23rd RAI Steering Group Meeting, Sarajevo
2016-09-23 08:00 - 2016-09-24 17:00 UTC
23rd Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) Steering Group Meeting took place in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina on 23 – 24 September, 2016. It was organized by RAI Secretariat and hosted by the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The meeting is the main forum of the Organisation, which will provide ground to the participants to take the decisions that will be implemented in the framework of RAI in the course of the following period.

The main decisions of the Steering Group were adoption of the Budget for 2017, adoption of amendments to RAI Documents: Terms of Reference of RAI Chairperson, Institutional Mechanism, Office Policies Manual and Finance Management Manual, and decision to re-open the call for the position of Head of RAI Secretariat as of October 1, 2016.
Moreover, the Steering Group took note of the information from the RAI Secretariat regarding the past, ongoing and planned activities and endorsed the Secretariat’s proposal to sign Memorandum of Understanding with the Regional School for Public Administration (ReSPA) and approved proposed text of the MoU.
During the Meeting, the Steering Group (SG)had an opportunity to exchange views with the Agency for Corruption Prevention in BiH which presented its activities as part of the anti-corruption strategy, particularly in regards to integrity plans and online anti-corruption tools.
For more details, please check the documents attached below.
Agenda
Summary, Conclusions and Decisions

Workshop on Implementation of “Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process” in BiH, Sarajevo
2016-09-26 08:00 - 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) Secretariat organized a Workshop on implementation of “Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process“ in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 26 September, 2016 in Sarajevo. The objective of the Workshop was to present Programme potentials, discuss its implementation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as to identify needs and priorities to be addressed with RAI support.

The workshop was an opportunity for RAI experts on Corruption Risk Assessment (Ms. Albena Kuyumdzhieva) and Corruption Proofing (Mr. Tilman Hoppe) to hold a presentation on corruption risk assessment and corruption proofing as effective corruption preventive tools, best models and practices and country benefits.
The Workshop was attended by respective representatives of the national institutions and civil society organizations who discussed further steps in the Programme implementation, particularly in the field of corruption risk assessment and corruption proofing;
Workshop Agenda EN
Workshop Agenda BHS
List of participants

Sofia 20-21 October 2016: Third Regional Meeting of Oversight Bodies for Asset Disclosure and Conflict of Interest
2016-10-20 08:00 - 2016-10-21 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) organized the 3rd Regional Meeting of the Oversight Bodies for Asset Disclosure and Conflict of Interest on October 20-21, 2016 in Sofia, Bulgaria, in collaboration with Commission for Prevention and Ascertainment of Conflict of Interest of Republic of Bulgaria and Regional Cooperation Council, and supported by the Austrian Development Agency. The event is organized within the South Eastern Europe Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process and is a follow-up to the Regional Meetings held in Zagreb in December 2015 and Tirana in May 2016.
The main objective of the event was to strengthen regional cooperation in the field of asset disclosure and conflict of interest by discussing the mechanism enabling data exchange between the Oversight Bodies in the South East Europe. High level representatives of ministries of justice and oversight bodies from South East Europe discussed the revised draft legal instrument on exchange of data for verifying asset declarations. Additionally, representatives from Slovenian Commission for Prevention of Corruption, Regional School of Public Administration and UNDP Regional Centre/Istanbul Regional Hub participated in the Meeting.

The meeting was opened by Mr. Nikolay Nikolov, Acting President of the Bulgarian Commission for Prevention and Ascertainment of Conflict of Interest. Mr. Nikolov welcomed all participants and stressed out the importance of the regional cooperation in the field of conflict of interest prevention and asset disclosure and the need to exchange data on regional level. Mr. Nikolov pointed out the need to discuss all challenges for the implementation of the legal instrument and encouraged the participants to present the obstacles for the countries in this regard.
Mr. Davor Dubravica, RAI Chairperson, welcomed all participants and expressed gratitude to the Commission for Prevention and Ascertainment of Conflict of Interest as well as to the Regional Cooperation Council for their support and cooperation in organizing the event. Mr. Dubravica pointed out that the meeting will serve for discussion and further development of the Draft Instrument and future steps to be taken in these regards. He also reiterated that the initiative to develop a legal instrument on data exchange between Oversight Bodies in the South East Europe is welcomed by several other international organizations.
On behalf of the Regional Cooperation Council, Mr. Radu Cotici emphasized the importance of the legal instrument as a mechanism of enabling data exchange and an advanced regional cooperation of oversight bodies in the field of asset disclosure and conflict of interest. Mr. Cotici mentioned steps already taken in development of the draft Instrument and expressed gratitude to experts who worked on document, but also to all national institutions and other partners who provided valuable contribution in preparing the draft Instrument, such as European Commission, Basel Institute on Governance and the World Bank.
Mr. Tilman Hoppe, RAI Consultant, gave an overview of major updates and changes to the Draft Instrument, as compared to the version presented in May in Tirana. Mr. Hoppe presented relevant cases of the European Court of Human Rights that refer to publishing of asset declarations. Participants provided additional comments and proposals to the draft Instrument. They also discussed about how different countries proceed with asset declarations verification and what would be needed for data access, as well as the possible challenges in implementation of such instrument for each country.
The next session was composed of presentations of national case studies, with the focus on What would the Draft Agreement look like in practice?. Presentations were delivered by Mr. Paskal Boyadiiski, Member of the Bulgarian Commission for the Prevention and Ascertainment of Conflict of Interest, Ms. Dalija Oreskovic, President of the Croatian Commission for the Resolution of Conflict of Interest and Mr. Anatolie Donciu, Acting President of Moldovan National Integrity Commission.
During the afternoon session, representative of the Commission for Prevention of Corruption of Slovenia, Ms. Mojca Smid presented the best practices and mechanisms for verification of asset declarations and conflict of interest prevention in Slovenia.
Mr. Tomislav Curic, Acting Head of RAI Secretariat, presented the results of RAI’s survey on existing databases for verification of asset declarations in the region, based on questionnaire sent to all participants prior to the meeting. In particular, the survey examined what databases the oversight bodies use for verification purposes and what databases are available to the general public.
Ms. Lejla Sadiku, UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub Open Data Specialist, presented opportunities of open data for anti-corruption, with the focus on regional data exchange and public data access, including data on public procurement.
Mr. Bardo Fassbender, RAI Consultant, provided a detailed overview of necessary stages and procedures of getting an international treaty started as well as the differences between the political and the legal process in it, elaborating also on definitions and differences between the term Memorandum of Understanding and International Treaty, their advantages and disadvantages in terms of their acceptance by designated bodies.
Second day of the event was dedicated to further upgrade the draft Instrument, based on the participants’ recommendations and proposals. Furthermore, participants discussed and agreed on further steps in developing the Draft Instrument and potential ways for ensuring political commitment by countries to adopt the agreement.
The meeting was closed by Mr. Nikolov, Mr. Cotici and Mr. Dubravica, who thanked all participants for the active collaboration and contribution to the meeting’s discussion.
Main conclusions and further steps to be taken:

