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Norwegen wird eine größere Rolle bei der internationalen Unterstützung der Ukraine übernehmen, erklärte Norwegens Ministerpräsident Jonas Gahr Støre am Donnerstag vor dem Parlament. Er sprach sich für ein größeres und langfristigeres Ukraine-Programm aus, welches durch Öleinnahmen finanziert werden soll. Am...

Egy top10-es helyezéssel elégedett lenne, mert a mostani idényben minél több ilyen eredmény elérése a célja Zsigovits Norbertnek, a Papp László Budapest Sportarénában szombaton sorra kerülő SuperEnduro GP terepmotoros világbajnoki futam Prestige kategóriás magyar indulójának.

Das Europäische Parlament hat am Donnerstag (2. Februar) einen Bericht unterstützt, in dem vorgeschlagen wird, die Rechte der Europäischen Betriebsräte (EBR) zu stärken, um Arbeitnehmer:innen in großen europäischen Unternehmen mehr Gehör zu verschaffen.

Pekler Zalán arany-, Péni István ezüstérmet nyert a puskások 50 méteres három testhelyzetű versenyszámában a sportlövők jakartai világkupáján.

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Representatives of national institutions responsible for environmental inspection, enforcement and prosecution came together in a technical workshop on 2 February 2023. The event was organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania that has taken the lead in conducting a baseline assessment on the inspection, investigation and punishment of environmental violations, in close co-operation with national institutions.

The workshop discussed the preliminary findings of the baseline assessment. The outcomes and inputs gathered from the institutions during the meeting will be elaborated by the Presence’s contracted experts, and incorporated in the final baseline assessment that will be delivered to the national authorities.

“Environmental violations pose a great threat to the economy, nature and tourism development and they are intricate to be addressed in terms of legal, inter-institutional and technical dimensions,” said Aleksandar Maskovic, Head of the OSCE Presence’s Department on Governance in Economic and Environmental Issues.

Anila Leka, a prosecutor from the General Prosecution Office, said: “Environmental violations must be seen in their complexity, both in the administrative aspect and then in the criminal aspect. We must be clear that the criminalization of violations should only come as a last resort as this is associated with economic costs”.

Josif Shtëmbari from the Albanian State Police said: “Environmental enforcement has become a priority of the State Police and this is also noticed by the increase in the number of cases identified and referred to the Prosecutor".

The workshop provided a platform for the stakeholders to come together and discuss how to work collaboratively and effectively on environmental issues ranging from legal and institutional framework to capacity, infrastructure and more.

The event was part of the “Enhance environmental governance and security in Albania” project, which is implemented by the OSCE Presence in Albania and funded by France and Norway.

Après la révélation des magouilles fiscales de Daniel Vasella, un spécialiste dit pourquoi ce sont justement les riches qui tentent d’optimiser leurs impôts.

Willie Kimani, his client and driver were abducted, tortured, killed and their bodies dumped in a river.

Albin Kurti : « Non à une Republika Srpska du Kosovo »
Kosovo : l'impossible « union des communes à majorité serbe »
Association des communes serbes au Kosovo : Albin Kurti sous la pression de l'UE et des États-Unis
Kosovo : les « traîtres » Serbes qui s'opposent à Aleksandar Vučić et Albin Kurti
Association des communes serbes : vers une « Republika Srpska » du Kosovo ?
Kosovo : la Cour constitutionnelle retoque l'Association des communes serbes

/ Courrier des Balkans, dialogue Kosovo Serbie, Tensions Nord Kosovo, Serbie, Relations régionales, Kosovo

Albin Kurti : « Non à une Republika Srpska du Kosovo »
Kosovo : l'impossible « union des communes à majorité serbe »
Association des communes serbes au Kosovo : Albin Kurti sous la pression de l'UE et des États-Unis
Kosovo : les « traîtres » Serbes qui s'opposent à Aleksandar Vučić et Albin Kurti
Association des communes serbes : vers une « Republika Srpska » du Kosovo ?
Kosovo : la Cour constitutionnelle retoque l'Association des communes serbes

/ Courrier des Balkans, dialogue Kosovo Serbie, Tensions Nord Kosovo, Serbie, Relations régionales, Kosovo

