Poslednjih nekoliko godina smanjuje se stopa nezaposlenoosti mladih u zemljama Zapadnog Balkana, ali varira od zemlje do zemlje i još uvek je veća u odnosu na zemlje članice Evropske unije. Najveća stopa nezaposlenosti mladih je u Severnoj Makedoniji i iznosi 34,9%, dok je najniža na Kosovu* – 21,4%. Prema podacima Eurostata iz novembra 2023. godine, nezaposlenost mladih na nivou EU iznosi 14,5%. Pre 10 godina, ta stopa bila je oko 24%. Kako je došlo do smanjenja nezaposlenost mladih za oko 10% u proteklih 10 godina na nivou EU i pored izbijanja pandemije COVID-19, rata u Ukrajini i drugih kriza koje su ostavile posledice na evropsko tržište rada?
Tokom 2013. godine iniciran je program Garancija za mlade od strane Evropske komisije, a iste godine usvojio ga je i Evropski savet. Garancija za mlade je politička obaveza svih zemalja članica EU da svim mladim osobama od 15 do 29 godina obezbede ponudu za posao, pripravnički staž, volontiranje ili mogućnosti daljeg školovanja i to u roku od četiri meseca nakon završetka formalnog obrazovanja ili gubitka zaposlenja. Garancija za mlade je obaveza svih relevantnih sektora u zemlji – izvršne vlasti i zavoda za zapošljavanje, organizacija civilnog društva i biznis sektora, odnosno poslodavaca. Glavni cilj Programa je inkluzija NEET mladih, odnosno onih koji nisu zaposleni, nisu u sistemu obrazovanja, niti su na obuci.
Ekonomsko-investicionim planom za Zapadni Balkan objavljenim od strane Evropske komisije u oktobru 2020. godine, program Garancija za mlade postao je obaveza i za zemlje Zapadnog Balkana koje su kandidati za članstvo u EU. Obavezale su se na sprovođenje ovog Programa i na Drugom ministarskom sastanku Evropska unija – Zapadni Balkan, održanom 8. jula 2021. godine u Sloveniji, usvajanjem Deklaracije Zapadnog Balkana o održivoj integraciji mladih na tržište rada. Zemlje Zapadnog Balkana nalaze se u različitim fazama implementacije programa Garancija za mlade. Severna Makedonija, koja je još 2018. godine započela uvođenje ovog programa, predstavlja najuspešniji primer u regionu. Planovi implementacije Garancije za mlade usvojeni su u Srbiji, Kosovu* i Albaniji, dok Crna Gora i Bosna i Hercegovina još uvek čekaju na usvajanje.
Kao što je već pomenuto, Severna Makedonija je najuspešnija zemlja u regionu kada je reč o implementaciji Garancije za mlade. U periodu od 2017. do 2019. godine nezaposlenost mladih smanjena je za oko 9%. Novi Plan za sprovođenje Garancije za mlade za period 2023-2026 Vlada Severne Makedonije usvojila je u martu 2023. godine. Severna Makedonija je postavila cilj od 30%, odnosno da se Garancija za mlade smatra uspešnom ako minimum 30% mladih koji prođu kroz Program dobiju zaposlenje, pripravnički staž, volontiranje ili mogućnost daljeg školovanja i usavršavanja u roku od 4 meseca. Od 19.322 mladih koji su tokom 2021. učestvovali u programu Garancija za mlade, 41% njih dobilo je priliku za zaposlednje, volontiranje ili usavršavanje. Tokom 2022. više od 20.000 mladih ljudi učestvovalo je u Programu, pri čemu je 43% njih nakon završetka programa uspešno pronašlo zaposlenje ili mogućnost za obuku. Stoga se smatra da je Severna Makedonija izuzetno uspešna u implementaciji ovog Programa, jer je uspela da dostigne i premaši postavljeni cilj od 30%.