RAI will revise the Draft Instrument in accordance with the comments and suggestions provided by participants of the meeting; the revised Draft Instrument will be the basis for negotiations as the next stage of the process and thus is subject to further changes if need be.
The revised Draft Instrument will be sent by the RAI Secretariat to all participants of the 3rd Regional Meeting, as well as to participants who attended the 1st and 2nd Regional Meetings;
The revised Draft Instrument will be shared with partners, including the European Commission, UNODC, the World Bank, OECD, the Basel Institute on Governance, ReSPA, and UNDP Regional Hub.
The participants agreed that further support by international partners in bringing the draft Instrument to the next level would be highly welcome;
The participants agreed that further support by the Regional Cooperation Council and other regional bodies would be highly welcome in bringing the Draft Instrument to the next level and ensuring the political commitment by the participating Governments through a platform of regional cooperation, such as SEECP;
One of the countries in the region taking the lead in triggering negotiations would be desirable as this would speed up the entire process up to adoption;
National authorities, including oversight bodies and Ministries of Justice, are encouraged to promote on the national level the need for strengthening regional cooperation and data exchange on asset disclosure and conflict of interest;
Civil society organizations on the national and international level are welcome to join and to support the initiative. National authorities are encouraged to review the most suitable opportunities for consulting with civil society organizations in their countries.

For more details, please download Meeting Agenda and List of Participants.
RAI Secretariat
26 October 2016
∗ This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.

Sarajevo, 4 November: Workshop on RAI – PCC SEE Cooperation
2016-11-04 08:00 - 17:00
On Friday 4 November a workshop on cooperation between Police Cooperation Convention for Southeast Europe (PCC SEE) and Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) was held at the RAI Secretariat’s offices in Sarajevo, the attendees were Mr. Ottavio Bottecchia and Ms. Jelka Klemenc for PCC-SEE, Mr. Radu Cotici for RCC, Mr. Tomislav Curic, Ms. Jasna Panjeta and Ms. Aida Bulbul for RAI.

The three-hours workshop touched many points of interest for the two organizations, including updates on respective activities and a discussion on new potential areas of cooperation and specific projects ideas, including the establishment of a corruption risk assessment in the Police sector. The delegates from the various organization agreed on the possibility of long-term cooperation between them within the respective areas of expertise.
Rai Secretariat
8 November 2016

Mostar, 7-9 November: Training “Integrity in Public Procurements: Values, Rules and Behaviour”
2016-11-07 08:00 - 2016-11-09 17:00
From November 7th to 9th 2016, the Centre for Security Studies organized a training in Mostar: “Integrity in Public Procurements: Values, Rules and Behaviour”.

The training was held within the project “Integrity Building and Strenghtening Anti-Corruption Practices in the Security Sector – ACroSS” which is financially supported by the European Union. The project aims to strengthen transparency and accountability in public procurement in the security sector and to establish a framework for civilian control of public procurement in the security sector.
In his opening address the General Secretary of the Centre for Security Studies, Denis Hadžović, PhD, stressed the importance of cooperation between civil society and security sector institutions and expressed hope that the aim of the training will be met, to educate employees working on public procurements in the security sector about integrity and anti-corruption measures, as well as the latest changes in normative acts regulating public procurements. Karoly Soos, program manager at the EU Delegation in BiH, said that the European Union will continue to support efforts to combat corruption.
The first part of the training was dedicated to familiarizing participants with ethics in public administration, and with whistleblowers and their protection in BiH and the region. On that occasion, Tomislav Ćurić, anti-corruption expert and Acting Head of the Secretariat of the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative, said that the problem of reporting corruption exists not only in BiH, but in the entire region, and that the Law on Whistleblower Protection in the Institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a good example for the region and beyond, particularly because it is implementable.
Assistant Director of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption and Coordination of the Fight against Corruption, Mevludin Džindo, said that “the Strategy envisages that a similar law is adopted at the lower levels of governance so that all employees in the public sector have the same rights”, particularly taking into account that this model is praised from international organizations for the protection of whistleblowers, such as Blueprint for Free Speech.
In the following sessions, participants were introduced to three new regulations governing the public procurement process, including the Regulation on conditions and usage of eAuction. This is the first major step in electronic procurements in Bosnia and Herzegovina which increases the transparency of the procedure after the submitted bids. The qualified bidders will be able to through reverse auctions offer lower prices (or other parameters), thus enabling additional savings in public procurement. This approach to public procurement promotes a more economical, effective and efficient implementation of the public procurement process, and therefore the use of budget funds and the management of these funds, as well as contribute to greater accountability and transparency of public procurement procedures.
Event Agenda BHS
Centre for Security Studies – BH
11 November 2016