Albin Kurti : « Non à une Republika Srpska du Kosovo »
Kosovo : l'impossible « union des communes à majorité serbe »
Association des communes serbes au Kosovo : Albin Kurti sous la pression de l'UE et des États-Unis
Kosovo : les « traîtres » Serbes qui s'opposent à Aleksandar Vučić et Albin Kurti
Association des communes serbes : vers une « Republika Srpska » du Kosovo ?
Kosovo : la Cour constitutionnelle retoque l'Association des communes serbes

/ Courrier des Balkans, dialogue Kosovo Serbie, Tensions Nord Kosovo, Serbie, Relations régionales, Kosovo

The European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) is a core element of EU development cooperation and reflects the EU’s strong commitment to deploying blended finance and guarantees as development financing tools. This discussion paper examines the EU’s intentions concerning how the EFSD+ will be integrated into geographic programmes, focussing on the least developed countries (LDCs) in Africa. Based on a review of the Multiannual Indicative Programmes (MIPs) for 30 African LDCs as well as the regional MIP for Sub-Saharan Africa covering the period 2021-2027, the paper provides an overview of funding reserved for EFSD+ implementation in geographic programmes, identifies the expected EFSD+ sectoral priorities and summarises references to development finance institutions (DFIs) as EFSD+ implementation partners. This descriptive review highlights issues for the future monitoring and assessment of the EFSD+. The paper points to uncertainty about the magnitude of the management challenge that EU institutions face in EFSD+ implementation given the difficulties of predicting the scale of guarantee-backed operations in individual countries, the lack of information on the expected volume of blended finance operations, and the limited analysis of how EFSD+ tools relate to other EU funding approaches. The paper also notes that EU institutions should be more explicit about the criteria shaping EFSD+ resource commitments to clarify relevant prerequisites for the effective deployment of EFSD+ tools. Finally, the broad thematic scope for EFSD+ use implies that knowledge about how blended finance and guarantees function and how the financing approaches interact with other interventions needs to increase throughout the EU system.

The European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) is a core element of EU development cooperation and reflects the EU’s strong commitment to deploying blended finance and guarantees as development financing tools. This discussion paper examines the EU’s intentions concerning how the EFSD+ will be integrated into geographic programmes, focussing on the least developed countries (LDCs) in Africa. Based on a review of the Multiannual Indicative Programmes (MIPs) for 30 African LDCs as well as the regional MIP for Sub-Saharan Africa covering the period 2021-2027, the paper provides an overview of funding reserved for EFSD+ implementation in geographic programmes, identifies the expected EFSD+ sectoral priorities and summarises references to development finance institutions (DFIs) as EFSD+ implementation partners. This descriptive review highlights issues for the future monitoring and assessment of the EFSD+. The paper points to uncertainty about the magnitude of the management challenge that EU institutions face in EFSD+ implementation given the difficulties of predicting the scale of guarantee-backed operations in individual countries, the lack of information on the expected volume of blended finance operations, and the limited analysis of how EFSD+ tools relate to other EU funding approaches. The paper also notes that EU institutions should be more explicit about the criteria shaping EFSD+ resource commitments to clarify relevant prerequisites for the effective deployment of EFSD+ tools. Finally, the broad thematic scope for EFSD+ use implies that knowledge about how blended finance and guarantees function and how the financing approaches interact with other interventions needs to increase throughout the EU system.

The European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) is a core element of EU development cooperation and reflects the EU’s strong commitment to deploying blended finance and guarantees as development financing tools. This discussion paper examines the EU’s intentions concerning how the EFSD+ will be integrated into geographic programmes, focussing on the least developed countries (LDCs) in Africa. Based on a review of the Multiannual Indicative Programmes (MIPs) for 30 African LDCs as well as the regional MIP for Sub-Saharan Africa covering the period 2021-2027, the paper provides an overview of funding reserved for EFSD+ implementation in geographic programmes, identifies the expected EFSD+ sectoral priorities and summarises references to development finance institutions (DFIs) as EFSD+ implementation partners. This descriptive review highlights issues for the future monitoring and assessment of the EFSD+. The paper points to uncertainty about the magnitude of the management challenge that EU institutions face in EFSD+ implementation given the difficulties of predicting the scale of guarantee-backed operations in individual countries, the lack of information on the expected volume of blended finance operations, and the limited analysis of how EFSD+ tools relate to other EU funding approaches. The paper also notes that EU institutions should be more explicit about the criteria shaping EFSD+ resource commitments to clarify relevant prerequisites for the effective deployment of EFSD+ tools. Finally, the broad thematic scope for EFSD+ use implies that knowledge about how blended finance and guarantees function and how the financing approaches interact with other interventions needs to increase throughout the EU system.