Pored uspešnog uključivanja velikog broja učesnika Programa na tržište rada, implementacija Garancije za mlade doprinosi i jačanju institucija. Nosilac procesa implementacije je Ministarstvo rada i socijalne politike, a osnovan je i Koordinacioni savet za Garanciju za mlade čija je nadležnost nadgledanje sprovođenja ovog Programa. Ipak, procenat nezaposlenosti mladih u Severnoj Makedoniji u 2022. godini iznosio je 34,9%, što je i dalje skoro duplo više u odnosu na prosek u zemljama Evropske unije koji iznosi 14,5%, a ujedno je i najveća stopa nezaposlenosti mladih u celom regionu. U izveštaju Evropske komisije o napretku Severne Makedonije za 2023, navodi se da aktivne mere tržišta rada i program Garancija za mlade trenutno nisu dovoljno praćeni, evaluirani i procenjeni. Ključan izazov u implementaciji Programa je ograničenost finansijskih sredstava, koje Vlada Severne Makedonije nije u mogućnosti da obezbedi.
Garancija za mlade u Srbiji prepoznata je u novoj Nacionalnoj strategiji zapošljavanja za period 2021-2026 i Strategiji za mlade usvojenoj u januaru 2023. Stopa nezaposlenosti mladih u Srbiji za 2022. godinu iznosila je 24,9%, dok je stopa nezaposlenosti tzv. NEET mladih – onih koji nisu zaposleni, nisu u obrazovnom sistemu niti na obuci oko 15%. Krajem decembra 2023. godine Vlada Republike Srbije usvojila je Implementacioni plan Garancija za mlade. Pilotiranje programa u tri filijale Nacionalne službe za zapošljavanje – Kruševcu, Sremskoj Mitrovici i Nišu trajaće od januara 2024. do kraja 2026. godine, sa ciljem proširenja programa na celu teritoriju Republike Srbije. Za vreme trajanja EU nedelje mogućnosti 2023. godine, Republika Srbija i Evropska unija potpisale su sporazum o finansijskoj pomoći u iznosu od 5,5 miliona evra koja je usmerena na implementaciju Garancije za mlade, odnosno za pilotiranje programa u pomenute tri filijale. Institucije u Srbiji ističu da trenutno ne postoje kapaciteti za realizaciju ovog programa na teritoriji cele Srbije, ali puna primena Programa na nacionalnom nivou je jedan od glavnih prioriteta Operativnog programa u okviru IPA III 2023-2027. Nosilac programa je Ministarstvo za rad, zapošljavanje, boračka i socijalna pitanja Vlade Republike Srbije, koje je formiralo Koordinaciono telo za izradu i praćenje sprovođenja Plana implementacije Garancije za mlade, kao i Stručnu grupu za realizaciju pripremnih aktivnosti.
Kosovo* se još uvek nalazi u ranoj pripremnoj fazi kada je reč o pregovaračkom poglavlju 19 koje se odnosi na socijalnu politiku i zapošljavanje. Ipak, u Izveštaju Evropske komisije o napretku Kosova* za 2023. godinu napominje se da je postignut određeni napredak kada je reč o pripremama za implementaciju Garancije za mlade u skladu sa Implementacionim planom koji je usvojen u novembru 2022. godine. U Izveštaju se navodi da je neophodno nastaviti sa sprovođenjem Plana implementacije i obezbeđivanju uslova za pilotiranje programa u dve opštine – Mitrovica i Uroševac. Stopa nezaposlenosti mladih na Kosovu* je tokom 2022. smanjena za neverovatnih 16,6% – 2021. godine taj procenat iznosio je 38%, dok se 2022. smanjio na 21,4%. Zavod za zapošljavanje Kosova* je u fazi restrukturiranja kako bi se ta institucija osposobila za implementaciju Programa. Ipak, u Izveštaju Evropske komisije ističe se da je najveći problem nedostatak ljudskih resursa u javnim službama za zapošljavanje, kao i zastareli informacioni sistem.