2nd Annual Meeting of the South East Coalition on Whistleblower Protection – Zagreb 14 November 2016
2016-11-14 08:00 - 17:00
The South East Europe (SEE) Coalition on Whistleblower Protection held its second Annual Meeting organized by the Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) and Blueprint for Free Speech (BPfFS) with support of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), in Zagreb’s Double Tree by Hilton on November 14.
The event builds on the results achieved so far, providing additional boost to the promotion and protection of whistleblowers in the region. It contributes to the overall efforts challenging the national governments to seek better legal solutions and to work more intensively on establishing policy implementation mechanisms.
“The regional dimension of the Coalition shall enable its members not only to learn from each other, but most importantly to coordinate and synchronize actions amongst them in order to raise to its highest extent the awareness on whistleblowing importance” said Radu Cotici, RCC expert on Governance for Growth, in his opening remarks, and emphasized: “Civil society can play a crucial role in this regard. It is also a target of the SEE 2020 Strategy and a conclusion of the Survey Public Attitudes to Whistleblowing, which the RCC will release very soon.”
Mark Worth, Coalition Coordinator gives the overall view and impression: „After years of international work on building coalitions and networks across the world, I can underline that this is a most successful coalition building process I participated in. We are thankful for the recognition and the support of RAI and RCC in the Coalition building.”
Dr. Suelette Dreyfus, an academic and researcher from BPfFS, emphasized that the Coalition provides a case study that it is possible to make a difference. “The idea of building the Coalition started some two years ago and the progress to date has been excellent with strong impact in the region,” added Ms. Dreyfus.
Jasna Panjeta, Program and Outreach Officer at said that Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative, as an Anti-Corruption Dimension Coordinator for SEE2020 Strategy, is committed to raising awareness about whistleblowing. “We are especially proud of facilitating the establishment and development of the Coalition. RAI is working with the civil society as well as governments and this year we also branched into producing the Documentary about Whistleblowing with the objective to reach out to general public in SEE economies about the value and importance of whistleblowing”.
The meeting gathered approximately 20 civil society organisations, public-interest activists and investigative journalists, from the SEE. It aimed at fostering sustainability of the Coalition by ensuring a platform for furthering the organizational development and building.
The Coalition, established in December 2015 is comprised of organizations and individuals from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo*, Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Czech Republic and Hungary. It is the world’s first regional initiative dedicated to enhancing whistleblower rights and protections, and promoting whistleblowing as an effective anti-corruption tool. It serves as an umbrella for activism, legislation and policy development, whistleblower support and advice, public and media outreach, as well as a network for exchanging expertise and information.
Agenda
List of participants
More info on the Coalition is available at their website.
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

Riga 15-17 November 2016: Annual Professional Conference and General Assembly of EPAC/EACN
2016-11-15 08:00 - 2016-11-17 17:00
The 16th Annual Professional Conference and General Assembly came to a successful close in Riga on 17 November 2016. Close to 100 delegates representing more than 50 members had a fruitful discussion of latest developments, elected a new President, and adopted the 2016 Riga Declaration.

The Latvian Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) generously hosted this year’s conference, providing a stimulating environment for the delegates. Several plenary sessions and workshops addressed critical issues such as the role of the private sector, the fight against high-level corruption, and revolving doors. Other topics on the agenda included detecting, fighting, and preventing corruption in the police, as well as a comparative analysis of the links between disciplinary and judicial procedures.
Several members shared their stories of successful corruption prevention campaigns while also highlighting challenges, giving delegates a deeper understanding of the issues involved. An equally practical approach characterized a dedicated session on landmark cases, investigation techniques, and international investigations.
The delegates also received updates from the President of the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) on the fifth round of evaluations, and from the European Commission on integrity and anti-corruption policies at EU level. The full programme can be found here.
During the General Assembly the delegates expressed their sincere thanks to Mr. Giovanni Kessler, who had been President of the networks for the last four years, and to Mr. Anthony Duggan, Deputy Vice President (Police Oversight), for their work. Mr. Andreas Wieselthaler, director of the Austrian anti-corruption authority BAK, was elected as the new President of EPAC/EACN. He will be supported by the current Vice Presidents Ms. Dominique Devos and Ms. Anca Jurma, as well as the newly elected Deputy Vice Presidents: Ms. Ruta Kaziliunaite, Head of the Legal and International Cooperation Division of the Special Investigation Services of Lithuania (Anti-Corruption), and Ms. Monique Stirn, General Inspector of Police of Luxembourg (Police Oversight). Mr. Kessler was appointed Honorary Member of EPAC in recognition of his contribution to the network’s development.
The General Assembly adopted the Riga Declaration and accepted the General Inspection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia as a new member, and the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) as an observer.
EPAC/EACN
It is RAI’s belief that a closer cooperation with EPAC will bring an added value for both organisations by enabling them to communicate and exchange experiences, validating the synergies in their activities, and thus deliver better results. RAI is also confident that such a collaboration will effectively support the existing anti-corruption efforts in the region.

Belgrade, 5 December: 24th RAI Steering Group Meeting
2016-12-05 08:00 - 17:00
The 24th Steering Group Meeting of the Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) took place in the Palace of Serbia/Belgrade on December 5, 2016. The meeting was organized by the RAI Secretariat and hosted by Ministry of Justice of Republic of Serbia.
Focus of the Steering Group Meeting was the selection procedure for the new Head of RAI Secretariat.
Main decisions of the Steering Group were acceptance of Georgia as an observer to RAI, adoption of the initiative to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Regional Cooperation Council, acceptance of Secretariat’s initiative to add a new activity to RAI workplan – Raising integrity in law enforcement, and acceptance of proposal for budget reallocation of the approved 2016 budget.
During the meeting Ms. Milica Bozanic, Assistant Director for International Cooperation at the Anti-corruption Agency of Serbia elaborated on the current work of the Agency, with emphasis on the new Law on Anti-Corruption Agency, which is expected to be approved by the Parliament in upcoming period.
Mr. Aleksandre Baramidze, First Deputy Minister of Justice of Georgia gave a short presentation of Anti-Corruption Reforms in Georgia with focus on the Anti-Corruption Council, Open Government Partnership and Institutional Framework. Recalling the formal request of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia for joining RAI in the capacity of an Observer, all Steering Group Members acknowledged their consent and granted Georgia an Observer to RAI.
Agenda
Summary, Conclusions and Decisions

