The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network said it will not take down reports about convicted Turkish fraudster Yasam Ayavefe and described an order from a Turkish court to remove the articles as an attack on media freedom
César Campoy, a writer and journalist originally from Valencia, Spain, is one of the leading experts on the Balkan region in his country. We met him in his hometown before he left for the Balkans. His "Balkan Odyssey", published in Spain last April, is already in its second edition
An Interreg project involved Italy, Albania and Montenegro in the relaunch of cultural spaces intended to host artists and creatives, to promote new forms of tourism and foster cultural industries
While the European Union has made a strong effort to create a recovery plan that incorporates sustainability targets, some member states are falling behind in their duty to implement such reforms
Conceived as an alternative to EU cooperation, the Open Balkan initiative, promoted by Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia, aimed to create a regional common market to allow the free movement of goods, services, capital and people. The reasons for its failure
In many European countries people increasingly use trains for their travel, preferring them to cars. This is not happening in Romania and Bulgaria, because of the poor state of rail service. Something is starting to change however
From being criticised for his unconventional wines to finding them in the cellars of top Michelin-starred restaurants, Oskar Maurer is a reference for natural wine production in Serbia. We spoke to him about his winemaking philosophy and much more
After thirty-two years, on July 31, Armenians and Russians signed a protocol to end the presence of Russian border guards at Yerevan's Zvartnots International Airport. This does not signify Moscow’s withdrawal from Armenia, but nevertheless has symbolic value
Climate change is affecting wine production around the world. Adaptation and resilience are the only answers to this ever-changing situation. Radovan Đorđević, owner of Vinarija Čokot, is facing this situation in the Serbian region of Župa
The vast fires that have hit North Macedonia in recent weeks have called into question the country's outdated system for responding to emergency situations. A problem made more serious by the lack of resources and personnel
From Slovenia to France, passing through Trentino: the AMETHyST project promotes the production and use of green hydrogen in the Alpine regions. An experience of transnational cooperation oriented towards energy transition and innovation
On 30 July, the Armenian and Turkish special envoys for normalising relations between the two countries met on their shared border. Though encouraging, however, the process appears to remain linked to normalising relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan
Rural areas have a key role in ensuring the success of the energy transition. Installing new ground-mounted photovoltaic systems in the countryside of Spain, Romania and France would cover a large part of the European Union's energy needs
The Media Freedom Rapid Response today publishes the final report of the advocacy mission that took place last May in Rome. Public service independence, legal threats, conflicts of interest and market concentration are the main themes
"We must go beyond the idea that the Western Balkans are a sort of ghetto made up of non-EU countries. This would contribute not only to the Europeanisation of the Western Balkans, but also to overcoming some disagreements between candidate countries and EU member states". Ana Krstinovska, founder and president of the think tank Estima based in Bitola, in North Macedonia and research fellow at the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP)
While cohesion policy to support economic development across Europe has not fully lived up to expectations, new research suggests various reforms for how the EU can more efficiently support its poorest regions before the next budgetary cycle
The Facebook group "RoOmenia" connects tens of thousands of Romanian citizens scattered across Europe, providing concrete help – from housing to medication – and contrasting the loneliness of many expats. An initiative launched by a group of lorry drivers
Despite some impediments provided by law, the phenomenon of early marriages exists in Armenia. So much so that a new bill intends to set the minimum age for marriage at 18, without exception, and to repeal all the rules referring to early marriages and underage spouses
Media outlets in the country are increasingly exposed to cyber attacks, online threats and manipulations. We talked about digital security and its impact on independent journalism in Serbia with Bojan Perkov, digital policy coordinator at SHARE Foundation
In Albania, when the protection of the Vjosa river and its tributaries seemed almost guaranteed, a project aimed at tourism development has once again called everything into question, threatening an area with a population of over 50 thousand people
