News

On 20 November 2025, the 8th Steering Committee Meeting (SCM) of the HAPE Project was held, providing an opportunity to present the project’s main achievements and outline key commitments for 2026. The meeting was co-chaired by Ms. Fotini Antonopoulou, who has recently succeeded Mr. Massimo Prozzo as EU Projects Coordinator at the European Union Office in Kosovo (EUOK), and Mrs Merita Vidishiqi, representing M. Ron Krasniqi, Acting Head of Division for Policy Coordination within the Department of European Integration, International Cooperation and Policy Coordination (DEICPC) at the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA). The meeting brought together high-level representatives of beneficiary institutions, including Colonel Dejan Jankovic, Deputy Director General of the Kosovo Police (KP), and Mr. Rafet Halimi, Prosecutor at the Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPO). Representatives from several departments of the MIA and the Kosovo Police were also present, including Intervention Units (drones and water border control unit), Border Police, Forensic Police, and the Intelligence and Analysis Department (DIA). Participants included representatives of the Police Inspectorate of Kosovo (PIK), the Kosovo Forensic Agency (KFA), the Kosovo Public Security Academy (KAPS), and the Kosovo Judicial Academy (KJA). Members of the project consortium attended the meeting, including Mr. Giorgio Butini from the Italian Ministry of the Interior, and, remotely, Ms. Maria Angulo from CIVIPOL, the international technical operator for the French Ministry of the Interior. Representatives of other international partners were also present, such as the US Embassy (INL project), the UK Embassy, the EU Office, the OSCE and the EU4FAST project. The Steering Committee reviewed the project’s achievements covering the period from July to October 2025 and discussed the outlook for the 8th Work Plan, spanning from November 2025 to May 2026. During the presentation of activities, it was underlined that the HAPE project has significantly strengthened its support to beneficiary institutions, particularly through the delivery of new training courses within the Kosovo Police, aligned with the training reference framework. The reporting period represented the most intensive phase since the project’s launch in 2023. Activities focused on aligning legal and institutional frameworks with EU best practices and standards, while enhancing the operational capacities of beneficiary institutions. These efforts contribute directly to strengthening the rule of law and combating organised crime in Kosovo. In closing, Ms. Fotini Antonopoulou announced that the current work plan will be extended until May 2026, coinciding with the official end date of the HAPE project, which began in March 2023. She further noted that a study is currently underway with beneficiary institutions to explore the possibility of extending the project within the remaining available budget.