Preparing judges in Serbia for a new approach to performance evaluation

15 September 2026 Novi Sad, Serbia

Members of the Commission for the Evaluation of the Work of Judges and court presidents in Serbia strengthened their knowledge and practical skills to apply new procedures for evaluating judicial performance. Two two-day sessions, organised in co-operation with the High Judicial Council, focused...

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Improving forensic psychiatric patients’ treatment in Lezha provisional facility

11 September 2026 Shen Koll/Lezha

Forensic psychiatric patients accommodated in Lezha provisional facility will benefit from enhanced services and support thanks to the assistance provided by EU and Council of Europe to the Albanian Prison Service which is aiming to improve internal categorisation and their treatment. Two experts...

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Montenegro strengthens judicial independence with new Law on salaries of judges and prosecutors

11 September 2026 Podgorica

The Parliament of Montenegro adopted the Law on Salaries of Holders of Judicial Functions, introducing a unified framework for the salaries, related rights and retirement of judges and prosecutors, including judges of the Constitutional Court. The new legal framework, which will apply from 1...

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Strategic communication for a more open and transparent Constitutional Court in Montenegro

10 September 2026 Podgorica

The Constitutional Court of Montenegro is strengthening its capacity for strategic and crisis communication, with a focus on greater openness, transparency and public trust. A workshop, co-organised with EUROL 4, brought together judges and the Court’s public relations team to support the...

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EU, Council of Europe and OSCE partnership in action: tackling racism through co-operation

9 September 2026 Sarajevo

As many as 100 representatives of institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, international organisations, academia, civil society and religious communities gathered in Sarajevo on 8 and 9 September for the international conference “Racism, Religion and Belief: Challenges and Perspectives”, dedicated...

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Helping professionals prevent and identify labour exploitation and trafficking in Serbia

9 September 2026 Belgrade

Professionals from public institutions, businesses, trade unions and civil society are now better equipped to recognise the warning signs of labour exploitation and trafficking and know how to respond. This comes after a training workshop which brought together representatives of relevant state...

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Albania strengthens prison staff preparedness to manage and rehabilitate violent extremist prisoners

3 September 2026 Tirana, Albania

A new training framework developed with the support of the European Union and the Council of Europe will help Albanian prison practitioners strengthen their skills in detecting signs of radicalisation, managing violent extremist prisoners (VEPs) and supporting their rehabilitation and...

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Strengthening professional media coverage of elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina

3 September 2026 Bjelašnica, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Strengthening professional, accurate and balanced media elections reporting was the focus of a training for journalists and media professionals in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Participants had the opportunity to learn about European standards for professional election reporting and how these standards...

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Strengthening access to environmental information and public participation in Serbia

3 September 2026 Kopaonik, Serbia

Professional staff of the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection in Serbia strengthened their knowledge and practical understanding of European standards on access to information and environmental protection during a specialised capacity-building activity...

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Albanian probation professionals pave the way for stronger professional development

2 September 2026 Tirana, Albania

Probation professionals from across Albania have identified key steps to strengthen the capacity-building system of the Albanian Probation Service, including induction, continuous professional development and the development of internal expertise to support more effective rehabilitation and...

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When a school gives every voice a chance to be heard

1 September 2026 Bosnia and Herzegovina

“Let’s give a child a chance.” For Mirza Forić, an IT teacher at the Mixed Secondary School in Čelić, this simple sentence became much more than a teaching approach.  Over the years, it has shaped the way he approaches teaching and sees his role in the classroom. “The moment it clicked for me...

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New approach strengthens the evaluation of work of judges in Serbia

28 August 2026 Belgrade

Members of the Commission for the Evaluation of the Work of Judges and court presidents increased their knowledge and skills on various aspects of implementation of new rules on performance assessment of judges during a two-day training organised in co-operation with the High Judicial Council....

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Resource centres across Bosnia and Herzegovina set shared vision for democratic education

28 August 2026 Teslić, Bosnia and Herzegovina

On 27–28 August, teachers from six Resource Centres for Democratic School Culture from across Bosnia and Herzegovina came together in Teslić to jointly shape their vision, goals and plans for the future. The workshop provided an opportunity to exchange experiences, work together on practical...

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Colors Beyond Bars: Transformative Power of Art Therapy in Serbian Prisons

24 August 2026 Serbia

Over the years, the Directorate for Execution of Criminal Sanctions in Serbia has recognised the profound role that creative workshops and art therapy play in rehabilitation of prisoners. By fostering creativity and self-expression, these programmes offer inmates a chance to process their...

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Montenegro adopts two important laws strengthening victims’ rights

18 August 2026 Podgorica

On 31 July 2026, Montenegro adopted two important pieces of legislation aimed at strengthening the protection and rights of victims of violence: the Law on Protection from Violence against Women and Domestic Violence and amendments to the Law on Compensation for Victims of Criminal Offences of...

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Breaking the cycle: Transforming violent extremist prisoners in the Western Balkans

2 August 2026 Western Balkans

Violent Extremist Prisoners and Offenders (VEP/O-s) are individuals whose crimes were shaped not only by personal circumstance but also by radical and dangerous ideologies. Managing and rehabilitating these prisoners presents an extraordinary challenge for authorities in the Western Balkans. In...

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North Macedonia strengthens efforts to protect children from trafficking for sexual exploitation

30 July 2026 Skopje

To mark the World Day against Trafficking in persons, key anti-trafficking actors in North Macedonia joined forces to strengthen identification, referral and protection of child trafficking victims for sexual exploitation. Organised by the joint European Union and the Council of Europe action...

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Albania institutions strengthen corruption risks assessment in education

23 July 2026 Tirana

Albanian institutions have improved their ability to identify and address corruption risks in the pre-university education sector through an updated methodology tailored to Albania’s education system. Developed with the support of the joint European Union and Council of Europe Action against...

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Monitoring of Audiovisual Media for better protection of Freedom of Expression in Albania

24 July 2026 Tirana, Albania

Albania authorities are taking steps to ensure a more effective monitoring of audiovisual media content, for a better protection of freedom of expression in line with European standards. Professionals from the Audiovisual Media Authority (AMA) participated in a capacity building session,...

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Pristina: EU and Council of Europe award five grants to Combat Discrimination and Hate Speech

21 July 2026 Pristina

The Council of Europe Office in Pristina announced the winners of five grants awarded to local civil society organisations working to combat discrimination and hate speech and to reduce the stigmatisation of vulnerable groups. The five selected organisations represent communities and groups from...

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