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Navigating chapter 22: challenges and opportunities in Serbia’s path to EU accession

31/10/2024 -  Luisa ChiodiSukanya Sengupta

Chapter 22 on cohesion policy is one of the most complex negotiating chapters Serbia has to deal with for EU accession. In this interview, Dragana Djurica provides crucial insights into the critical role of civil society, the importance of regional development, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead

Still too many Europeans have no toilet at home

30/10/2024 -  Lola García-Ajofrín Bucharest

One in six Romanians is not connected to the water or sewage network. In Bulgaria and the Baltic states the figures are also worrying – but the situation is finally improving, also thanks to European funds

Addressing Key Challenges to Media Freedom in Albania and Serbia

30/10/2024 -  Serena EpisSukanya Sengupta

To contribute to the European Commission’s Rule of Law monitoring, OBCT, in partnership with SCiDEV and IJAS, produced two Shadow Reports outlining the challenges and gaps in media freedom in Albania and Serbia. The main findings were presented during a webinar

SLAPP in Croatia, a plague

21/10/2024 -  Giovanni Vale Zagreb

Over a thousand lawsuits filed between 2016 and 2023 against journalists and media outlets, nearly half of which are SLAPPs, or strategic lawsuits against public participation. These are frivolous lawsuits that aim to silence freedom of expression

Armenia-Azerbaijan talks in the balance as COP29 deadline approaches

18/10/2024 -  Onnik James Krikorian

With less than a month left before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku, the clock is ticking down on any potential document to be signed by Armenia and Azerbaijan to end over three decades of conflict

Islands of integrity: the struggle of independent media in Albania

14/10/2024 -  Luisa ChiodiSukanya Sengupta

Lufti Dervishi, a founding member of the Albanian Center for Quality Journalism, emphasises the challenges that Albanian journalism faces today. The media are entangled in corruption, self-censorship, and state-sponsored disinformation. However, not everything is negative, and there is still reason for hope

Manaki Festival: stars and cinema

11/10/2024 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

The city of Bitola, in North Macedonia, hosts one of the most prestigious film festivals in the region, dedicated to the work of the Manaki brothers, true pioneers of the camera in Europe and the Balkans

Armenia, life after war

09/10/2024 -  Armine Avetisyan Yerevan

The story of Suren, 42, who moved from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia a year ago, after the military attack by Azerbaijan. The difficult life of a man who has already seen four wars, the everyday challenge to take care of his family

Energy in Bulgaria, between past and future

30/09/2024 -  Francesco Martino Sofia

The energy sector in Bulgaria is going through a phase of profound transformation, between the need to proceed with decarbonisation and that of freeing itself from traditional ties with Russia. We talked about it in Sofia with expert Kostantsa Rangelova

Culture and sociality, discovering the new Rijeka City library

27/09/2024 -  Nicole Corritore Rijeka

Rijeka has a new modern city library, the “Gradska knjižnica Rijeka”, in a former industrial area redeveloped and transformed into an authentic cultural hub. Our reportage

Rijeka Library: the living body of the city

27/09/2024 -  Nicole Corritore Rijeka

An innovative library, created with EU cohesion funds, in the former industrial area of ​​Rijeka, now redeveloped and transformed into an authentic artistic district. We met the director of Rijeka City Library Niko Cvjetković

Raffaele Fitto is the Executive Vice-President-Designate for Cohesion and Reforms

25/09/2024 -  Sukanya Sengupta

Italian Raffaele Fitto is expected to become vice-president in the next European Commission led by von der Leyen. Fitto will be entrusted with the delegation for Cohesion and Reforms, a key role at the European level in terms of political influence and budget management

Yerevan and Baku at a crossroads as Russia flexes its muscles

24/09/2024 -  Onnik James Krikorian

Though there had been hopes that some kind of agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan could be initialled or signed by November this year, the situation looks increasingly uncertain as Russia once again enters the fray

Ecocide and nature protection in the Balkans

20/09/2024 -  Sanja Mlađenović StevićKaterina Topalova

After the breakup of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia - known for their extraordinary natural resources and biodiversity - have been facing environmental crime and the devastation of nature

IOM comments on the article “Bosnia and Herzegovina, the challenges of reception”

19/09/2024 -  IOM

We publish the comment received from IOM to the article we published last September 9th entitled “Bosnia and Herzegovina, the challenges of reception”

The One Caucasus Festival promotes regional unity

13/09/2024 -  Onnik James Krikorian Tbilisi

Last August, the One Caucasus Festival brought together Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia through music, culture and educational and participatory projects. An example of how communities can build a peaceful future together

North Macedonia, digitalisation against the grey economy

11/09/2024 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

At least 20% of the economy of North Macedonia develops in the “grey zone”, thus depriving the country and the national budget of resources essential for development. The government of Skopje has announced that it wants to combat the phenomenon through more effective digitalisation

Croatia, media under attack

10/09/2024 -  Giovanni Vale Zagreb

Media campaigns and even kidnapping threats to marginalise and silence an inconvenient media outlet: this is what is happening in Croatia to the maritime affairs website "morski.hr", an episode that reopens concerns about freedom of the press in the country

Bosnia and Herzegovina: the challenges of hosting migrants

09/09/2024 -  Massimo Guglietta

As Bosnia and Herzegovina prepares to take on greater responsibility for migration management, one of the main challenges remains that of guaranteeing people on the move adequate and dignified reception conditions

Film Festivals, from Sarajevo to Pesaro

06/09/2024 -  Anna Lodeserto

Anniversaries of two film festivals from two sides of the Adriatic Sea - Pesaro and Sarajevo. A cultural exchange focused on cinema, cities and music from a youth perspective