News Archive
RCC ESAP 2: Western Balkan Public Employment Services Visit Employment Service of Slovenia to discuss aligning Western Balkan practices with the EU requirements
08 Dec 2023
RCC ESAP 2 Organised a Two-day Thematic Study Visit to Employment Service of Slovenia to discuss Active Labour Market Policies and Measures: good practices, IT solutions, databases, statistics and reporting
RCC ESAP 2: Western Balkan Enforcement Authorities Explore Cyprus' Approach to Undeclared and Discuss Platform Work
27 Oct 2023
RCC ESAP 2 Organised a Two-day Thematic Study Visit to Cyprus Labour Inspectorate, Focused on Tackling Undeclared Work in the Western Balkans within Its Mutual Assistance Projectshttp://esap.online
RCC ESAP 2: Strengthening Capacities of Western Balkans’ Public Employment Services for Alignment of the Labour Market Policies Databases with the EU Requirements
05 Oct 2023
ESAP 2 organised regional workshop for Western Balkans’ Public Employment Services on classification and recording of Labour Market Policies and roadmaps for their alignment with the EU practices
RCC ESAP 2: Western Balkan Enforcement Authorities Address Challenges of Under-declared Work
29 Sep 2023
Tirana – Under-declared work/envelope wages was a topic for discussion of the enforcement authorities from the Western Balkans at the one-day regional Workshop organised by the Regional Cooperation Council's (RCC) Employment and Social Affairs Platform project (ESAP2) in Tirana, Albania ...
Bregu: This year marks one of the most impactful ones for the Western Balkans when it comes to regional cooperation
04 Jun 2023
Budva - "This year marks one of the most impactful ones for the Western Balkans, marking the long-awaited turning point towards commitments taken by the economies of the region, through the Common Regional Market (CRM). With integrity, collegiality and competence - three words of tradition ...
RCC Board approves organisation’s Annual Report 2022/23, and adopts Financial Report 2022
25 May 2023
Sarajevo – The participants of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Board approved the organisation’s Annual Report 2022/23 and adopted the Financial Report 2022 at their 49th meeting held in Sarajevo today. The Annual Report 2022/23 is expected to be endorsed at the RCC Annual ...
Moderate progress of the Western Balkan economies regarding the European Pillar of Social Rights
04 May 2023
(Sarajevo/Skopje) - The Employment and Social Affairs Platform 2 (ESAP 2) project of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) presented the 2022 edition of individual economy and regional overview reports on performance of the Western Balkan (WB) economies regarding the European Pillar of Social ...
Bregu: Continued all-inclusive regional cooperation remains key in strengthening economic resilience of Western Balkans
15 Mar 2023
Sarajevo – “External risks arising from the current geopolitical crisis and the rise in commodity prices reinforce the purpose of the Common Regional Market agenda. Continued all-inclusive regional cooperation remains the key towards strengthening economic resilience of the Western ...
RCC: Nominations for Western Balkans Women Entrepreneurs of the Year 2022 open
03 Feb 2023
Sarajevo – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is happy to announce that the nomination process for the Western Balkans Women Entrepreneurs of the Year 2022 has begun! The RCC launched this initiative last year in the framework of the Common Regional Market Action Plan 2021-2024 and ...
Looking at Social Ability to Provide Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities
24 Nov 2022
Sarajevo – In the Western Balkans economies “most of the progress was registered in the areas of inclusion of children with disabilities, especially in the process of deinstitutionalisation of children with disability, inclusive education and support services offered at the community ...
Bregu: Support of Western Balkan citizens to regional cooperation remains stable at 76%
24 Jun 2022
Brussels – “While many things change, our public and business perceptions surveys remain a truthful source of sentiments across the region. At times, the results surprise us, sometimes they serve as a wake-up call, while on other occasions they confirm that our efforts are not in ...
Bregu: As long as we continue to subscribe to dialogue, compromise and cooperation, we invest in long-term stability, security and prosperity
09 Jun 2022
Thessaloniki – “Under the political guidance of SEECP and in consultations with all relevant actors and stakeholders, RCC identified those gaps in which the region should invest with technical as well as political capital. These all fall under the category of sustainable development, ...
Champion of Regional Cooperation to round off 14th RCC Annual Meeting
08 Jun 2022
Sarajevo/Thessaloniki – Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is to hold its 14th Annual Meeting on Thursday, 9 June in Thessaloniki. RCC Secretary General Majlinda Bregu will present the RCC Annual Report and major accomplishments and results of the organisation in the past year while putting ...