U izveštaju Evropske komisije o napretku Albanije za 2023. godinu navodi se da su pripreme za implementaciju Programa napredovale, te da je neophodno započeti pilotiranje programa kako bi se omogućila implementacija Programa na teritoriji cele zemlje. Albanija je usvojila Plan implementacije programa Garancija za mlade kao Aneks nove Nacionalne strategije za mlade za period 2023-2030. Nosilac celokupnog procesa je Ministarstvo finansija i ekonomije Republike Albanije. Stopa nezaposlenosti mladih tokom 2022. bila je 27,8%, dok stopa nezaposlenosti tzv. NEET mladih iznosi 23,4%.
Crna Gora i Bosna i Hercegovina su jedine zemlje u regionu koje još uvek nisu usvojile Plan implementacije Garancije za mlade. Udeo nezaposlenosti mladih u Crnoj Gori u maju 2023. iznosio je 28,3%. Prema Izveštaju o napretku Crne Gore za 2023, preporuke Evropske komisije su da se ojača Zavod za zapošljavanje i pripremi za sprovođenje Garancije za mlade. Formirana je Radna grupa za program Garancija za mlade sa ciljem unapređenja nacrta Plana implementacije Garancije za mlade, koja radi i sa stručnjacima iz Međunarodne organizacije rada.
Bosna i Hercegovina je poslednja zemlja u regionu kada je u pitanju sprovođenje programa Garancija za mlade. U Izveštaju Evropske komisije o napretku Bosne i Hercegovine za 2023. godinu ističe se da je postignut ograničen napredak kada je reč o finalizaciji i usvajanju Plana implementacije Garancije za mlade. U oktobru 2023. konačno je usvojena Strategija zapošljavanja u Federaciji Bosne i Hercegovine za period 2023-2030, koja prepoznaje Garanciju za mlade kao potpuno novi model zapošljavanja mladih, a dugačak proces njenog usvajanja predstavljao je glavnu prepreku za program Garancija za mlade u Bosni i Hercegovini. Pilotiranje programa je već počelo, a za pilot opštine izabrane su dve manje sredine Visoko i Čitluk. Nakon pilotiranja programa očekuje se proširenje na celu teritoriju Bosne i Hercegovine. Na nacionalnom nivou Ministarstvo civilnih poslova Bosne i Hercegovine je nosilac procesa implementacije Programa, dok je za implementaciju programa u Federaciji BiH nadležno Federalno ministarstvo rada i socijalne politike. Informacije o Garanciji za mlade u entitetu Republika Srpska nije moguće pronaći na internetu, niti se pominju u godišnjim izveštajima Evropske komisije. Stopa nezaposlenosti mladih u Bosni i Hercegovini najveća je u celom regionu i iznosi 33,47% za 2022. godinu.
Ključ uspešne primene programa Garancija za mlade leži u intenzivnoj saradnji svih sektora u zemlji – od izvršne vlasti koja je dužna da obezbedi finansijska sredstva za implementaciju, preko poslodavaca, pa sve do OCD. Nakon usvajanja Strategije zapošljavanja u Federaciji Bosne i Hercegovine očekuje se da će i Bosna i Hercegovina u narednom periodu usvojiti Plan implementacije, koju će, nadamo se, slediti i Crna Gora, kako bi sve zemlje regiona u narednim godinama mogle da primenjuju ovaj ambiciozni program za mlade na celoj teritoriji. Ipak, za to će biti neophodna snažna politička volja svih vlada u regonu, jer samo one mogu da obezbede finansijsku podršku za uspešnu implementaciju.
Nemanja Ivanović, omladinski aktivista i član Glavnog odbora Socijaldemokratske stranke
* Izrada ove publikacije finansirana je od strane Evropske unije. Njen sadržaj je isključiva odgovornost Fondacije Centar za demokratiju i ne odražava nužno stavove Evropske unije.
* This publication was funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Center for Democracy Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
Tackling climate requires ambition and inclusivity. Climate crisis in no exception. Some progress is made on ambition. Constant failure is noted on inclusivity.
WB Green Agenda is no exception.
Introduction
The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, is a growth strategy developed for the region, which aims to address challenges related to climate change and green transition. It is developed based on the European Green Deal which aims to achieve “no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050, economic growth decoupled from resource use, and no person and no place left behind”. Implementation of the WB Green Agenda is supported by the Economic Investment Plan and further detailed by the Guidelines issued by the European Commission.