The European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) is a core element of EU development cooperation and reflects the EU’s strong commitment to deploying blended finance and guarantees as development financing tools. This discussion paper examines the EU’s intentions concerning how the EFSD+ will be integrated into geographic programmes, focussing on the least developed countries (LDCs) in Africa. Based on a review of the Multiannual Indicative Programmes (MIPs) for 30 African LDCs as well as the regional MIP for Sub-Saharan Africa covering the period 2021-2027, the paper provides an overview of funding reserved for EFSD+ implementation in geographic programmes, identifies the expected EFSD+ sectoral priorities and summarises references to development finance institutions (DFIs) as EFSD+ implementation partners. This descriptive review highlights issues for the future monitoring and assessment of the EFSD+. The paper points to uncertainty about the magnitude of the management challenge that EU institutions face in EFSD+ implementation given the difficulties of predicting the scale of guarantee-backed operations in individual countries, the lack of information on the expected volume of blended finance operations, and the limited analysis of how EFSD+ tools relate to other EU funding approaches. The paper also notes that EU institutions should be more explicit about the criteria shaping EFSD+ resource commitments to clarify relevant prerequisites for the effective deployment of EFSD+ tools. Finally, the broad thematic scope for EFSD+ use implies that knowledge about how blended finance and guarantees function and how the financing approaches interact with other interventions needs to increase throughout the EU system.

The European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) is a core element of EU development cooperation and reflects the EU’s strong commitment to deploying blended finance and guarantees as development financing tools. This discussion paper examines the EU’s intentions concerning how the EFSD+ will be integrated into geographic programmes, focussing on the least developed countries (LDCs) in Africa. Based on a review of the Multiannual Indicative Programmes (MIPs) for 30 African LDCs as well as the regional MIP for Sub-Saharan Africa covering the period 2021-2027, the paper provides an overview of funding reserved for EFSD+ implementation in geographic programmes, identifies the expected EFSD+ sectoral priorities and summarises references to development finance institutions (DFIs) as EFSD+ implementation partners. This descriptive review highlights issues for the future monitoring and assessment of the EFSD+. The paper points to uncertainty about the magnitude of the management challenge that EU institutions face in EFSD+ implementation given the difficulties of predicting the scale of guarantee-backed operations in individual countries, the lack of information on the expected volume of blended finance operations, and the limited analysis of how EFSD+ tools relate to other EU funding approaches. The paper also notes that EU institutions should be more explicit about the criteria shaping EFSD+ resource commitments to clarify relevant prerequisites for the effective deployment of EFSD+ tools. Finally, the broad thematic scope for EFSD+ use implies that knowledge about how blended finance and guarantees function and how the financing approaches interact with other interventions needs to increase throughout the EU system.

The European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) is a core element of EU development cooperation and reflects the EU’s strong commitment to deploying blended finance and guarantees as development financing tools. This discussion paper examines the EU’s intentions concerning how the EFSD+ will be integrated into geographic programmes, focussing on the least developed countries (LDCs) in Africa. Based on a review of the Multiannual Indicative Programmes (MIPs) for 30 African LDCs as well as the regional MIP for Sub-Saharan Africa covering the period 2021-2027, the paper provides an overview of funding reserved for EFSD+ implementation in geographic programmes, identifies the expected EFSD+ sectoral priorities and summarises references to development finance institutions (DFIs) as EFSD+ implementation partners. This descriptive review highlights issues for the future monitoring and assessment of the EFSD+. The paper points to uncertainty about the magnitude of the management challenge that EU institutions face in EFSD+ implementation given the difficulties of predicting the scale of guarantee-backed operations in individual countries, the lack of information on the expected volume of blended finance operations, and the limited analysis of how EFSD+ tools relate to other EU funding approaches. The paper also notes that EU institutions should be more explicit about the criteria shaping EFSD+ resource commitments to clarify relevant prerequisites for the effective deployment of EFSD+ tools. Finally, the broad thematic scope for EFSD+ use implies that knowledge about how blended finance and guarantees function and how the financing approaches interact with other interventions needs to increase throughout the EU system.