Belgrade, 6 December 2016: presentation of RAI Documentary “The Medal of the Loud"
2016-12-06 08:00 - 17:00
THE MEDAL OF THE LOUD: Speak, do not keep silent!
Premiere of the first regional documentary film on whistleblowers held in Belgrade
Belgrade/Sarajevo, 06 December 2016 – The premiere of ‘The Medal of the Loud’ documentary film, dealing with whistleblowers in the region through testimonials of people who reported corruption, pointed to it as investigative journalists, and representatives of organisations and institutions dealing with this issue was held on December 6 in Belgrade.
This documentary was produced under the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) Project ‘Whistleblowers are important: Raising awareness about whistleblowing in South East Europe’. The Project contributes to the implementation of the South East Europe (SEE) 2020 Strategy and is funded by the Regional Cooperation Council. The overall objective of the Project, implemented in cooperation with South East Europe Coalition on Whistleblower Protection, is to raise awareness and improve perceptions of whistleblowing in the region.
Under the definition, whistleblower is a person who reports or reveals information about actions within their organisations which are harmful or represent a threat to the interests of general public, whether in public or private sector. Despite the definition of whistleblowing as a noble act, persons who report corruption are often exposed to different challenges society confronts them with. In addition to most often loss of job security, whistleblowers are often stigmatised in the society. The intention of this film is to clarify their roles and positions and inform about the institutional position and legal framework protecting these bold people.
“Whistleblowing is a thorny road,” says Radomir Ilic, State Secretary of the Justice Ministry of Serbia and one of the protagonists of the film. However, there are mechanisms and legal leverages protecting the whistleblowers on this road. The film is a specific and multi-layered testimony of a few of many brave people who exposed and reported corruption and came out of the experience as absolute moral winners and guardians of the society.
“It is important to speak about this topic,” Davor Dubravica, Chairperson of the RAI Steering Group, said decidedly after the premiere. “It is extremely important to examine the role of whistleblowers and the attitude of society as a whole towards them. Let us not forget that these people are the braves and the loudest in empowering this society,” concluded Dubravica. Radu Cotici, RCC Expert on Governance for Growth, agrees with this, emphasizing that “the intention of this documentary is precisely this: to give food for thought, emphasize the importance of these brave people in the society and remove the labels which, by a rule and completely unjustifiably, surround them”.
Cotici also referred to the survey on Public Attitudes to Whistleblowing in Western Balkans, which RCC will release soon, saying that slightly more than 7000 people interviewed region-wide said whistleblowers should be supported, and only 1/3 of them said whistleblowing is acceptable, and one in six people think whistleblowers should be punished for their actions. “These are very alarming figures for emerging laws on protection of whistleblowers. They indicate our societies are not ready to tolerate whistleblowing and we should not expect immediate results out of implementation of those laws“, he added. Cotici emphasized the need for improved and sustained public awareness campaigns to educate citizens and policy-makers about the value of whistleblowing and exposing and combating corruption. “This documentary contributes very well to this purpose, and we were very happy to support its production”, he concluded.
Speaking in the film are Valentina Krsticć, Nataša Škaričić, Anila Hoxhaj, Zoran Gavrilović, Radomir Ilić, Mevludin Džindo, Arjan Dyrmishi and Srećko Sladoljev.
After the Belgrade premiere the ‘The Medal of the Loud’ documentary will be available on RAI and RCC websites and their social networks and official Facebook pages, as well as in media. It aims to draw public attention to the importance of the act of a person reporting corruption and of protection of these persons, to address prejudices and put a spotlight on all the benefits of this way of fighting corruption.

RAI Secretariat
06 December 2016

Skopje, 28-29 November: Training on Anti-Corruption Assessment of Laws (Corruption Proofing of Legislation)
2016-12-28 08:00 - 2016-12-29 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI), in cooperation with the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption and Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), supported by Austrian Development Agency (ADA), organized a Training on Corruption Proofing of Legislation, on 28-29 of November in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.

The objective of the Training was to build and strengthen the capacity of governmental institutions and civil sector in conducting corruption proofing of legislation on national level, by learning how to review the form and substance of drafted or enacted legal rules in order to detect and minimize the risk of corruption that the rules could facilitate.
The Training was led by Mr. Tilman Hoppe, RAI Expert on Corruption Proofing and Mr. Radu Cotici, RCC Expert on Governance for Growth – Public Administration Reform and Anticorruption. The training was attended by representatives of the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption, Government of the Republic of Macedonia, Ministry of Justice and Legislation Secretariat. Furthermore, representatives of civil society organizations attended the Training.
Training was opened by Mr. Igor Tanturovski, President of the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption, who welcomed participants and expressed gratitude to RAI for organizing training. The first session was focused on the general terminology of corruption proofing and its concept, supported with the practical examples. Further on, case study on regulatory corruption risks was elaborated with the participant’s involvement in the corruption proofing process. Additionally, the trainers and the participants reviewed the Customs Law. The first day was concluded with defining of the core steps/checklist in corruption proofing process.
On the second day of the Training participants worked on review of the Procurement Law. Special attention was paid to the recommendations in the process of corruption proofing, especially the form of recommendations. Furthermore, within the working groups, the participants had the chance to work on a practical exercise on challenging recommendations as well as on simulated investigations.
The trainers and organizers used the wrap up session to receive feedback from the participants on the Training and their recommendation for the 2nd module of the Training on Corruption Proofing planned for the later stage of the Programme implementation. Training was closed by Mr. Tomislav Curic, Acting Head of RAI Secretariat who thanked all participants and trainers and informed that RAI Secretariat will organize 2nd Module of the training in the first half of 2017.
Agenda

Sarajevo, BiH: Anti-Corruption Strategy 2015-2019: Presentation of the first Monitoring Report by APIK
2017-01-17 08:00 - 17:00
17 January 2017 in Sarajevo – Agency for the Prevention of Corruption and Coordination of Fight Against Corruption (APIK) presented its first monitoring report on the progress of implementation of the Anti-Corruption Strategy 2015-2019 with support from Regional Anti-corruption Initiative.

The event took place in the premises of the B&H Government Building with representatives from many state, entity, district Brcko and cantonal level institutions.
The aim of the event was to present to the wider audience the monitoring results of 5 strategic goals covered by the Strategy, the monitoring methodology and the implemented activities as well as the more detailed picture about the bodies/institutions in charge.
Mr Dragan Slipac, Assistant Director of APIK, moderated the event and emphasized the importance of the civil society sector and academic community in the implementation process of the strategic goals and activities. He also urged the institutional representatives to realize the importance of the activities and steps that has to be implemented in the forthcoming period for the EU accession agenda.
One of the actions presented is the work conducted so far on corruption proofing and corruption risk assessment as well as upcoming activities, part of the South Eastern Europe Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process implemented by RAI Secretariat and supported by Austrian Development Agency. Mr Tomislav Curic, Acting Head of Regional Anti-corruption Initiative Secretariat presented the work of RAI and highlighted the South Eastern Europe Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process currently implemented by RAI and UNODC with support from Austrian Development Agency. The major goal was to present the work conducted so far within the Regional Programme as well as the upcoming activities planned in the region, especially in B&H, with the focus on Corruption Risk Assessment and Corruption Proofing of Legislation.

