleblower protection, financing of political parties and election campaigns and other measures to counter and prevent corruption; money laundering; the financing of terrorism in accordance with European standards, and as addressed by other Council of Europe intruments.

In each country the action will have a duration of 36 months with a total budget amounting up to 3 million Euros.