Neun EU-Mitgliedsstaaten, darunter Frankreich, haben die Europäische Kommission aufgefordert, CO2-armen Wasserstoff - hergestellt aus Atomstrom - in die EU-Ziele für erneuerbaren Wasserstoff aufzunehmen. 

Die ukrainische Führung hat am Donnerstag (2. Februar), während des Besuchs von hochrangige Vertreter:innen der EU, ein unmissverständliches Plädoyer für die EU-Mitgliedschaft gehalten.

Information for Google Short description:  Bosnia and Herzegovina general elections 2022: ODIHR election observation mission final report 537008 Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Katya Andrusz

The October 2022 general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina were well organized and competitive. Nevertheless, universal and equal suffrage is still not guaranteed. Increasing segmentation along ethnic lines and the corresponding divergent views on the future of the country remain a concern for the functioning of democratic institutions. While negotiations among political parties to introduce needed legal reforms failed, recently introduced amendments strengthened some aspects of the electoral process.

Fundamental freedoms were respected during the campaign, but lack of public debate, the use of divisive rhetoric and the limited and biased media coverage reduced voters’ opportunity to make an informed choice.

Election day was overall orderly, but observers noted compromises to the secrecy of the vote due to the layout of polling stations and an inconsistent application of procedural safeguards mainly during the counting process. The observed control count was conducted in an open and transparent manner.

These are some of the main conclusions on the 2 October 2022 general elections, as detailed in the final report published by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The report offers recommendations to bring elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina closer in line with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections.

Key recommendations include:

• Reviewing the legal framework and eliminating discriminatory ethnicity- and residency-based restrictions on the right to stand for elections through an open and inclusive consultation process;
• Ensuring the Central Election Commission is properly resourced and funded to fully implement its mandate, including in non-election years;
• Revising the way polling station commissions are formed to ensure their impartiality and professionalism as well as their timely formation;

• Guaranteeing that members of the election administration are not recalled for arbitrary reasons and are able to conduct their duties without fear of retribution, administrative action or intimidation;

• Encouraging contestants and public officials to refrain from exercising pressure on voters;

• Investigating and deterring practices of pressure and misuse of administrative resources;

• Enhancing efforts aimed at facilitating women’s active participation in public and political life;

• Reinforcing effective protection of journalists from threats and intimidation and ensuring swift investigation of cases of pressure against journalists and media outlets;

• Further educating voters and election officials on how the voters’ right to vote in secrecy in a free atmosphere can be protected.

The ODIHR Election Observation Mission to the 2 October 2022 general elections commenced its work on 22 August and remained in the country until 20 October.

All 57 countries across the OSCE region have formally committed to follow up promptly on ODIHR’s election assessments and recommendations.

537002 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

From 30 January to 3 February, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, in co-operation with the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, organized a training course for first responders on handling digital evidence at the Almaty Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

“Almaty Academy is the only law enforcement educational institution in Kazakhstan that provides not only legal education but also technically-oriented professional development and training in the sphere of ICT. We look forward to working with the OSCE on strengthening our capacities to educate police officers on various aspects of conducting criminal investigations in the digital age,“ Zhanat Dilbarkhanova, Deputy Head of the Almaty Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, said in her opening remarks.

“The widespread use of digital technologies means that data can be important evidence in any crime, whether conducted through a computer system or not. Understanding the unique features of digital evidence and being able to identify and properly handle various sources of digital evidence is becoming an essential skill of every police officer,” she added.

Twenty-four representatives of various police units and law enforcement educational institutions from Almaty, Astana, and Karaganda took part in the training course delivered by two expert trainers from Moldova and North Macedonia. The participants learned how to identify, seize and secure potential sources of digital evidence at a crime scene, use open-source forensic tools for first responders, and conduct basic live data forensics and handle volatile data. They were also introduced to the basics of computer networking, online open-source investigations, and anonymity and criminality on the Internet.

The training was delivered under the extra-budgetary project “Capacity Building on Combating Cybercrime in Central Asia”, which is funded by the United States of America, Germany, and the Republic of Korea.