Please read the Agenda of the Event (BHS).
Monitoring report on the Progress of Implementation of the Anti-Corruption Strategy 2015-2019 is will on the following link.
RAI Secretariat
17 January 2017

Montenegro: Signing of MoU ReSPA and RAI on February 24th
2017-02-24 08:00 - 17:00
On February 24 Delegation of the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative held a working visit to the Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA). The visit was used for signing of Memorandum of Understanding between RAI and ReSPA on mutual cooperation.

The main purpose of the Memorandum is to strengthen existing partnership and create a framework for mutual cooperation between the Parties. It also aims to build a strong partnership that will generate synergies and enhance the sharing of knowledge and expertise between the parties, as well as avoiding potential duplication and overlapping of activities. The Memorandum will be signed by Ms. Ratka Sekulovic, ReSPA Director, and Mr. Davor Dubravica, RAI Chairperson.
Delegations of ReSPA and RAI had opportunity to discuss also future steps in the MoU implementation, aiming to strengthen the cooperation in the areas of common interest and to boost regional cooperation for the benefit of respective national governments.
Signed Memorandum of Understanding
RAI Secretariat
06/02/2017

Montenegro, 16-17 March 2017 : Workshop on Corruption Proofing of Legislation
2017-03-16 08:00 - 2017-03-17 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) Secretariat held a Workshop on Corruption Proofing of Legislation in Podgorica, Montenegro on 16-17 March 2017.

The Workshop was organized in cooperation with the Agency for Prevention of Corruption, Montenegro under the Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process.
The purpose of the Workshop was to discuss and identify the options for introducing the Corruption Proofing in Montenegro and into Agency current processes. RAI Expert on corruption proofing Mr. Tilmann Hoppe shared possible models for establishing corruption proofing, based on the best practices and experiences from the Region. The Workshop served for setting the future steps that need to be considered and taken in order to develop a Methodology on Corruption Proofing.
Based on the Workshop outcomes, RAI Secretariat will provide the Assessment Report on the most optimal corruption proofing model to be applicable in Montenegro.

Skopje, Macedonia 27-28 of March 2017: Training on Corruption Proofing of Legislation
2017-03-27 08:00 - 2017-03-28 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI), in cooperation with the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption and Regional Cooperation Council organized a second round of Training on corruption proofing of legislation, on 27-28 of March 2017 in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.

The training was organized within the Southeast Europe Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process. It gathered representatives of the Commission, Ministry of Justice, civil sector etc.
The overall training topics were risk allocation, preparation of the reports and recommendations which needed to be provided to the respective Institutions.
The training also marked a significant milestone, it was a first attempt to conduct a regional peer exchange whereas experts on corruption proofing from Serbia and Republic of Moldova were engaged in the training by sharing their practical experience and expertise from their countries.
RAI Secretariat is particularly grateful to the National Anti-Corruption Agency of Moldova and Anti-corruption Agency of Serbia for recognizing the value in regional exchange and permitting cross border cooperation in the field of corruption proofing.
List of Participants
Event Agenda

B&H: One Day Training on Corruption Risk Assessment for HJPC representatives 4-7 April 2017
2017-04-04 08:00 - 2017-04-07 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI), in cooperation with the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Agency for the Prevention of Corruption and Coordination of the Fight against Corruption have organized a training for coordinators of integrity plans and one member of the working group for drafting the plan of integrity within each judicial institution in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The training took place in four cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Tuzla, Banja Luka, Mostar and Sarajevo on 4-7 April 2017.
The main objective of the planned training was that the representatives of the courts and prosecutors’ offices get better acquainted to the purpose and importance of the development and implementation of integrity plans on a comprehensive and participatory manner. The Training also offered practical and methodological instructions devising the plans. In addition, it was essential that all judicial institutions timely approach the process of drafting integrity plans to unified ways to ensure a high level of successful implementation of these activities in accordance with the Guidelines for the development and implementation of plans of integrity in the judicial institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which have been adopted by the high Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH.
The training has been organized within the Southeast Europe Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process implemented by Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative and funded by Austrian Development Agency.
RAI Secretariat
27 March

Podgorica, Montenegro: Regional Workshop “Corruption Risk Assessment and Institutional Integrity”
2017-05-30 08:00 - 2017-05-31 17:00
Regional Workshop on Corruption Risk Assessment and Institutional Integrity was held on May 30-31 in Podgorica, Montenegro. The event was jointly organized by Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative – RAI and RACVIAC – Centre for Security Cooperation, hosted by the Ministry of Defence of Montenegro.
The objective of the Workshop was to increase capacity of public authorities in the field of corruption risk assessment and integrity, as well as strengthen the cooperation between anti-corruption bodies and ministries of defence in South East Europe. The Workshop was designed to enable participants to gain better understanding of the specific elements related to corruption risk assessment, integrity measures, identification and mitigation of corruption risks, prevention of corruption in public procurement and financial control management.
Participants were greeted by Mrs Ana Ezova-Krzaloska (IRC Programme Manager, RACVIAC), Mr Davor Dubravica (Chairperson, Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative – RAI), and Mrs Alma Adrovic (Head of NATO and EU Department, Ministry of Defence of Montenegro).
RAI Secretariat was represented by RAI Chairperson Davor Dubravica, Anti-Corruption Expert Tomislav Curic, Finance and Administrative Officer Aida Bulbul and Intern Dzeneta Tabakovic.
RAI Member Countries were represented by one representative from a national anti-corruption institution.
RAI Secretariat
June 2 2017

Tbilisi Georgia: International Conference “Assessing the Implementation and Effectiveness of Systems for Disclosing Interests and Assets by Public Officials”
2017-06-06 08:00 - 2017-06-07 17:00
The International Conference on “Assessing the Implementation and Effectiveness of Systems for Disclosing Interests and Assets by Public Officials”, which took place on 6th and 7th June 2017 in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The Conference was co-organised by the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI), Anti-Corruption Network of OECD, UNDP and the Regional Hub of Civil Service in Astana, and hosted by the Civil Service Bureau of Georgia.
The Conference provided a forum for national stakeholders responsible for the design, management, implementation, enforcement, evaluation and impact assessment of interests and asset disclosures by public officials. The overall goal was to advance the future OECD/ACN study on this topic and to allow for the identification of national and regional good practices. More specifically, the conference reviewed the deliverables of the existing systems for interests and asset disclosures by public officials and compare them against the objectives set for those system initially, namely: 1) to prevent and sanction conflicts of interest; 2) monitor wealth variations of public officials and uncover illicit enrichment; and 3) promote transparency. The participants were invited to share their practical experience and exchange innovative solutions.
RAI Secretariat was represented by RAI Chairperson Davor Dubravica, Head of RAI Secretariat Vladan Joksimovic and Anti-Corruption Expert Tomislav Curic.
RAI Member Countries were represented by one representative from a relevant national institution.
Working languages of the conference were English and Russian.

