Economy

Turkey, Erdogan in search of lost consensus

12/01/2023 -  Chiara Maritato

Twenty-one years after the serious economic and financial crisis of 2001 that accompanied its rise, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) presents itself for the electoral appointment in June in a context of full economic and social turmoil

Croatia, the Euro and the treble

10/01/2023 -  Giovanni Vale Zagreb

For the Croatian government, 2022 was the year of the objectives achieved: entry into Schengen, the single currency, and the Peljesac bridge. But if the Croatian authorities celebrate the treble, the population looks with concern at the arrival of the single currency

North Macedonia, citizens oppose the opening of mines

27/12/2022 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

Civil society organizations in North Macedonia have been fighting against the opening of new copper and gold mines for years. Citizens have collected documentation and evidence that mining will seriously damage the environment

Armenian and Georgian workers: war drives them away from Russia

07/12/2022 -  Armine Avetisyan

This year, the number of people who left Armenia to work in Russia decreased by 20,000. The number of migrant workers leaving for Russia from Georgia has also decreased slightly. The main reason is war

Start-ups in Albania: a young but promising ecosystem

29/11/2022 -  Serena Epis

The start-up sector in Albania is relatively young, yet it has big innovation potential, especially in the ICT industry. An interview with Arjan Ymer, director of the business incubator Oficina

Kosovo, making the best use of innovation potential

17/11/2022 -  Ornaldo Gjergji

Kosovo is growing fast in the field of innovation, but the strong potential of the sector is currently not being used as much as it deserves. We talked about it with Uranik Begu, director of the Innovation Center Kosovo

Revythoussa, the islet of gas

16/11/2022 -  Mary Drosopoulos Thessaloniki

Τhe islet of Revythoussa is a small, barren piece of land in the Gulf of Megara, west of Athens. There would be nothing special about this place, except it has become the only LNG terminal in Greece and a strategic energy stronghold for the wider Balkan region

Innovation in the Western Balkans, looking for stars

02/11/2022 -  Francesco Martino

Supporting the development of young and innovative businesses in the Western Balkans. This is the objective of the Star Venture programme of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. We talked about it with regional coordinator Dejan Tonic

Fair farming, Emilia Romagna and northern Albania

25/11/2022 -  Davide Sighele

RuralAlbania, a project to support small agricultural producers in northern Albania, started in September. It follows up on strong preexisting relationships, and one of the first initiatives was a study visit

Promoting innovation in Albania: the role of academia

27/10/2022 -  Serena Epis

Innovation clusters that involve relevant stakeholders, from public authorities to the private sector and academia are key to reducing brain drain and promoting local development. We talked about it with Jolta Kacani, professor at the University of Tirana

Croatia hits the gas

18/10/2022 -  Giovanni Vale

Croatia is preparing to become a regional gas supply centre thanks to the regasification plant inaugurated on the island of Krk in 2021. The Plenkovic government rejoices over Zagreb's renewed strategic-energy role, but environmentalists disagree entirely

Gaming in Serbia: unity is strength

27/10/2022 -  Francesco Martino

The gaming industry in Serbia is growing exponentially. More and more companies in the sector are growing thanks to mutual collaboration. We interviewed Kristina Janković Obućina, director of the Serbian Game Association

From Thessaloniki to Izmir, the friendship ferry

13/10/2022 -  Mary Drosopoulos Thessaloniki

Against the backdrop of growing tensions between Greece and Turkey, a positive counter-signal comes from the sea: the first regular ferry was recently launched between the cities of Thessaloniki and Izmir

The economic impact of the Russian exodus in Armenia and Georgia

07/10/2022 -  Armine Avetisyan

Injection of new money into local economic systems, inflation of the real estate market, inaccessible rental houses: the Russians on the run are already changing the Armenian and Georgian economies

European Cohesion Funds and environmental sustainability in the Balkans

27/09/2022 -  Klaudijo Klaser

In the last seven-year period of European cohesion funds, many billions of Euros have already been allocated to environmental protection. 9 went to the EU countries of South East Europe

