Regional School of Public Administration’s Post

💥 Informal meet-up and debrief on ReSPA’s activities and results with esteemed Ambassadors of ReSPA Members, representatives of the EU Delegation and Montenegro's Ministry of Public Administration 👇 💡 #Esteemed guests HE Ms Zhaklina PETO, Ambassador of Albania to Montenegro; HE Mr Branimir JUKIĆ Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Montenegro; HE Mr Zećir RAMČILOVIĆ, Ambassador of North Macedonia to Montenegro; Mr Naim Gjokaj, State Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration and Ms Ana STANIŠIĆ VRBICA, Advisor for Good Governance and European Integration, Delegation of the EU to Montenegro #praised ReSPA's active role and heightened efforts in empowering regional collaboration, enhancing the administrative capacities, connecting the region’s administration with EU MS and contributing to the region’s EU accession journey. 🎯 Director Maja Handjiska Trendafilova: "These informal meetings are pivotal in bringing ReSPA’s #results closer to our key stakeholders - the diplomatic corps, the EU Delegation, and esteemed public administrators- and boosting our work's regional ownership. Deeply honoured to #welcome the Ambassadors to ReSPA’s new premises and against the background of our prolific work in 2023, we acquainted them with our upcoming flagship activities, including the series of learning and capacity-building actions, regional Ministerial dialogue, PA Award, intra-regional and WB-EU mobility exchanges, etc. We reiterated our #readiness, #enthusiasm, and drive to continue even more. We also stressed some key directions forward: increased #interactions and networks with EU MS practitioners; gradual integration of WB in all EU PAR-relevant platforms and instruments; boosted the uptake of our hands-on and agile direct #technicalassistance to support reforms; bringing important topics to the forefront, including greening of public administration, #digital and AI-ready public sector, #innovation in the public sector, #wellbeing of public servants, #attractiveness of public administration and #staffretention, and many others".   👆 As our region aspires to join the EU, Western Balkans administrations work on #aligning the governance structures with EU standards, necessitating the professionalisation of civil services and institutional strengthening 👉  ReSPA continues to work on this path! #EUintegration #GoodGovernance #WesternBalkans

Majlinda Bregu. PhD couldn't have been more politically correct than this point: “The idiom ‘Learning by doing’ is going to be the name of the game when it comes to the region entering the EU Single Market. All of us that have been feeling disappointed by more than six rounds of unsuccessful enlargement have enough reasons to believe that the entry into the Single Market is going to be something we can achieve in the near future. New phase of the Common Regional Market may not change the whole situation in the Western Balkans, but it is going to bring the region closer together, fast-tracking its much-needed convergence,” https://lnkd.in/dDxj7NY3

🌍 Reflecting on the EU-Western Balkans Summit 2024 🌍 Last week, the EU-Western Balkans Summit: A Renewed Approach to the Region, organized by Friends of Europe, took place in Brussels. This significant event explored the challenges and opportunities on the EU accession path for Western Balkan countries, with discussions focusing on: - Norms and values in the accession process - Economic growth through regional integration - Creating inclusive and fair justice systems Highlighting the tangible benefits of EU integration, representative Kristjan S. Guri stated: "When it comes to Western Balkans, the new methodology of EU accession has contributed to clarify to the countries and the citizens on the ground that the destination is full EU accession. And in the meantime, you (citizens) can benefit from tangible effects of the progress. This progress can take the form of SEPA, which makes financial transfers less expensive, saving—based on a study—around 500 million EUR a year to the citizens and businesses of the Western Balkans." Re-watch here: https://lnkd.in/eb4X9h-m At ALBAN Global, we remain committed to supporting dialogue and initiatives that drive progress and bring tangible benefits to the region, reinforcing the shared path toward a united and resilient Europe. Ermelinda Hajdari Gerti Boshnjaku Tal Catran Maura Mîndrilà Alexandra Santos Frank Escandell Dan DiPasquo Juanma Revuelta Anamaria Meshkurti Brent Christaens #BalkansSummit #SharedJustice #EUIntegration #WesternBalkans

What: HORIZON EUROPE – INFO DAN Where: Parlament BiH Being a National Contact Point for Bosnia and Herzegovina is more than a role; it is a commitment to the nation's future. It involves leveraging global opportunities for local benefit, fostering innovation, enhancing economic competitiveness, promoting educational excellence, and contributing to sustainable development. As we look toward the future, the importance of this role cannot be overstated—it is through such dedicated efforts that we can build a prosperous, resilient, and unified Bosnia and Herzegovina. #EU #HorizonEurope #HORIZON EUROPE – INFO DAN #Ministarstvo civilnih poslova #BiH

