The European Union and the Council of Europe reaffirmed their continued support to the authorities in advancing ongoing reforms to strengthen human rights, the rule of law, and democracy, through their joint programme the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.

The Beneficiary Steering Committee meeting of the programme gathered in Pristina representatives of the main beneficiary institutions, international partners, as well as civil society organisations to review achieved the progress and discuss priorities for future co-operation.

Claus Neukirch, Director of the Directorate of Programme Co-ordination at the Council of Europe, highlighted the successful co-operation with public authorities and other actors in advancing strategic reforms and further aligning domestic laws and practices with European standards. “Through the Horizontal Facility we are fostering ownership among the beneficiary institutions, thereby building the foundation for the long-term sustainability of the interventions. Just to give an example: the Academy of Justice integrated the Council of Europe’s freedom of expression training modules into their official training programme for 2026.” stressed Neukirch.

Florim Canolli, Director of Development Co-operation Office within the Office of the Prime Minister/NIPAC Representative, expressed appreciation for the EU and Council of Europe assistance in supporting the public authorities to achieve their reform goals and align with European standards in the fields of human rights, rule of law, and democracy. “I would like to emphasise the strategic partnership between our government and the Council of Europe, which is based on our institutional commitment to the highest standards of human rights and rule of law", said Canolli.

Hubert Perr, Head of Co-operation at the European Union Office in Pristina, emphasised the effective partnership among all stakeholders in driving forward key reforms essential to its European integration process. “The Horizontal Facility is a unique opportunity that not only brings together the EU and the Council of Europe, but also harnesses technical capacity, standards, and expertise to support Kosovo*’s path towards the EU in a highly relevant, complementary, effective, and efficient manner,” said Perr.

Participants engaged in fruitful discussions, on the progress made and future milestones in strengthening justice, combating discrimination, and advancing freedom of expression. Concrete results include strengthened dialogue and trust between law enforcement and civil society, by improving joint responses to hatred, discrimination, and racism in line with European standards. Within the justice system, expert support for optimising case management has helped accelerate proceedings and reduce administrative delays. Meanwhile, European standards on freedom of expression have been embedded in the professional training of judges and prosecutors.

The meeting concluded that this results-oriented assistance remains essential to advance the programme’s objectives, foster ownership, and respond to the beneficiaries’ evolving needs.

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The Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye is a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe. Now in its third phase (2023–2026), the programme supports beneficiaries in implementing reforms in the areas of human rights, rule of law, and democracy, while aligning with European standards and EU enlargement priorities.

Photos from the activity

For further information, please contact:
Besnik Baka,  tel. +355692178430
Dusan Vojnović, tel. +33 3 90 21 56 99  

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*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.