By signing the Sofia Declaration, countries of the region committed to implement the Green Agenda, whereas the Regional Cooperation Council will keep the torchlit of implementation, by also developing an action plan. The Green Agenda, includes five main pillars: climate, energy and mobility; circular economy; pollution prevention; sustainable agriculture and food production; and biodiversity.
Why is the Green Agenda important for the Western Balkans?
The Western Balkans comprises six countries and as a region it has a pristine landscape and a wealth of natural resources. It is, however, one of the most vulnerable regions to the negative consequences of climate change. From raising temperatures, to floods and fires, communities and governments are attesting the challenges, which are no longer distant.
It is now well-known that climate change does not have borders and ambitions under the European Green Deal cannot be achieved only within EU – calling for cross-border cooperation. This is when the WB Green Agenda comes into play. Its implementation, however, requires complex changes in the field of legislation, strategic planning, implementation, and monitoring.
It is also known that tackling the climate crisis requires both ambition and inclusivity.
While sometimes progress is made is announcing impressing ambitions, when it comes to inclusivity, failure has become a pattern.
Lack of meaningful youth engagement
Youth is one of the most vulnerable target groups of climate change and thus the sustainability agenda in general. Because of the actions of previous generations, young people are facing direct and indirect effects on their physical and mental health, but also on their socio-economic conditions.
In some countries, young people represent the largest share of the population. They are also the future. Which should make their meaningful engagement a priority.
In many countries, youth has taken a leading role in the climate action with Greta Thunberg becoming the face of powerful demonstration and the voice of many communities. Elsewhere, groups of young people are taking government to the courts, through strategic litigation efforts.
Many international bodies are taking concrete steps to engage with youth within the sustainability agenda. Although in many cases these steps appearing to be tokenistic, rather than providing for meaningful engagement, they still provide the basis of inclusivity.
The WB Green Agenda provides little opportunities for youth engagement, despite the vast potential.
The Guidelines provide that: “With proper information and education, the youth of the region can contribute decisively to the implementation of the Green Agenda. The European Green Deal will also have to be translated into the different components of Erasmus+, the EU flagship programme for education available in the region.”
Whereas the Action Plan, indicates that: “Another significant actor in the GAWB implementation is youth, as important change agent. It is the youth who will be most affected by the actions of today, particularly concerning the climate emergency, nature crisis, waste management and so forth.”
The Action Plan also vests the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) and the Youth Lab of RCC, as the main partners for ‘cooperation in this area’. However, both of these key documents fail to elaborate on concrete measures for the meaningful engagement of youth.
Such lack of meaningful youth engagement is recognized by young people themselves, as indicated in the Berlin Declaration of the Western Balkans Youth Forum 2022: “We request to be involved and acknowledged as key-partners in all phases of policy making that will arise from the implementation of the Green Agenda.”
During the WB Youth Forum in 2023, held in parallel to the Berlin Summit, young people across the region embarked on a train ride (the Balkan Youth Express) to discuss and agree on action points for the implementation of the Berlin Declaration, including the Green Agenda. Amongst others, one of the most interesting proposals is to establish ‘green seats’ within the Local Youth Councils, which would support implementation of green agenda in local level and also foster regional cooperation between councils in the region.
All in all, their proposals confirm two things: (i) good awareness of the challenges under the sustainability agenda and (ii) failure of decision makers to meaningfully engage with youth.
Such proposals are also a call for reflection.
Listen, listen again… and take action!
Youth engagement requires consistent efforts to incorporate youth perspectives across all stages of decision-making. Invitation to participate in ‘soft’ issues such as awareness-raising campaigns does not amount to meaningful engagement, rather risks of being tokenizing. With the increasing access to information, young people can be involved in topics such as energy transition or climate finance and come up with creative solutions, based on system thinking methodologies.
Youth can drive progress, by being fearless and push for radical change, from the streets to the courts and everywhere in between. This calls for the need to address intersectionality and address systemic settings that hinder youth engagement – including often-times patronizing behaviour.
