Albanian prison directors enhance their leadership and prison management skills

20 March 2024 Tirana

On 18-20 March, 20 prison Directors representing all the Albanian penitentiary institutions, attended a leadership and prison management training delivered by two Council of Europe international consultants and the Head of the Albanian Training Centre for prison staff. The training combined...

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The role of legal clinics for providing primary legal aid for victims of crimes and gender-based violence discussed at the National Co-ordination Body meeting

20 March 2024 Skopje

The 14th meeting of the National Co-ordination Body for the implementation of the Law on Free Legal Aid in North Macedonia, gathered in Skopje on 20 March to discuss the progress and important challenges regarding the implementation of free legal aid system in North Macedonia. Organised in the...

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Roundtable on prevention of ill-treatment by police officers and effective investigations in this respect

19 March 2024 Belgrade

A roundtable focusing on execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in relation to Serbia concerning ill-treatment in police custody and ineffective investigations into such allegations (Stanimirović v. Serbia group) took place on 19 March in Belgrade. Consultations...

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European Union and Council of Europe further support authorities of Montenegro in fulfilling the interim benchmarks on justice reform and victims protection

12 March 2024 Podgorica

The third Steering Committee Meeting of the joint European Union and Council of Europe action "Strengthening accountability of the judicial system and enhancing protection of victims' rights in Montenegro", took place in Podgorica. The meeting brought together key stakeholders and local actors...

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‘Building a more sustainable legal system on property rights'; DREX-III action kicks off in Albania

29 March 2023 Tirana Albania

Within the continuous efforts of the EU and Council of Europe to ensure that the rights-holders in Albania are respected in line with European standards, partners and beneficiaries of the action on “Improving the protection of the right to property and facilitating executions of ECtHR judgements...

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Regional conference takes place in Tirana to discuss co-operation and key solutions with public stakeholders, civil society and key experts from the region and the European Union

Tackling environmental crime through addressing related illicit financial flows and corruption in the Western Balkans

7-8 March 2024 Tirana

A regional conference focusing on the intricate relationship between money laundering, corruption and environmental crimes in the Western Balkans took place in Tirana, Albania. Organised with the support of the EU and the Council of Europe, the 2-days event brought together key stakeholders from...

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Enhancing efficiency and quality of justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina: pilot courts participating in workshop in Mostar

4 - 5 March 2024 Mostar

In an effort to enhance the efficiency and quality of justice in five action’s pilot courts, the joint European Union and Council of Europe action “Strengthening the efficiency and quality of justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIHSEJ)” piloted by the European Commission for the Efficiency of...

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Improving co-ordination of public actors in North Macedonia for a more efficient provision of healthcare in prisons

5-6 March 2024 North Macedonia

The first meeting of the working group on enhancing central-level co-ordination for penitentiary healthcare in North Macedonia took place on 5-6 March 2024, bringing together senior officials of the Ministry of Health, the Health Insurance Fund, the Directorate for the Execution of Sanctions, as...

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Judicial legislation reform in Montenegro: progress in drafting the amendments to the Law on Judicial Council and Judges

29 February - 1 March 2024 Budva

Montenegro initiated the revision of the Law on Judicial Council and Judges in 2019, with the aim to further strengthen judicial independence, accountability and efficiency, but also to address the issues arising in the practical implementation of this regulation, as noted in the European...

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The State Commission on Compensation for Victims of Violent Crimes constituted in North Macedonia

29 February 2024 Skopje

The State Commission on Compensation for Victims of Violent Crimes was established in North Macedonia aiming to support victims of violent crimes including victims of trafficking in human beings by awarding a state compensation of up to 5,000 euro for the injustice suffered. This constitutes an...

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European Union and Council of Europe work closely with institutions of Montenegro on prosecutorial legislative reform

22 - 23 February 2024 Budva

The co-operation between the European Union and the Council of Europe on advancing judicial reform in Montenegro has developed considerably in recent years, with a heavy emphasis on relevant work of the Venice Commission and the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO). The positive outcomes of...

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Public authorities in Albania raise their capacities on enforcing property rights and execute related Court decisions

22 - 23 February 2024 Durrës

The public institutions engaged in the field of property rights in Albania took a significant step towards enhancing their expertise, during the two-day Training of Trainers on "Property rights and the execution of court decisions”. The event, organised with the support of EU and Council of...

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Middle management staff trained on latest standards and practices in execution of criminal sanctions in Montenegro

20 – 22 February 2024 Becici

The joint European Union and Council of Europe action “Enhancing human rights protection for detained and sentenced person in Montenegro” organised a specialised training for 15 members of middle management staff of the Administration for Execution of Criminal Sanctions of Montenegro (AECS). It...

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CEPEJ tools for the efficiency and quality of justice introduced to Albanian court councils

09 February 2024 Tirana

Members of the first instance court councils of Albania, representatives of the High Court of Albania and of the High Judicial Council were part of the capacity building activity on CEPEJ tools on court efficiency and quality of justice, organised with the support of EU and Council of Europe. The...

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North Macedonia’s External Oversight Mechanism stakeholders raise their capacities on effective investigations

15-16 February 2024 North Macedonia

In the framework of the continuous assistance to public authorities in North Macedonia for the establishment and functioning of the External Oversight Mechanism, the EU and Council of Europe action “Strengthening the capacities of the penitentiary system in North Macedonia” organised a capacity...

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Judicial Council and Courts take an important step towards greater transparency and outreach

11 February 2024 Podgorica

Public interest in the work of judiciary in Montenegro has increased significantly in recent years. In order to make use of the strengths and opportunities for communicating with media and enhancing public trust in the judiciary, the Judicial Council and the Supreme Court embarked on a process of...

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Albanian authorities discuss key measures following the findings of the Council of Europe Committee against Torture latest report

30 January 2024 Tirana

In a high level meeting, organised with the support of the EU and Council of Europe, senior officials in the field of penitentiary discussed the upcoming steps in addressing the key challenges of the penitentiary system stemming from the main findings of the European Committee against Torture,...

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Public discussion on the draft Judicial Reform Strategy of Montenegro 2024-2027 and the Action Plan for the period 2024-2025

31 January 2024 Podgorica

Strengthening rule of law is inseparably linked with implementing judicial reform, which requires the development of long-term policies clearly defining reform measures and objectives. As such, the reform process calls for close co-operation of all stakeholders, in particular representatives of...

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Training for representatives from legal clinics and civil society organisations authorised to provide free legal aid

CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS - Training of Trainers on ”Provision of Free Legal Aid in North Macedonia”

1 February 2024 North Macedonia

The Council of Europe Programme Office in Skopje, with support of the action "Towards Consolidated and More Efficient Free Legal Aid (FLA) System in North Macedonia", which is part of the Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Türkiye programme (Phase III), co-financed by the European Union...

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Lawyers in North Macedonia gain essential skills on provision of free legal aid

22 - 26 January 2024 Skopje

35 lawyers have attended a five-days training of trainers on “Provision of free legal aid in North Macedonia”. Supported by the European Union and Council of Europe joint programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and in close co-operation with the Bar Association, the...

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