Bregu: With slowed growth & inflation, higher energy & food prices, Western Balkans will have to amp-up regional cooperation
18 May 2022
Sarajevo - It is very difficult to sugar-coat the severity of economic effects of the war on the Western Balkans. It is equally difficult to accurately predict the true and longer-term impact, or to identify the opportunities for the region along the way. Our realities today are drastically ...
Bregu: European perspective important for socio-economic progress, but also for security and stability
16 Mar 2022
Sarajevo/Tirana – “The times we are living in are not glamorous, on the contrary these are dark moments. We are all heartened and deeply saddened by the unjust war Ukrainian people are going through. The economic impact of the war stretches beyond Ukraine's borders. Concern ...
Bregu: Being Europeans is not written in DNA but what you believe and fight for
25 Nov 2021
“It’s not breaking news any longer that our youth is leaving the region. One out of 3 youngsters, age 18-24, in the Western Balkans confirms that they are ready to leave their homeland. We should understand the message – their choice of destination shows what’s missing ...
Youth-Tailored Solutions Require Youth Participation
26 Oct 2021
Sarajevo/Online – “Cooperation, innovative solutions, equality, participation - these are the things we need today more than ever, as we establish an environment in which youth and policy makers sit together to constructively explore the ways in which youth priorities and needs ...
Bregu: European perspective of Western Balkans is the drive that makes the process of cooperation beneficial
15 Oct 2021
Sarajevo – “European perspective of Western Balkans is the drive that makes the process of cooperation beneficial to all in long-term. It is of highest importance that both the region and the EU deliver on the respective commitments – particularly when we take into account ...
RCC’s ESAP 2 project gathered its partners and beneficiaries at a 2-day hybrid event to discuss employment and social affairs
13 Oct 2021
Sarajevo/Tirana – Western Balkans’ Social Scoreboard, and individual and regional overview reports on performance of the Western Balkan economies regarding the European Pillar of Social Rights, prepared by Employment and Social Affairs Platform 2 (ESAP 2) project of the Regional ...
Bregu: Balkan Barometer reveals human uncertainty and vulnerability are main concerns followed by some goodish news on benefits of regional cooperation
24 Jun 2021
Tirana – “This, seventh in a row, Balkan Barometer shows human uncertainty and vulnerability are the main concerns followed by some goodish news which is the consciousness about the benefits of regional cooperation. For 49% of Western Balkan citizens, unemployment is the biggest ...
Bregu: 2020 was difficult, but a real progress and achievements have been made for development of our region
16 Jun 2021
Antalya – “Last year, ruled by the pandemic has definitely showcased the extent of our interconnectivity and interdependency and demonstrated that in cooperating, we boost our strengths and resilience. It is clear that regional socio-economic integration is crucial for regional ...
Data do matter for identifying effective measures and policies in addressing labour markets’ structural weaknesses, including informal employment in particular
11 Jun 2021
Sarajevo/Online – “In 2019, the average employment rate in the Western Balkans (WB) grew to a historically high level, with new jobs being created throughout the region. New job creation by in large came to a halt in 2020 due to the effects of the coronavirus. Despite overall ...
Bregu: With regional youth unemployment rate at 35.1% the need to act is clear, as youth is our most precious asset
31 May 2021
Sarajevo/Online – “Youth and jobs has not been a good combination in the Western Balkans for some time. The average regional youth unemployment rate in 2020 was 35.1%, which is more than double the European Union (EU) rate of 16.9%. Some of it can be blamed on the COVID 19 ...
Greater engagement of social partners in tackling undeclared work in the Western Balkans is much needed, authorities and social partners agree
19 Apr 2021
Sarajevo – “The Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Employment and Social Affairs Platform 2 (ESAP 2) project aims to support regional cooperation among the Western Balkan (WB) economies in transforming undeclared work into declared work, pursuing a holistic integrated strategic ...
Balance between prevention and deterrence one of key elements for successful, structured approach to formalizing undeclared work
16 Apr 2021
Sarajevo – “COVID 19 pandemic introduced many new challenges to labour markets globally and in Western Balkans, as this region has low activity and employment rates on one hand and high rates of informal work on the other. Current times are very challenging and the pandemic is impacting ...
Addressing livelihood topics of social rights - jobs, wages, access to education, health care – more important than ever
19 Nov 2020
Sarajevo/Brussels/Tirana – “It is no longer news that Western Balkan societies fall short in many socio-economic aspects. We, together with our partners – governments in the region, European Union (EU) and many others, work to reduce this gap between the region and the EU. ...