In the context of WB Green Agenda, stakeholders can address some of these challenges, but it appears that little is done so far. Regional institutions such as RCC and RYCO can set the agenda and channel adequate resources towards the empowerment of youth within the WB Green Agenda, but only few projects are doing so, reconfirming the pattern of putting sustainability on the bottom of the priorities’ pyramid.
About the Author
Armando Bode is a senior lawyer and manager. He practiced law for 7 years, worked as Private Sector Partnerships & Programme Manager for the UK Government and held various research and teaching positions. Armando studied law at the University of Tirana and holds a LLM from the University of Westminster. His research areas are sustainable development, responsible business conduct and multi-stakeholder partnerships.
*This publication was funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Academy of European Integrations and Negotiations and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
Akcioni plan za Zajedničko regionalno tržište (CRM) 2021-2024 i Akcioni plan za provedbu Sofijske delkaracije o Zelenoj agendi za Zapadni Balkan (GAWB) za period 2021-2030 dobili su podršku lidera šest zemalja Zapadnog Balkana — Albanije, Bosne i Hercegovine, Kosova[1], Crne Gore, Sjeverne Makedonije , i Srbije — tokom samita Berlinskog procesa održanog u Sofiji 10. novembra 2020.
CRM akcioni plan se sastoji od ciljanih aktivnosti u četiri ključne oblasti :
Regionalni trgovinski prostor: slobodno kretanje robe, usluga, kapitala i ljudi;
Regionalni investicioni prostor: bolje investicione politike utemeljene na standardima EU i promovisanje regiona kao jedinstvene destinacije za za investiranje
Regionalni digitalno prostor: integrisanje Zapadnog Balkana u panevropsko digitalno tržište; i
Regionalni industrijski i inovacioni prostor: unapređenje industrijske i inovacione infrastrukuture.
GAWB akcioni plan fokusira se na pet ključnih oblasti:
Dekarbonizacija
Cirkularna ekonomija
Eliminisanje zagađenja
Održiva poljoprivreda
Zaštita prirode i biodiverziteta
Izvještaj prikazuje nivo implementacije za:
Regionalni digitalni prostor iz Akcionog plana za Zajedničko regionalno tržište, i
Dekarbonizaciju iz Akcioni plan Zelenu agendu za Zapadni Balkan u Bosni i Hercegovini.
Desk istraživanje/analiza dokumentacije uzima u obzir izvještaje o napretku Vijeća za regionalnu saradnju (RCC), izvještaje Transportne zajednice, kao i informacije sa zvaničnih institucionalnih web stranica i korespodenciju sa predstavnicima relevantnih institucija.
[1]Ova oznaka ne dovodi u pitanje stavove o statusu i u skladu je sa Rezolucijom SB UN 1244/1999 i Mišljenjem Međunarodnog suda pravde o proglašenju nezavisnosti Kosova
During the last decade the European integration process of the Western Balkans has proceeded rather slowly, leading to disappointment and disillusion among the local population. The governments’ delivering on reform agendas has been characterized of hiccup progress and over time thousands of people –many highly qualified- have decided to move out of their countries and settle for study or work purposes in EU member states.
According to Eurostat, out of 236.000 first residence permits issued by the EU member states in 2021 to Western Balkan and Turkish citizens, 23% are Albanians, followed by 19% Serbians and 14% from Bosnia and Herzegovina. When compared to the residence permits issued back in 2013, the figures are almost doubled, with a constant haemorrhage of work force moving out of the region. Focusing particularly on Albania, the preferred destinations of the last five years remain Germany and France, with respectively almost 77.000 and 33.000 new residence permits issued only in 2021.
In front of the Russian aggression still ongoing in Ukraine, the reinvigoration of the enlargement process in 2023 has provided for an opportunity to defy the status quo in the region. In particular, the Berlin Process is moving forward the promotion of enlargement objectives in the Balkans, thanks also to the Union’s recently adopted growth plan for the region. The Berlin Process seeks to provide a concrete mechanism that can push forward the operationalization of regional cooperation in concrete policy areas among the six countries.