TÜRKIYE AND REGIONAL NORMALIZATION: IMPACT AND SUSTAINABILITY Final analysis and policy proposals In the regional normalization processes initiated by #Türkiye in the #Mediterranean, #MiddleEast, #Gulf and #Caucasus there is a general trend towards accomplishment. Dialogue, cooperation and distinctive policies have been driving forces in the relations with regional actors, marking a clear turning point in Ankara’s regional approach, aiming at arising Türkiye as a key player and promoter of stability. Moreover, the evolution of domestic, regional and international dynamics has contributed to enforcing cooperative zeal by playing as pushing factors. However, critical issues remain, mainly due to the ongoing disputes in the area and to the persistent war between #Israel and #Palestine. Given the still existing potential of friction but also the expansion of cooperative margins, this analysis aims at providing Italy ad hoc policy proposals with specific and distinct regional focus related to main areas of interest. The proposals are submitted as well in the light of the already existing synergies linking Italy and Türkiye, whose strategic partnershipentangles bilateral, regional, and international levels. This policy paper - by Murat Aslan, Aurora Ianni, Mattia Giampaolo, Ahmet Keser and Valeria Giannotta (Coordinator) - is the final outcome of the project TÜRKIYE AND REGIONAL NORMALIZATION PROCESSES: WHAT IMPACT ON THE INTERESTS AND STRATEGIES OF ITALY AND EUROPE? which is supported by the Unit for Analysis and Policy Planning of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation https://lnkd.in/dem4ZCyf

trip aims to strengthen bilateral ties and discuss key areas of cooperation between the two countries. The visit highlights the ongoing commitment to enhancing strategic partnerships and fostering economic collaboration. #ShehbazSharif #ChinaVisit #BilateralRelations #StrategicPartnership #EconomicCooperation

The Practitioners' Network for European Development Cooperation, chaired by Expertise France, gathers in #Albania. As part of its presidency of the Practitioners' Network, Expertise France organized a field trip to Albania for the members of the network. An opportunity to strengthen #TeamEurope's presence in Albania and the Western Balkans in general. The Practitioners' Network (PN) is the network of European #cooperation agencies. Created in 2007, the network now comprises 24 members, with the European Commission as an observer. Expertise France, from AFD Group, has held the presidency since May 2023, with clear objectives: more effective European development action, mobilizing the expertise of each member; a more legible and visible Team Europe, bringing together technical and financial cooperation; an inclusive and viable Practitioners' Network. In Albania, 2 main themes were discussed collectively: The process of integration into the European Union, and the green agenda, ranging from access to energy and the protection of biodiversity to the development of skills for a digital economy and society. Beyond these moments of dialogue, participants visited projects implemented by PN's members: GIZ's EU4Innovation and ProSEED programs with the EU and Sida, as well as the British Council's 21st Century Schools program. This was an opportunity to meet the beneficiaries of these projects, financed and implemented by European organizations in Albania. #WorldInCommon #StrongerTogether #EuropeanCooperation FIIAPP Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania, Agence Française de Développement, KfW, Agjencia Shtetërore e Programimit Strategjik dhe Koordinimit të Ndihmës (SASPAC), Frédéric Sansier, Louise Poudret-Hardy

🇭🇺 From 1 July to 31 December 2024, Hungary is presiding over the presidency of the Council of the European Union. During this period, #Hungary will organise and chair meetings, representing the Council of the EU to other EU institutions. 💡 Here's how Hungary contributes to Interreg Europe: 🔹 40 Interreg Europe projects have Hungarian partners 🔹 6 projects have a Hungarian lead partner 🔹 342 Hungarian organisations are in the Interreg Europe online community Would you like to learn more? Visit our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3S7eNd5 #HU24EU #EuropeanUnion #InterregEurope

On 13-14 June 2024, at the Hungarian Pre-Presidency Conference, the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) will present key recommendations to the incoming Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. Together with my colleague Louise van Schaik, I have drafted a piece with recommendations on the issue of budgetary conditionality and the next long-term EU budget. It is likely that in the future, the allocation of EU funds to Member States will become increasingly conditional on reforms, for example with regard to the rule of law, socio-economic policies and the green and digital transition. Yet, there is not yet sufficient evidence that such a ‘cash-for-reforms’ model is effective in guaranteeing long-term change. Moreover, the instruments suffer from some democratic shortcomings, for example related to lack of transparency and clarity of procedures. Read our recommendations (page 4-6) and other recommendations here. TEPSA - Trans European Policy Studies Association Mariam Khotenashvili Nicoletta Pirozzi Richard Youngs Jakša Puljiz Luigi Scazzieri

Happy #EuropeDay! Today, 9th of May, we celebrate Europe Day – an occasion to honor cooperation as a central element of building the European common space. 👉 As part of the #Interreg community and #EU cohesion policy, the Interreg NEXT Romania-Ukraine programme and #BRCTSuceava as Joint Secretariat, continue to promote cross-border cooperation and sustainable development. And yet, what is the European Territorial #Cooperation? ▶ Cooperation between countries is called #crossborder cooperation, #transnational cooperation or #interregional cooperation and is supported by instruments created and financed by the European Union, called cooperation programmes. ▶ Cooperation can be between European Union member states, at #internal borders, such as: Romania-Bulgaria, Romania-Hungary, Spain-Portugal, Croatia-Italy etc., or with neighboring countries at #external borders of the EU, as is the case of cross-border cooperation between Romania-Ukraine, Romania-Republic of Moldova, Romania-Serbia, Hungary-Slovakia-Romania-Ukraine, Poland-Ukraine, etc. ▶These types of European cooperation are called Interreg, Interreg IPA or Interreg NEXT, associated with the technical title of the programme, and make all those involved in cross-border cooperation part of the large #Interregfamily. #MadewithInterreg