25th RAI Steering Group Meeting
2017-06-12 08:00 - 17:00
The 25th Steering Group Meeting of the Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) took place in Sofia, Bulgaria on June 12, 2017. The meeting was organized by the RAI Secretariat and hosted by Ministry of Interior of Bulgaria.
The Meeting is the main forum of the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative, which provides ground to the participants to take the decisions that will be implemented in the framework of RAI in the course of the following period.

Steering group members used the opportunity to exchange of views with the national anti-corruption authority of Bulgaria Commission for Prevention and Ascertainment of Conflict of Interest on potentials for continuation of joint cooperation in the field of corruption prevention, as well as on other topics of mutual interest.
Mr. Krasimir Cipov, Deputy Minister of Interior of Bulgaria welcomed all participants and emphasize the importance of cooperation between the Ministry and RAI.
Mr. Nikolay Nikolov, President of the Commission for Prevention and Ascertainment of Conflict of Interest presented the work and mandate of the Commission, followed by the discussion with Steering Group members.
Focus of the Steering Group Meeting was discussion about RAI Work Plan for 2018-2019/20.
Main decisions of the Steering Group were renewal of mandate of Mr. Tomislav Curic, Anti-corruption Expert and acceptance of the Financial Report for 2016.

Agenda
Summary, Conclusions and Decisions
RAI Secretariat
8 June 2017

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina: Trainings on Corruption Proofing of Legislation
2017-06-22 08:00 - 2017-06-23 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI), organized two one-day Trainings on Corruption Proofing of Legislation in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The training scheduled for 22nd June 2017 was organized in cooperation with Civil Service Agency of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and gathered public servants from the Federation of B&H whereas the training planned for 23rd June 2017 brought together the representatives of B&H governmental institutions and civil sector and was organized in cooperation with the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption and Coordination of the Fight against Corruption of Bosnia and Herzegovina (APIK).

The objective of the trainings was to build and strengthen the capacity of governmental institutions and civil sector in conducting corruption proofing of legislation, by learning how to review the form and substance of drafted or enacted legal rules in order to detect and minimize the risk of corruption that the rules could facilitate.
The trainings wereorganized within the Southeast Europe Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process, which is implemented by Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
19 June 2017
RAI Secretariat

Legionowo – Warsaw, Poland: Summer School for Junior Anti- Corruption Practitioners from South-East Europe
2017-07-03 08:00 - 2017-07-07 17:00
Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI), in cooperation with Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) of Poland, supported by OSCE ODIHR, hosted by the Police Training Centre (CSP), Poland organized the Summer School for Junior Anti-corruption Practitioners from South Eastern Europe in Legionowo and Warsaw, Poland.

The 12th edition of Summer School was dedicated to „Cross-border cooperation in asset recovery and investigations of corruption cases – Innovative mechanisms and tools” and aimed to strengthen investigative capacities of criminal justice institutions by fostering interagency cooperation and joint investigations.

The Summer School gathered junior professionals from judiciary, prosecution bodies, and anti-corruption law enforcement bodies, who had an opportunity to obtain additional knowledge and practical skills from honorable experts on financial investigations and recovering proceeds of crime. They had an opportunity to learn about regional practices and innovative modalities in investigation of organized crime and corruption, including joint investigation teams and open source intelligence. The event was also used as a platform for developing and fostering relationships among anti-corruption practitioners, since the cross-border cooperation in the field of asset recovery and investigation of complex corruption-related offences proved to be significantly important.
Lectures were delivered by respected trainers, coming from institutions as the Police Cooperation Convention for Southeast Europe (PCC SEE) Secretariat; AML Consulting Global; National Police headquarter of Poland, Central Anti-corruption Bureau of Poland, and OSCE ODIHR.
The main outcome of the event, besides obtaining theoretical knowledge and practical skills from highly esteemed trainers, was creating links and networks among the participants and trainers that will serve to all participants in their future work and endeavors.
Opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Tomislav Curic – Anti-corruption Expert, RAI Secretariat; Ms. Iwona Czerniec – Director of Cabinet, Central Anti-corruption Bureau of Poland, and col. Anna Rosol – Commander of the Police Training Centre who briefly presented institutions they represent and wished all participants a successful and productive week.
Upon an evaluation test, successful participants obtained RAI Summer School Certificates.
Certificates award ceremony and closure keynotes were delivered by Mr. Vladan Joksimovic, Head of RAI Secretariat and Mr. Bogdan Sakowicz, Deputy Head of Central Anti-Corruption Bureau.
The RAI Secretariat expresses its gratitude to:
– Ottavio Bottecchia
– Pedro Gomes Pereira
– Lawrence Day
– Mark Cameron
– Dagna Wierzchon
– Pawel Rutkowski
– Ghenadie Barba
for their invaluable contributions to the event.
Agenda
List of Participants

Trieste, Italy: Summit on the Western Balkans
2017-07-12 08:00 - 17:00
The annual summit of the Western Balkans was held in Trieste on July 12 and was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy. The summit included the participation of representatives from six Balkan governments – Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo*, Macedona, Albania – and the EU member states, including Italy, the EU High Representative for Foreign policy and common Security, Federica Mogherini, and major international financial institutions such as the EBRD and the EIB.

Among the central themes of the summit, early announced, there were growth, security and rule of law, the strengthening of small and medium-sized enterprises and cooperation in the fight against corruption.
10 July 2017
RAI Secretariat

Podgorica, Montenegro: Workshop on Corruption Risk Assessment
2017-07-19 08:00 - 17:00
Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI), in cooperation with Agency for Prevention of Corruption in Montenegro organized a workshop on Corruption Risk Assessment, which took place in Podgorica, Montenegro on 19 July 2017 at the Agency.

