Regional final conference of the joint programme of the European Union and Council of Europe “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey”, will be held on Wednesday, 3 April 2019, at the Rogner Hotel, Tirana.

The meeting will take stock of the results of the Horizontal Facility programme in the Western Balkans, namely in the field of ensuring justice, fighting corruption, economic crime and organised crime, as well as anti-discrimination and protecting the rights of vulnerable groups.

Press statements will be given at 10.00 in the press corner with addresses by:

• Mr Sokol Dedja, Deputy Minister, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Albania
• Ms Liselotte Isaksson, Head of Sector, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, European Commission
• Ms Verena Taylor, Director, Office of the Directorate General of Programmes, Council of Europe

The “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey” is a three-year initiative of the European Union and Council of Europe for South East Europe. It covers actions of the Council of Europe in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia as well as Kosovo*, whereas Turkey has had the possibility to benefit through regional actions. The envelope of this programme amounts to 25 million EUR.

Through the Horizontal Facility, the European Union and the Council of Europe assisted beneficiaries in South-East Europe to comply with Council of Europe standards and European Union acquis in the framework of the enlargement process. The implementation of the Horizontal Facility directly contributes to the EU flagship initiatives to support the transformation of the Western Balkans. On 23 May 2019 the current phase of the Horizontal Facility will be coming to an end. After three years of implementation, and in light of the commitment of both organisations to launch a second phase of the programme, the regional conference presents an important opportunity to reflect on results and discuss challenges to be tackled in the future.

Participants will include representatives of the beneficiary institutions directly involved in the implementation of this joint programme from all beneficiaries in the Western Balkans and Turkey.

Media are also welcome to attend the introductory speech. The meeting will begin at 9.30am. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided.

Link to the programme of the meeting

For further information, please contact:
Dušan Vojnović [email protected], +33 3 90 21 56 99 or

Marija Simić  [email protected], +381 63 60 13 37

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.