Country or Region: Western Balkans

Sector: Strategy and Policy Analysis

Client: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)

There are various modalities through which SDC and SECO channel funds and assistance to partner countries. After more than 20 years of engagement in Western Balkans, SDC is interested to review and assess its aid modalities, analyse their effectiveness on contributing to strengthening partners’ systems, considering latest developments, practice in the field and with a view to prepare the new Law on Cooperation with the East that shall be submitted to the Parliament in 2023.

The objective of the survey was to take stock of experiences, best practices, challenges and potential of “using country systems” in Western Balkan Countries as well as in selected DCEE countries (inspired by the cooperation approach with EU’s new Member states EMS), with a view to informing the post 2024 transition support in the Western Balkans and inspire the ongoing elaboration of the new Cooperation Programmes for Albania, Serbia and Kosovo.