Tackling undeclared work in times of COVID 19 pandemic focuses on prevention of declared work sliding back into the undeclared zone
17 Nov 2020
Online – “Main aim of our work being promotion of regional cooperation in transforming the undeclared into declared work in the Western Balkans has so far resulted in gathering of the relevant region’s institutions around the regional Network. Today, at its 2nd plenary meeting ...
Moving Away from “Reducing Undeclared Work” Approach to “Transforming It into Declared Work” in the Western Balkans
30 Sep 2020
Sarajevo – “Informal economy is a chronic problem of many economies, Western Balkans’ in particular, as estimates show that up to 30% of the employed persons in the region work undeclared. Today’s meeting is about to explore ways on how all institutions in charge of ...
Youth Unemployment in the Western Balkans: Youth is Crucial in Designing of Employment Policies
03 Jul 2020
RCC’s Western Balkans Youth Lab and Employment and Social Affairs Platform Projects organized webinar tackling policymaking and youth unemployment in the region Sarajevo – “Numerous stories of unemployed young people across the region who want the leave in pursuit of a job and better ...
Bregu: It is up to the region to retain commitment to cooperation and bring forth tangible progress to citizens
25 Jun 2020
Tirana/Sarajevo/Prishtina – The two meetings have been held today within the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) - the meeting of the SEECP Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the RCC Annual Meeting, which RCC co-organised with the outgoing Kosovo SEECP Chairmanship-in-Office ...
Bregu: Cooperation is the only blueprint that holds the promise of ‘Stronger Together’
24 Jun 2020
Sarajevo – “The regional cooperation continues to grow in prominence with an overwhelming majority of citizens supportive of its role in improving the political, economic and security situation in their home economies - 77%, and 65% of them believes that what brings WB citizens ...
The Shape of the Things to Come - Presentation of Balkan Barometer 2020
23 Jun 2020
Sarajevo – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) will present 2020 edition of Balkan Barometer on Wednesday 24 June 2020. This annual public and business opinion survey of the RCC examines the perception and expectations on life and work, prevalent socio-economic and political trends & ...
ESAP 2: Undeclared work in the Western Balkans needs to be formalized, to increase both public revenues and social security
12 Jun 2020
Sarajevo – “The global pandemic caused by the COVID 19 virus has had a profound impact on businesses and workers, as well as economies across the Western Balkans. The undeclared workers, however, have been disproportionately affected since they generally work in low productivity jobs ...
Bregu: Pandemic created a common awareness that at least for now humankind takes precedence over politics and disputes
14 May 2020
Sarajevo – “For all its aggressiveness, the COVID-19 crisis also offers glimmers of hope. It has connected Western Balkans even more, this time in a fight against an invisible enemy. It has persuaded us that cooperation should be resilient. It has created a common awareness that ...
Bregu: Brain drain the biggest challenge of this decade - Western Balkans working age population declined by more than 400,000 in past 5 years
28 Jan 2020
Sarajevo – “More than 700 000 jobs have been added to the workforce during the past seven years and unemployment has moved for almost a quarter (23%) to around 16%, across the region. They say a tide lifts all boats, large and small. However, not everybody benefited from these economic and ...
RCC: Western Balkans pay for undeclared work - with significant portion of public revenues, lack of fair competition and decent working conditions
15 Oct 2019
Sarajevo – “Informal employment is work that is legal in itself but not declared to the authorities for tax, social security and/or labour law purposes. As such, it plays an important role in all Western Balkan economies, as widespread informality deprives governments of potential tax revenue, ...
Economic growth goes hand in hand with human capital development – investment in education must increase
14 Jun 2019
Luxemburg – “Years in a row our opinion survey Balkan Barometer shows that unemployment is the biggest concern for 67% of the citizens in the Western Balkans (WB), and our alarms should have already gone off, triggering adequate reactions. This region has talent everywhere but their skills ...
RCC’s ESAP: Share of informal employment in Western Balkans ranges from 18 to 33% - holistic approach necessary to tackle this issue
26 Apr 2019
Sarajevo – “Share of informal/undeclared employment in the region varies from 18,1% in Republic of North Macedonia to 33% in Montenegro1 ,”said Nand Shani, Team Leader of the Regional Cooperation (RCC)’s Employment and Social Affairs Platform (ESAP). Tackling this widespread ...
On-the-job-training programme important for strengthening the Western Balkans labour market outcomes
18 Jan 2019
Western Balkans’ Public Employment Services and Labour Ministries peers review on-the-job training programmes and practices Tirana – Representatives of Public Employment Services (PES) and Ministries of Labour from the Western Balkans economies gathered in Tirana for a 2-day regional ...
