News Archive
08 February 2024 | News
Bregu: Circular economy can create jobs and unlock economic opportunities
The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) launched the Western Balkans Green and Circular Economy Stakeholders Platform, consisting of government, business, donor, and CSO representatives, at a high-level meeting taking place in Pristina today.
12 October 2023 | News
Bregu: Supporting cities in accelerating their transition to environmentally-friendly & digitally advanced urban environments is imperative
Tirana – The first Local Self-Governments Forum, organised by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) together with the Municipality of Tirana and the Network of Association of Local Authorities of South East Europe (NALAS), opened in Tirana today.
11 October 2023 | News
Tirana: RCC to host the first regional Local Self-Governments Forum
Tirana - The Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) is inviting you to the first Local Self-Governments Forum on 12 October in the Pyramid of Tirana. The Forum: Unlocking the Future: Innovate, Eco-vate, Elevate - Western Balkans Unite for Smart Cities, is being organised by the RCC, together with the Municipality of Tirana and the Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South East Europe ...
30 March 2023 | News
Bregu: Region should remain steadfast on sustainable, green transition and decarbonisation path
“The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans is a dynamic and evolving initiative that, like a living organism, requires collective efforts of both the governmental and non-governmental sectors to nurture, grow and shape towards a sustainable plan for the future. In a developing region, such as ours, the concerns are related to daily life, and this makes it more difficult to think about ...
03 November 2022 | News
Bregu: It’s done - the three RCC-coordinated centrepiece mobility agreements finally see the light of day
Berlin – The Heads of Governments of the Western Balkans Six signed the three mobility agreements under the Common Regional Market (CRM) Action Plan’s mobility agendas - on Freedom of Movement with Identity Cards, on Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications, and on Recognition of Professional Qualifications for Doctors of Medicine, Dentists and Architects – at the ...
24 October 2022 | News
Bregu: Keeping the Green Agenda implementation torch lit is difficult, but there are no U-turns in a climate change-vulnerable region like ours
Berlin/Sarajevo – “Keeping the torch lit on the implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans that was developed in times of stability was a hellishly difficult task in these times of adversity. It is clearly overshadowed by the impact of the war and the pan-European energy price surge. There will be no quick fixes and silver bullets for this colossal challenge ahead ...
21 October 2022 | News
All-inclusive regional cooperation and Common Regional Market deliver results
Berlin/Sarajevo – The Western Balkans (WB) Foreign Ministers approved three regional agreements - on Freedom of Movement with Identity Cards, on Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications, and on Recognition of Professional Qualifications for Doctors of Medicine, Dentists and Architects – at the WB-EU ministerial meeting, organised within the Berlin Process by the German Government ...
24 September 2022 | News
RCC co-organises SEECP foreign ministers' meeting in New York
New York – "Entire South East Europe finds itself facing similar challenges and similar opportunities, from energy security to food crisis, and regional cooperation is the key for them in the period to follow," said Majlinda Bregu, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), at the meeting of the South East Europe Cooperation Process (SEECP) foreign ministers, ...
20 April 2022 | News
Bregu: Enhanced regional cooperation and clear enlargement prospect for the region are vital to overcome challenges
Brussels/Sarajevo – “The war in Ukraine will affect economic growth in the region. Although share of economic output directly tied to Russia and Ukraine is relatively small for the Western Balkans as a whole, the economic ties on essential sectors such as energy and agriculture have exposed the region vulnerability and raised the inflation. The escalation of conflict is already ...
18 December 2020 | News
Bregu: We must change in order to provide healthier environment, cleaner air, to preserve fresh and drinking water, to survive
Sarajevo/Tirana - "The overwhelming 74% of Western Balkans (WB) citizens see pollution as a problem, which is not surprising, considering that this region holds the most polluted cities in the world, because 70% of our electricity is produced by burning coal. Not only this, 16 thermal power plants in the WB produce more pollution than 250 plants in the EU. Air pollution is directly responsible ...
10 June 2020 | News
WBIF awards €8.3 million worth of grants financed by the EU for Western Balkans’ Digital, Environment and Social projects
Sarajevo/Brussels – Good news for the region come from the Brussels today as Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) Steering Committee approved eight grant applications for technical assistance from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo* and Serbia, at its session held online today. The projects 8,3 million EUR worth, financed by the European Union, covering digital, environment ...
22 May 2020 | News
Green Agenda and Biological Biodiversity for the Western Balkans as important as all other Development Agendas
Sarajevo/Belgrade – “All economic and social development agendas, crucial for the development of our region and its EU-accession journey have to be accompanied by the equal efforts of environment protection and climate change responses. Biodiversity, in that context, is high on the list of priorities as endangering the other species makes us, humans, highly vulnerable as well. ...
23 March 2020 | News
On its way - Green Corridor enabling easy supply of goods within the Western Balkans and between the region and the European Union
Sarajevo – On the initiative of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), representatives of the Governments from South East Europe, European Union (EU) and regional stakeholders are working on the establishment of the Green Corridor within the region and between the Western Balkans (WB) and the EU. The Corridor is envisaged as a set of special procedures that would enable unhindered ...
20 March 2020 | News
Bregu: The only way to prevent shortages of medical equipment or food in WB is to simplify and harmonize sanitary controls – a Green Corridor
Tirana/Sarajevo – The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Majlinda Bregu, spoke last night at the Tirana based RTV Klan’s Opinion show, about the major distress in the region after the European Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/402, which imposes new rules, for the export of personal protective equipment and medical equipment outside the EU. ...
18 October 2019 | News
Bregu: Air pollution biggest environmental threat to health in WB – EU should consider this as ‘Fundamentals First’- air pollution knows no borders
Belgrade – „Six cities in the Western Balkans (WB) are among the top 20 cities with the highest air pollution in the world, and air pollution is the single biggest environmental threat to human health. Cancer and tumor, the most serious health concerns in the region, are linked with the air pollution. This speaks volumes on prioritising citizens’ health when considering ...