By focusing on concrete initiatives that transversally cross the interests of the countries of the region, the Berlin Process today is paving the way towards the regional economic integration, as well as to its prospective integration into the EU Single Market – considered a clear carrot for the reforms. This is a significative development that can contribute to delineating a revived perspective for the younger generations to remain in their countries. Aware that the EU membership will take time, via the sectoral integration in the EU Single Market, the region’s inhabitants will have the chance to ripe off the first benefits from the implementation of the four freedoms, namely the freedom of movement of citizens, goods, capitals and services.
Regional mobility agreements
The coupling of the current demographic decline and youth migration trends from the region has raised serious concerns not only for the work and life perspective of the younger generations, but also for the future of the WB6 countries and the region in a mid- to long-term perspective. The WB6 leaders to a certain extent have understood that there is no time left to lose and the moment has come to turn their verbal promises into tangible results.
“Our young people want a brighter, more optimistic future. A future that is fair, prosperous and full of opportunities”, declared Charles Michel, President of the European Council, during the Summit of the leaders in Tirana on 15 October.
The Chair’s Conclusions adopted at the 2023 summit recognize that the advancement of a gradual integration at the regional level of the WB6 education, science and youth policies, as well as within the wider EU space, reflects a grounded demand raised by the youngsters in different occasions. In this regard, the Western Balkans Youth Forum declaration 2023 -an annual event that sees the participation of youth representatives from the region-, highlights two essential cross-cutting themes, namely the issue of quality education and youth mobility.
Reinforcing connectivity in education matters remains key to derail from the current worrying trends in the Western Balkans, as well as to fuelling hope that everyone can be a “European citizen” in his/her home country. The improvement of existing practices and boosting of new regional initiatives are expected to positively affect young people’s skills development and civic participation, with positive spill-over effects on greater public awareness and democracy enhancement at the domestic level.
At the Summit of Sofia back in November 2020, the WB6 governments, facilitated by the European Commission, embarked on the establishment of a Common Regional Market, which mirrors the Union’s single market and related four freedoms. In this framework, after two years of negotiations, in 2022 it was made possible the signature of three mobility agreements, namely: (i) on recognition of higher education qualifications; (ii) on recognition of professional qualifications for doctors of medicine, dentists and architects; and, (iii) on freedom of movement with identity cards. A fourth agreement on the recognition of professional qualifications for nurses, veterinary surgeons, midwives and pharmacists was signed during this year’s summit of the Berlin Process in Tirana.
The recognition of higher education qualifications in multiple countries in the wider European space remains a vital development for many professionals, since it facilitates brain circulation, capacity-building as well as integration in other local societies beyond the national borders. In the globalized context where we are living in, ensuring the adoption of such practices is two-fold convenient for any government, as it opens up the local market to incoming specialized fluxes of professionals as well as it contributes to its integration to those of other economies. Nonetheless, the direct beneficiaries of these agreements are young professionals in the early stage of their career, who seek to gain international experience, technical knowledge and new skills, in line with the requests of the job market.
The signature of these agreements is seen as a breakthrough for region’s cooperation and economic integration, which fosters trust between the local societies and overcomes ethnic divisions and hate. The inclusion of these agreements within the wider framework of Common Regional Market sends a positive signal to the constituencies that there is a political will to bring forward the process of deeper regional economic integration and create new opportunities for the younger generations.
“The concerted efforts we put towards mutual recognition of a new set of professions, which now amount to 7 in total, fully based on EU rules – is another symbolic entry ticket to the single market as it can be a crucial step towards recognition of professional qualifications with the EU”, noted Majlinda Bregu, Secretary General of Regional Cooperation Council.
The removal of obstacles for these categories of professionals and the free movement with ID cards contribute to boosting region’s competitiveness and growth, as a first step towards the greater ambition to join the EU Single Market. The process of economic growth and competitiveness, expansion of the regional job market goes hand in hand with the human resources’ development.
