What's New

News and updates from BCSDN and the region

CfA: RCOY Europe 2024, Vienna, Austria (Deadline: 17 April)

Target group: Children and youth aged 14-35 from the below-mentioned countries are cordially invited to apply. Countries: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia,

Read more →

CfA: Media Literacy Capacity Building Project (Deadline: 30 April)

Target group: Students of journalism, public relations, education, law, economy, political science and international relations, police and military academies from the Western Balkans. Countries: Western Balkans Short Description: The Summer School aims to train the selected participants in media literacy skills for increasing applied critical thinking to analyze and evaluate the media to go beyond

Read more →

CfA: RCC Nominations for 2023 Champion of Regional Cooperation Dr Erhard Busek Award (Deadline: 2 May)

Target group: Individuals or organizations who meet the Call’s criteria are eligible to apply for the award. Countries: Western Balkans Short Description: The Champion of Regional Cooperation Dr Erhard Busek Award is presented to an individual or organization that has contributed notably to advancing regional cooperation in South East Europe, guided by European values and

Read more →

CfA: Transparency School 2024 (Deadline: 15 May)

Target group: Leaders that come from public, private, NGO, and academic sectors and offer the participants unique perspectives on how to address corruption and promote transparency. Countries: Worldwide Short Description: Transparency International School on Integrity is an annual state-of-the-art anti-corruption and accountability training for future leaders. The school exposes its participants to the latest developments

Read more →

CfA: Western Balkans–Visegrad Fellowships (Deadline: 15 June)

Target group: Western Balkans and V4 doctoral students or fellows that hold a doctoral degree (regardless of their current affiliation). Countries: Western Balkans and V4 countries Short Description: The Western Balkans–Visegrad Fellowships allow WB6 citizens to apply for short-term fellowships at V4 research institutions (in Czechia, Poland, Hungary, or Slovakia). Reciprocally, V4 applicants can apply

Read more →

BCSDN’s 18th Annual Council Meeting: New Strategy for Protecting and Expanding Civil Space in the Balkans

BCSDN’s 18th Annual Council Meeting held in Vienna focused on reviewing past achievements, future plans, and adopting the new BCSDN Strategy 2024-2027. The meeting emphasized the importance of inclusive discussions, supported by Peace Nexus, to enhance monitoring, evidence-based advocacy, and stakeholder awareness. Significant milestones included the effectiveness of the Monitoring Matrix in advocating for an

Read more →

EU Agrees to Open Accession Talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina

The EU approves membership negotiations with BiH, eight years post-application, following the European Commission’s recognition of BiH’s progress in aligning with EU standards. The president of the European Council, Charles Michel welcomed the decision, affirming BiH’s place in the European family. President of the EC von der Leyen hails historic advancements, including foreign policy alignment

Read more →

RECLAIM’s New EU Law Helpdesk to Tackle to Civic Space Restrictions

RECLAIM, an initiative aiming to counter the EU’s democracy crisis and the increasing global disregard for human rights, launches an EU Law Helpdesk to aid European CSOs combating government efforts to restrict civil society. Autocratic-leaning governments enact laws limiting CSO operations, violating democratic principles. RECLAIM offers legal counseling, assisting in constructing arguments, suggesting procedural avenues,

Read more →

Streamlining Ratification in the Common Regional Market in the Western Balkans

Western Balkans leaders, under the Berlin process, launched the Common Regional Market initiative, centered on the four freedoms and including digital, investment, innovation, and industry policies. The Western Balkan countries undergo different progress and challenges of the Common Regional Market initiative, focusing on the ratification status of mobility agreements. While Montenegro ratified all four agreements,

Read more →

European Parliament: Constitutional Aspects of the Future of Europe

The European Parliament held a public hearing on 20 March, discussing on the Future of Europe, featuring topics such as the Conference on the Future of Europe and the European Parliament’s Treaty Change Resolution. The members of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) assessed progress and future steps, aiming to enhance EU competences, while discussions

Read more →

BTI 2024 Regional Report: Political Polarization, Economic Challenges, and EU Integration Complexities in the Western Balkans

The Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Transformation Index (BTI), which analyzes transformation processes toward democracy and a market economy in international comparison and identifies successful strategies for peaceful change, presents its 2024 results for Eastern European countries. Despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine causing anxiety, the report presents fostered cooperation and a shift towards Western alignment. Progress in democratization,

Read more →