"Novi Sad on water", concrete and protests along the Danube

22/09/2022 -  Marco Ranocchiari

After Belgrade, Novi Sad. The new urban plan threatens the banks of the Danube and a natural area that "lets the river breathe", essential in case of flooding. The city administration continues at full speed along the concrete road

Astypalea, the first ‘smart & sustainable island’ in the Mediterranean

13/09/2022 -  Mary Drosopoulos

On a remote island of the Aegean, thanks to a public-private collaboration and European funds, an innovative sustainable mobility system is being developed

European food companies break their plastics promises

12/09/2022 -  Kira Schacht

Two-thirds of pledges to go greener on plastic fail or are dropped, a DW investigation has found. Here's how European food and drink companies break their own commitments, and how legislation might hold them accountable

The EU cohesion policy has been allocated 392 billion Euros for 2021-2027: ready to go?

02/09/2022 -  Gentiola Madhi

Over the past year, many EU countries have signed partnership agreements with the European Commission for cohesion. What is it about? How are the countries of Southeast Europe doing?

Balkans: slow Internet and unspent cohesion funds

23/08/2022 -  Ornaldo Gjergji

The Balkan countries are struggling to keep up with the rest of Europe in terms of Internet connection speed. The only exception is Romania, which - not surprisingly - is the country in the area that is best able to spend cohesion funds on ICT

Cyprus: halloumi diplomacy

16/08/2022 -  Mary Drosopoulos Nicosia

In Cyprus, cooperating across the lines that divide Greeks and Turks is always complicated. Also thanks to EU intervention, however, halloumi cheese – one of the symbols of the island – is once again a heritage shared by the two communities

Cohesion policies in Europe: 31.5 billion Euros for Romania

25/08/2022 -  Laura Girardi

18 EU countries, including Romania, have already signed a partnership agreement with the European Commission for cohesion funds. Now the country can work on individual programmes

Economy and morality on the long way towards reconciliation in Cyprus

09/08/2022 -  Mary Drosopoulos Nicosia

First the pandemic, now the price crisis have been increasingly pushing the Greek and Turkish communities of Cyprus to cross the de facto boundaries that divide them and to interact, despite the persistence of prejudices and mutual distrust. A reportage from the island

Slovenia: shaping the future sustainability of mountain areas

04/08/2022 -  Gentiola Madhi

Cohesion funds can generate a new momentum for the development of mountain areas in Slovenia. Two out of five policy objectives in force until 2027 provide an important financial stimulus to improve public services and life quality of local communities, while preserving nature

Novska wants to become the "Silicon Valley" of Croatia

22/08/2022 -  Klaudijo Klaser

An incubator for start-ups and companies operating in the video game industry: this was the goal of a project financed thanks to the EU cohesion policy – one that has hit the mark

Zagreb: "Zicer", where startups grow up

21/07/2022 -  Giovanni Vale Zagreb

In 2017, "Zicer" was born in Zagreb, the Center for Innovation, a municipality space designed to develop and support innovative companies. Zicer is now home to about eighty companies and is the flagship of the city. We talked about it with director Frane Sesnic

South East Europe: investments in innovation are not enough

14/07/2022 -  Gianluca De Feo

Within the EU, the Balkan countries are among those that invest less in research and innovation. European funds make a positive contribution, but the gap with the rest of Europe still tends to widen. The reasons are manifold

The EU macro-regions: building redevelopment and environmental protection

20/06/2022 -  Serena Epis

Energy efficiency and renovation programmes in the building sector are crucial to achieve the 2050 climate neutrality target envisaged by the European Commission. This topic was discussed in a stakeholder session during the European Macro-Regions Week 2022

North Macedonia, a wave of strikes

13/06/2022 -  Aleksandar Samardjiev Tetovo

The adjustment of the minimum wage in the private sector – wanted by the Skopje government and subsidised by the state – has led to strikes and protests in the public sector. The discontent is driven by high inflation. Some experts claim the risk of negative repercussions on the state budget

Trains in Romania: the last hopes lie in the PNRR

14/06/2022 -  Mihaela Iordache

Poor infrastructure, little maintenance. The Romanian railways are in bad shape even though the network is among the longest in Europe. Will the local PNRR reverse course?