In this perspective, an important contribution is expected from the recently adopted New Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, which targets the economic convergence of the region. Within this ambitious plan of measures, which is accompanied by a 6 billion euros financial envelop, due attention has been paid to the pillars on the free movement of services and workers. The priority action on the recognition of skills and qualifications between the WB6 and the EU builds on the four mobility agreements already signed in the context of Common Regional Market, which will lead to wider a reduction of time and costs for the process as well as an equal treatment of those youngsters graduated in the WB countries and in the rest of the European space. This priority action makes it easier for youth to move abroad for study or mobility purposes, removing the existing barriers to learning and working. Furthermore, it contributes also to bringing closer the Balkan graduates with their peers around EU, and incentivizes the brain circulation process. Differently from the past, the future generations are expected to be more prone to acquiring new experiences in multiple countries throughout their lifespan, and the new knowledge can lead to positive spill-over effects for the WB6 convergence. Now it remains to be seen which are the specific measures that will encourage and financially support the youngsters to move in the region for given period of time. Certainly, some financial schemes are deemed essential for the spin off phase of regional mobility, which will later on generate new spill-over effects on the national economies.
The leaders of tomorrow: Better education and skills
2023 is being celebrated across Europe as the European Year of Skills, with the aim to boost a new momentum and specific attention to all those policy initiatives that promote quality education, technical knowledge as well as address skills shortage in the job market.
Under the Berlin Process framework, particular attention has been paid over time to youth, education and research, recognizing the importance that access to education and removal of barriers to learning are contributing factors to region’s overall development. On the same line stand also the Commission’s New Growth Plan that seeks to prioritize the shared commitment to include the Western Balkans in the wider European Education Area and bridge close cooperation between academic institutions.
An important advocacy work in this direction has been done by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), a Balkan-wide non-governmental body born out of the Berlin Process. An analysis of RYCO annual youth forum conclusions shows that youth constantly demand for more empowerment and collaboration with the decision-makers so as to bring forward the issue of better education, which in turn would allow for greater chances of employment and better quality of life.
As noted also in the Chair’s Conclusions of 2023, region’s youth recognize the importance of and underlines the need to take actions on “strengthening and expanding current regional mechanisms and EU schemes to further benefit youth mobility and cultural exchanges in the Western Balkans”. Such investments would be beneficial for their personal skills development as well as general reconciliation of the region. However, none of such opportunities would be materialized if the region’s government do not allocate adequate funding to improving existing infrastructure and supporting the access of different categories of the society.
Quality education and accessibility should be offered to anyone, for a just and equal society. In this perspective, the opening of the third branch of the College of Europe in Tirana and the issuing of more than 15 scholarships out of 31 places is commendable since it allows greater accessibility based on personal achievements and merits. The postgraduate studies at the College will both prepare new professionals on the EU integration process -a sensitive issue for the current public administrations of the Balkans that suffer from a lack of skills-, as well as will bring closer youngsters coming from the region and beyond. Moreover, it is a new initiative to reverse the general trend of educational mobility, as the region’s youth is not the only one migrating for study purposes in the EU member states, but also their citizens are coming to the Balkans. While in political terms this new trend contributes to the improvement of the image of the region, in practice it is also beneficial for mutual cooperation and understanding.
One step at a time
The signature of three agreements on the recognition of the higher education qualifications and given professional qualifications marks a positive step forward, since it facilitates the administrative procedures for the recognition of the degree in the other countries. Once the agreements enter into force, the approval process will last up to fourteen days and there will be no processing fees for the applicants. The main beneficiaries will be the students, academic staff and in general professionals interested in acquiring new experiences and technical skills in the region. The specific procedures of diploma recognition in each country will be made available in the respective websites of the ministries dealing with education portfolio, once the agreements enter into force.
The higher the mobility of human resources in the region is expected to lead to greater competitiveness between the countries, pushing so each government to invest more in making the respective country more attractive in terms of social security benefits, improved working conditions, competitive wages, etc.
Furthermore, in face of the digitalisation process that is currently taking place in Europe, particular categories of professionals active in the IT sector can be among the first beneficiaries of the mobility agreements, since the request for such expertise and technical capacities ranks high in the Balkans and beyond.