More jobs and changed approach to employment of Roma community in the enlargement region necessary to combat poverty and social dependence
10 Dec 2018
Budapest - Regional conference on innovative approaches to employment of Roma, jointly organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)’s projects Roma Integration 2020 and Employment and Social Affairs Platform (EASP), and Roma Education Fund (REF) started in Budapest today.
RCC ESAP: Internship Programmes in focus of Regional Peer Review Workshop in Skopje
27 Nov 2018
Skopje – A two-day a regional peer review workshop focusing on internship programmes ended in Skopje today. The Workshop was organised by the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Employment and Social Affairs Platform (ESAP) project.
RCC ESAP: Supporting exchange of experience on development and implementation of sector budget support
29 Oct 2018
Skopje – Employment and Social Affairs Platform (ESAP) project of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) supported the visit of the Albanian delegation from the Ministry of Economy and Finance to Skopje today.
Local Employment Partnerships in Focus of Regional Peer Review Workshop
05 Oct 2018
Sarajevo/Tesanj/Prnjavor - Employment and Social Affairs Platform (ESAP) project of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) organised a regional 3-day Workshop on Local Employment Partnerships, which started in Sarajevo and continued with field visits to municipalities of Tesanj and ...
Pristina: ESAP helps Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to develop its monitoring framework
31 Jul 2018
Pristina – In the period April-July 2018, the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) through its Employment and Social Affairs Platform Project (ESAP) helped the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare of Kosovo* to develop the strategy monitoring tools and increase their capacity to plan ...
RCC's ESAP: Albanian Public Employment Service visits their colleagues in Pristina
12 Jul 2018
Pristina – Upon request of the representatives of the Albanian Public Employment Service (PES), the Regional Cooperation Council's (RCC) Employment and Social Affairs Platform (ESAP) project, within its technical assistance facility, took the Albanian PES on a study visit to their PES ...
RCC to present SEE2020 strategy implementation results and its Balkan Barometer 2018 this week in Brussels
03 Jul 2018
Brussels – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is to present the implementation results of the region’s growth strategy, South East Europe 2020 (SEE2020) on 5 July 2018 in Brussels, and day after, on 6 July also in Brussels, the RCC will reveal the results of its 4th edition of the public ...
Brussels: RCC's ESAP presents Western Balkans employment and labour market trends and developments
20 Jun 2018
Brussels – Regional Cooperation Council' s (RCC) Employment and Social Affairs Platform (ESAP) Project presented in Brussels today employment and labour market trends and developments in the Western Balkans (WB). The policy discussion gathered representatives of WB Ministries of Labour and ...
RCC’s Employment and Social Affairs Platform Project: Joint actions to enhance performance and promote mutual learning among Western Balkans Ministries of Labour and Public Employment Services agreed
19 Jun 2018
Brussels - Representatives of the Western Balkans (WB) Ministries of Labour and Public Employment Services (PES) met in Brussels today, within the framework of the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Employment and Social Affairs Platform Project (ESAP), to discuss main trends and ...
RCC’s ESAP Project and Western Balkans’ Public Employment Services invited to present their joint work at Annual Meeting of the EU PES Network
08 Jun 2018
Sofia – Western Balkan’s Public Employment Services (PES) gathered around Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Employment and Social Affairs Platform (ESAP) Project were, for the first time ever, invited to participate as observers in a 9th Annual Meeting of the European Union’s ...
Peers from Ministries' of Labour and PES from the region talk about youth employment
31 May 2018
Herceg Novi – Representatives of the Ministries of Labour and Public Employment Services (PES) offices from the Western Balkan (WB) economies together with relevant regional and international experts in the field, shared experiences and discussed youth employment programmes at the regional peer-review ...
RCC’s ESAP helps Employment Agency in Pristina in drafting their Rules of Procedure
30 Apr 2018
Pristina – During a two months period at the beginning of 2018, the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Employment and Social Affairs Platform Project (ESAP) provided expert support in drafting the rules of procedure of the Advisory Board of the newly established Employment Agency ...
RCC’s ESAP help Montenegro Employment Agency in upgrading their Information Technology System
23 Apr 2018
Podgorica – The Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Employment and Social Affairs Platform Project (ESAP)provided technical assistance to the Employment Agency of Montenegro in upgrading the Information Technology System in accordance with the European Employment Service (EURES) requirements.
ESAP: Regional Workshop on Employment of Persons with Disabilities in the Western Balkans
20 Apr 2018
Belgrade – The Regional Workshop on Employment of Persons with Disabilities (PWD) in the Western Balkans (WB), which was held in Belgrade on 19-20 April 2018, was organised jointly in the framework of two regional projects: Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Employment and Social Affairs ...