The main objective of the workshop was to review the 1st Montenegrin monitoring report on Integrity Plans developed and published by the Agency in Montenegro. Further on, the workshop was focused on developing a questionnaire for evaluation of Integrity Plans, since the Montenegrin authorities are obliged to adopt the Integrity Plans every two year.
The workshop was led by RAI’s expert on Corruption Risk Assessment and gathered Agency’s representatives from the Department for Prevention of Corruption, Integrity, Lobbying and Implementation of international standards.
The workshop was organized within the Southeast Europe Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process, implemented by RAI and UNODC and funded by the Austrian Development Agency.

12 July 2017
RAI Secretariat

Podgorica, Montenegro: Workshop on Corruption Proofing of Legislation
2017-07-20 08:00 - 2017-07-21 17:00
Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) Secretariat hold a Workshop on Corruption Proofing of Legislation in Podgorica, Montenegro on 20-21 July 2017.

The Workshop was organized for the representatives of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption in Montenegro under the Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process, funded by the Austrian Development Agency.
The purpose of the Workshop was to discuss the 1st outline of the Methodology on Corruption Proofing of Legislation for Montenegro in order to finalize the Methodology. Additionally, the Workshop was focused on reviewing the Opinions on Laws drafted by the Agency, as well as on practical exercises provided by RAI’s expert on Corruption Proofing.
Please see the Agenda.

Slovenia: RAI Secretariat Visits Slovenia
2017-09-07 08:00 - 2017-09-08 17:00
During the period of 07 – 08 September 2017, RAI Secretariat, represented by Head of Secretariat, Mr Vladan Joksimovic, Anti-Corruption Expert, Mr Tomislav Curic and Program and Outreach Officer, Ms Jasna Panjeta, participated at two outstanding interlinked regional events that were held in Brdo, Slovenia:

17th PCC SEE Committee of Ministers Meeting on September 7th and
Brdo Process Ministerial Meeting – IISG Kick-Off Conference, organised by the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Slovenia on September 8th.

RAI Secretariat with the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption – Mr Boris Štefanec, President, and Mr Igor Lamberger, Deputy Chief Commissioner
During the visit, RAI Secretariat team also used the opportunity to meet with the Slovenian Commission for the Prevention of Corruption and Centre for Excellence in Finance CEF. The scope of these meetings is to strengthen working relationships with key stakeholders.
RAI Secretariat with Center of Excellence in Finance (CEF) – Mr Robert Bauchmuller, Chief Program Officer, Ms Dijana Mitrovic, Program Specialist, Mr Nihad Nakas, Senior Program Officer and Ms Aleksandra Tekijaski, Senior Program OfficerAmong the main objectives of the visit, RAI also used the opportunity to:

Present the International Instrument on data exchange on Asset Disclosure and Conflict of Interest promoted at Trieste Western Balkan Summit on 12.07.2017;
Promote upcoming RAI Regional Event on Integrity in Law Enforcement;
Ensure RAI Secretariat continued involvement in IISG Structure;
Reaffirm intentions to involve Slovenia as a Partner in RAI activities.

17th PCC SEE Committee of Ministers Meeting
Considering that RAI is committed to engaging in the reform and accession processes in the field of anti-corruption both at the regional level (South East Europe) and at the sub-regional level, the participation at the events and meetings presents grounds to confirm the active role taken in the regional processes, as well the occasion to be recognized as a stakeholder.

Chisinau, Moldova: Workshop on Corruption Proofing of Legislation
2017-09-22 08:00 - 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) Secretariat will hold a Workshop on Corruption Proofing of Legislation in Chisinau, Moldova on 22 September 2017.

The Workshop is organized for and in cooperation with National Anticorruption Center (NAC) under the Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process.
The purpose of the Workshop is to discuss the recent developments in corruption proofing of legislation in Moldova as well as the Review of the Methodology on Corruption Proofing of Legislation which was developed by RAI Expert on corruption proofing Dr Tilmann Hoppe. Additionally, the Workshop will include the review of the IT Software on corruption proofing of legislation, which was developed by the NAC and which serves as a model for the Region.
RAI will also use this opportunity to meet with national counterparts and partners in Moldova.
Please see the Agenda.
For more information please contact RAI Secretariat.
19 September 2017
RAI Secretariat

Sarajevo, B&H: UNODC Multi-stakeholder Workshop on Strengthening Civil Society Capacity on the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and its Review Mechanism
2017-09-25 08:00 - 2017-09-29 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI) represented by Head of Secretariat, Mr Vladan Joksimovic, Anti-corruption Expert, Mr Tomislav Curic, Programme Officer, Ms Iva Komsic, and Intern, Ms Cristina Mardari, is taking part in multi-stakeholder Workshop on Strengthening Civil Society Capacity on the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and its Review Mechanism.

Southeast Europe Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process (Programme) aims at building and strengthening the capacity of governments and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from SEE to prevent and fight corruption. To achieve its objective, the Programme has six outcomes distributed between RAI and UNODC and their respective expertise. Regional Programme is funded by Austrian Development Agency – ADA.

The Programme targets Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Moldova, Montenegro, Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, which have been identified as priority countries in the Southeast European region.

Programme activates implemented by UNODC are focused on Civil Society. These are: training sessions on the UNCAC and its review mechanism, the facilitation of multi-stakeholder consultations, the provision of advocacy materials and the creation of a virtual regional knowledge management hub.

The overall objective is to equip participants with the substantive expertise in UNCAC provisions, inform them about the methodology for country reviews, build capacity to work with the private sector, to reproduce the training at local, national and regional level, and to initiate dialogue with government focal point.
More information can be found here.
Agenda

Banja Luka, BiH: Round table on Exchange of experiences between BiH Anti-Corruption institutions and regional counterparts on protection of whistle-blowers
2017-10-04 08:00 - 17:00
The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative (RAI) organized a roundtable on Exchange of experiences between BiH Anti-Corruption institutions and regional counterparts on protection of whistle-blowers, on 4 October 2017 in Banja Luka.

The roundtable is part of the support that the Mission and RAI Secretariat are providing to the Republika Srpska (RS) Ministry of Justice in the development and implementation of the RS Law on Protection of Persons Reporting Corruption, adopted in June 2017. Esteemed roundtable participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Croatia were invited to share their expertise and experiences in implementation of similar legislation in the region, their knowledge on practices related to protection of whistle-blowers, and to discuss ways ahead. Invitees also included representatives of relevant anti-corruption bodies from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina who are currently in the process of developing respective laws on protection of whistleblowers.
4 October 2017
RAI Secretariat

Brussels, Belgium: Balkan Barometer 2017 – a perception survey of citizens and business communities on the situation in the region
2017-10-09 08:00 - 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI), represented by Chairperson, Mr Davor Dubravica took an active part at 3rd edition of the public and business opinion survey – Balkan Barometer 2017 in Brussels, Belgium, on 9 October 2017.

The Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) presented in Brussels the 2017 edition of the Balkan Barometer (BB), an annual survey of citizens and business communities’ opinion on the situation in the region.
“While there is further evidence of economic recovery across a number of the region’s larger economies, unemployment remains the chief concern. Worryingly, the Barometer highlights ever growing anxiety over corruption; in BB 2015, 15% rated corruption as one of the key problems for the region. The number was up to 27% in 2016 and is now at 32%,” said RCC Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic.
“An upturn in economic performance by the region’s economies has brought about an increasingly optimistic outlook for the future that needs to be solidified through decisive government action. While it’s hardly news that the region has much work to do, our hope is that the Barometer’s findings will help set the agenda that will ultimately spur further growth in the region, especially having in mind the implementation of the RCC-prepared Regional Economic Area Multiannual Action Plan which region’s leaders endorsed in Trieste this summer” added Svilanovic.
Despite notional support for European integration there continues to be widespread scepticism about the region’s short to medium term accession prospects, with 23% of respondents saying they believe EU membership will never happen, the Barometer shows.

Maciej Popowski, Deputy Director-General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement (DG NEAR) reiterated the European Union’s readiness to continue supporting the Union’s enlargement, as expressed in EC President Junker’s vocal messages to Western Balkans’ economies.
“It is always good to touch-base with the mind of citizens and business community in the region. Now we see that positive developments provided environment for optimism. The Trieste Summit was another booster as it enabled the joint work of the EU and the region and it resulted in the Regional Economic Area, Transport Treaty etc.”
Presenting the key findings of attitudes, experiences, aspirations, perceptions and expectations across the Western Balkan economies, Vladimir Gligorov, GfK Expert Consultant and Researcher at the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, stressed that business people continue to struggle with what they see as complex taxation and an unfriendly business environment with an unpredictable legal system.
“62% of business people in the region perceive very hard or hard to start a private business in their place of living. More than half of them (51%) believe that upgrading roads would have the most positive effect on their business. While 56% of respondents agree that the government takes note of their needs, but only to a limited extent, it is positive to record the decline in the number of respondents who feel ignored by the authorities (down to 30% from 38% in 2015),” said Gligorov.
The BB 2017 launch, has been organised by the RCC in cooperation with European Policy Centre (EPC) – an independent think-thank. Participants of the BB 2017 panel discussion included also Vedran Dzihic, Co-Director of Center for Advanced Studies, South East Europe and Senior Lecturer at the Institute for Political Sciences, University of Vienna; Nikica Mojsoska Blazhevski, Dean, School of Business Economics and Management in Skopje; Jesper Johnson, OECD SIGMA; Mark Vasic, Senior Manager for International Regulatory Affairs, Deutsche Telekom AG; and Orhan Usein, Team Leader of the RCC’s Roma Integration 2020 project; and Corina Stratulat, of the EPC, moderator of the panel.
Balkan Barometer (BB) is an annual opinion survey commissioned by the RCC and conducted by GfK, collecting and analysing data from region’s citizens and businesses across a variety of thematic areas such as employment, trade, investments, corruption, etc. Its 3rd edition included 8000 citizens and 1600 companies.
The Balkan Barometer, its database and publications are available at:
http://www.rcc.int/seeds
Photo Gallery: RCC/Jerome Hubert
Programme

Montenegro: Trainings on Corruption Risk Assessment for coordinators of integrity plans in institutions of Montenegro
2017-10-17 08:00 - 2017-10-19 17:00
Regional Anti-corruption Initiative (RAI), in cooperation with the Agency for Prevention of Corruption of Montenegro, is organizing one-day trainings for coordinators of integrity plans in institutions of Montenegro. The trainings will take place in three cities of Montenegro: Kolašin, Budva and Podgorica on 17-19 October 2017. It is anticipated that each training will gather about 70 public officials.

The main objective of the planned trainings is that the coordinators of integrity plans get acquainted to the purpose and importance of the development and implementation of integrity plans on a comprehensive and participatory manner. The trainings will also offer practical and methodological instructions devising the plans. In addition, it is essential that all institutions timely approach the process of drafting integrity plans to unified ways to ensure a high level of successful implementation of these activities.
The trainings are organized within the Southeast Europe Regional Programme on Strengthening the Capacity of Anti-corruption Authorities and Civil Society to Combat Corruption and Contribute to the UNCAC Review Process implemented by Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative and funded by Austrian Development Agency.
Agendas: Kolašin, Budva and Podgorica.
List of Participants: Kolašin, Budva and Podgorica
RAI Secretariat
11 October 2017

Ljubljana, Slovenia: The 26th RAI Steering Group Meeting
2017-10-24 08:00 - 17:00
The 26th RAI Steering group meeting was held on October 24th 2017, in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

The meeting is the main forum of the Initiative, which will provide ground to the participants to take the decisions that will be implemented in the framework of RAI in the course of the following period. The Steering Group Meeting discussed, inter alia, RAI 2018-2020 Work Plan, Evaluation of the RAI 2016-2017 Work Plan, and RAI Budget for 2018.
Moreover, RAI is proud to announce that Slovenia has formalized its cooperation with RAI by sending the formal request for status of Observer. The formal request was presented at the today’s Steering Group meeting by Mr. Boris Stefanec, Chief Commissioner of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption of Slovenia and duly granted by the present RAI member countries.
Steering Group also welcomed Ms. Jana Repanšek Director of Centre for Excellence in Finance (CEF). CEF is international organization with the mission to support capacity development for finance officials in South East Europe through learning. CEF serves as a knowledge hub for the region combining topical expertise and in-depth knowledge of countries in the region with a good comprehension of how reforms take place. Ms. Repanšek presented the work of CEF followed by the discussion. RAI Secretariat will continue to foster the partnership with CEF.
The Meeting was held back-to-back with the regional forum on “Preventing Corruption through Efficient Risk Identification”, which will take place on October 25th and 26th 2017, organized by the Regional Anti-corruption Initiative, Regional Cooperation Council, in cooperation with Slovenian Commission for Prevention of Corruption, and supported by the Austrian Development Agency.