At the moment, the ratification of the mobility agreements is progressing, although initially with a slow pace. This year’s agreement concerning nurses, pharmacists, etc. has not entered yet the ratification procedures in any of the six countries. Whereas regarding the previous three agreements, Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia have successfully concluded the ratification process. In the case of Montenegro, the three agreements got ratified by the parliament in mid-December 2023 and within a short period of time the President will sign them. Finally, in Bosnia and Herzegovina the situation is somehow more complexed due to the multi-level governing system between the national authorities and the federations. Bosnia and Herzegovina concluded the ratification process of the two agreements on the recognition of academic qualifications and of the professional qualifications of doctors of medicine, dentists and architects, but there is no progress regarding the one on travelling with ID cards. The resistance comes from the authorities of Republika Srpska due to the non-recognition of Kosovo’s independence Herzegovina.
In conclusion, young people from the region and youth organizations in general should continue to monitor and advocate for a swift ratification and implementation of the mobility agreements. This is only a first step that will allow to the young professionals to start gaining some experience and skills in the region. The second step is to continue advocating for financial supporting schemes that allow to everyone to participate in the educational and/or professional experiences in the region, besides the recognition of the social security contributions accumulated during one’s temporary stays in the six countries of the region.
About the Author
Gentiola Madhi works as researcher and media writer at OBC Transeuropa in Italy. She has an extensive research experience in the Balkans, focusing on regional cooperation and European integration process, with a particular attention on youth and civil society dimension. Gentiola is part of the first cohort of AIEN alumni and regularly contributes with policy analyses and talks. She graduated from the College of Europe (Belgium) and the University of Florence (Italy).
*This publication was funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the Academy of European Integrations and Negotiations and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
U sklopu projekta “Parlamentarna diplomatija – Regionalna saradnja kroz unapređenje parlamentarnog dijaloga”, Mreža progresivnih inicijativa je 19. decembra 2023. godine u Parlamentarnoj skupštini Bosne i Hercegovine organizovala okrugli sto na temu “Berlinski proces – novi Plan rasta”.
Na ovom sastanku su zastupnici i zastupnice Parlamentarne skupštine Bosne i Hercegovine (PS BIH), Parlamenta Federacije BiH te Skupštine Kantona Sarajevo, zajedno sa parlamentarnim osobljem, imali priliku razgovarati o glavnim pitanjima koja utiču na procese u regionu, uključujući digitalnu transformaciju, ekološke izazove i ekonomski razvoj. Diskusija je bila usmjerena na pronalaženje efikasnih načina za implementaciju obaveza i inicijativa koje su neophodne za postizanje ciljeva Berlinskog procesa. Posebna pažnja je posvećena potrebi za unapređenjem infrastrukture, kao i razvojem održivih i zelenih tehnologija koje su neophodne za bolju budućnost regiona.
Ključni govornici bili su Amer Kapetanović, šef Političkog odjela Regionalnog vijeća za saradnju (RCC), koji je iznio najvažnije komponente novog Plana rasta za Zapadni Balkan, te Amel Kovačević, generalni direktor BH Telecoma, koji je govorio o prednostima Deklaracije o roamingu između EU i Zapadnog Balkana te dao uvid u trenutnu situaciju i planove u telekomunikacijskom sektoru.
Projekat “Parlamentarna diplomatija – Regionalna saradnja kroz unapređenje parlamentarnog dijaloga”, kojeg finansira Ministarstvo vanjskih poslova SR Njemačke, se generalno fokusira na Berlinski proces, odnosno na Zajedničko regionalno tržište i Zelenu agendu. Sveobuhvatni cilj projekta je unapređenje regionalne saradnje na više nivoa u cilju konsolidacije i održavanja dinamike procesa evropskih integracija. U tom kontekstu, na sastanku su predstavljeni i prvi nalazi monitoring izvještaja za Bosnu i Hercegovinu koji se tiče implementacije aktivnosti iz Regionalnog digitalnog područja iz Akcionog plana za Zajedničko regionalno tržište, kao i Područja dekarbonizacije iz Akcionog plana za Zelenu agendu.
Posljedni komentari