ESAP: Self-employment programmes in the Western Balkans discussed in Pristina
12 Apr 2018
Prishtina – Representatives of Ministries of Labour and Public Employment Services (PES) from the Western Balkans discussed self-employment programmes at a two-day regional workshop within the framework of the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Employment and Social Affairs Platform ...
Western Balkans should enhance its competitiveness and improve its market orientation to fight unemployment
21 Feb 2018
Although the Western Balkans region suffered the dramatic employment fall in the period following the global economic crisis 2008-2011, “the situation recovered over the subsequent five years and by 2016 total employment had again reached 6.5 million, representing an increase of 8.9%”, ...
Vocational Training Centres analyse their legal framework with RCC’s ESAP assistance
30 Jan 2018
Pristina – Regional Cooperation Council's (RCC) Employment and Social Affairs Platform Project (ESAP) project provided technical assistance to Vocational Training Centres in Kosovo* in analysing their current legal framework and the documents related to vocational training, and proposed ...
RCC's ESAP assists Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare in Pristina to establish an integrated information system
29 Dec 2017
Pristina – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), through its Employment and Social Affairs Project (ESAP), provided a support upon request of Kosovo* on establishing an integrated information system in the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. ESAP analysed the current systems ...
RCC, ETF continue building human capital in the region
22 Nov 2017
Brussels – The Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Secretary General, Goran Svilanovic, and newly appointed Director of the European Training Foundation (ETF), Cesare Onestini, signed an agreement on continuation of cooperation between the two organisations, in Brussels today.
National Workshops on Public Employment Services Benchlearning kick-off in Pristina
01 Nov 2017
A series of 12 workshops, two per each of the Western Balkans six economies, on Public Employment Services (PES) benchlearning, organised by the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Employments and Social Affairs Platform (ESAP), kicked-off in Pristina today.
RCC’s ESAP: Belgrade hosts regional training on benchlearning for Public Employment Services in the Western Balkans
14 Sep 2017
Belgrade - The first ever assessors training on benchlearning for representatives of Public Employment Services (PES) from the Western Balkans, organized by the Regional Cooperation Council’ (RCC) Employment and Social Affairs Regional Platform (ESAP) project, was held in Belgrade today.
Representatives of Western Balkan Public Employment Services discuss qualitative benchmarking
18 Jul 2017
Tivat - Representatives of Western Balkan Public Employment Services (PES) met in Tivat today to discuss qualitative benchmarking, in the framework of the Regional Cooperation Council’s (RCC) Employment and Social Affairs Platform (ESAP) regional project.
Skopje: Regional public employment services work together to improve measures leading to reduction of unemployment
21 Jun 2017
Skopje – Labour market statistics officials from the Public Employment Services (PES) of the Western Balkan economies agreed upon a set of quantitative indicators that are to be collected for the PES benchmarking analysis, at the meeting in Skopje today, organized under auspices of joint ...
RCC's ESAP Project assists Montenegro in preparing the new Labour Law
10 May 2017
Kolasin – Employment and Social Affairs Platform Project (ESAP) of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) supported the Montenegrin Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare by providing technical input and assistance to a national workshop on preparing the new Labour Law.
Serbian journalists in a visit to the Regional Cooperation Council Secretariat
31 Mar 2017
Sarajevo – A group of 11 Serbian journalists and representatives of their Government’s Team for social inclusion and poverty reduction visited the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat in Sarajevo today, as a part of the thematic study tour to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Skopje: ESAP co-organises National Consultative Meeting on the Employment and Social Reform Programme
21 Feb 2017
Skopje – The Employment and Social Affairs Platform (ESAP) project of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) provided support to a National Consultative Meeting on the Employment and Social Reform Programme, held in February 2017 in Skopje.
Western Balkan's public employment services agree on concrete actions to enhance their work
27 Oct 2016
Belgrade/Sarajevo – Representatives of public employment services (PES) of the Western Balkan economies agreed on concrete steps and actions envisaging future cooperation under the Employment and Social Affairs Platform (ESAP) project at their first meeting that took place ...
ILO and RCC launch project for better labour market governance in the Western Balkans
29 Jun 2016
Sarajevo – The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) will work together to further regional cooperation in order to achieve more effective labour market governance in the Western Balkans. The new joint project, funded by the European Union, ...
Three million euro for boosting jobs in the Western Balkans
01 Mar 2016
Brussels - The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) will jointly create a Western Balkans Platform on Employment and Social Affairs in the framework of a new European Commission funded project signed today in Brussels.