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As part of its action aimed at strengthening and implementing the Integrity Plan, the HAPE project organised two training sessions for the eight regions of the Kosovo Police, focusing on conflicts of interest and whistleblower protection. More than 200 police officers participated in these two sessions. Interpretation in Albanian and Serbian was also provided by the project. For the delivery of these training sessions, the HAPE project engaged an expert from Civipol, who provided technical and operational expertise based on European Union standards and best practices. The objective of the trainings was to enhance participants’ understanding of the legal, ethical related risks, and to promote a culture of integrity, transparency and accountability within the Kosovo Police.

Training Content

1. EU definition of conflicts of interest and whistleblower framework
The training started with a presentation of the European Union definition of conflicts of interest, including the key principles applicable to public officials. In parallel, the European and national frameworks on whistleblower protection were presented, with particular emphasis on rights, safeguards, institutional obligations and internal and external reporting channels.

2. Participant engagement and identification of risk situations
Initial interaction with participants was ensured through simple and practical questions based on everyday professional situations, encouraging reflection and highlighting the potential existence of conflicts of interest or situations that may require reporting. Attention was given to the declaration of conflicts of interest and to the role of whistleblowers in preventing and detecting integrity breaches.

3. Knowledge assessment – multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ)
A multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) was used to assess participants’ understanding of:

4. Practical approach – scenario-based exercises
Scenario-based practical exercises enabled participants to:

Conclusion

The training sessions generated active participation and constructive exchanges. They strengthened participants’ capacity to prevent, identify and manage conflicts of interest, as well as to understand and apply reporting mechanisms and whistleblower protection, thereby contributing to the effective implementation of the Integrity Plan, in line with European Union standards and best practices. The feedback received from the Kosovo authorities has been very positive, highlighting the relevance, practical value and operational impact of the training sessions.

• the identification of conflicts of interest;
• declaration obligations;
• reporting mechanisms and whistleblower protection.

• distinguish between an ethical breach, a conflict of interest, and a situation requiring whistleblowing;
• analyse facts and legally qualify the situations presented;
• determine the appropriate measures and sanctions, as well as the reporting procedures to be activated while ensuring the protection of whistleblowers.

In January 2026, the HAPE Project launched an important initiative aimed at strengthening the protection of Critical Infrastructures (CI) in Kosovo through a structured Basic Training program for institutional staff. The training began on 12 January and will run until 24 April 2026, bringing together the division of critical infrastructure within the department of public safety at the MIA and key institutions responsible for safeguarding critical infrastructures.

Participants in this program include representatives from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), Kosovo Police (KP), the Emergency Management Agency (EMA), the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Environment, as well as a Private Security Company active in the field of CI protection. The training is designed to enhance cooperation, coordination, and practical understanding among institutions that play a role in protecting vital national systems and services.

During the training, special attention was given to the National Risk Assessment process, helping institutions better identify potential threats and vulnerabilities and define appropriate protective measures for the national CI plan. In parallel, participants are also reviewing the draft Law on Critical Infrastructure, discussing its practical implications and sharing institutional perspectives that may contribute to its further development.

Another key component of the training is strengthening the interinstitutional coordination mechanism, which is essential for effective communication, information sharing, and joint action among relevant authorities and sectorial bodies.

The training also introduces participants to the main requirements of the EU Directive 2022/2557 on the resilience of critical entities, as well as the NIS 2 Directive related to cybersecurity and network resilience. Through this initiative, the overall goal is to ensure strong institutional cooperation and comprehensive support for the protection of Critical Infrastructure in Kosovo.

The HAPE Project, in cooperation with the Kosovo Justice Academy (KJA), organized a two-day training session bringing together judges, prosecutors, police investigators and inspectors to strengthen their practical skills in Investigation and Prosecution of Economic Crimes.

The training was delivered jointly by KJA trainer and HAPE Project Italian experts (including a prosecutor and police investigators).

A total of 28 participants were trained consisting of:

The training focused on practical approaches to financial investigations, asset tracing, use of special investigative measures, and inter-institutional cooperation to ensure more effective and coordinated responses to economic crime in Kosovo.

The participants highly appreciated the Italian expertise and practical insights shared during the sessions.

• 18 Prosecutors coming from Basic Prosecution Offices across seven Kosovo regions, the Appellate Prosecutor’s Office, and the Special Prosecution Office
• 1 Judge from the Basic Court
• 7 Police investigators from the Kosovo Police
• 2 Police inspectors from Police Inspectorate of Kosovo

The European Union’s Home Affairs Programme in Kosovo (HAPE) successfully delivered the second training on international police and judicial cooperation on 21 and 22 October 2025 in Pristina. The activity, aimed at strengthening cross-border collaboration in criminal matters, brought together law enforcement and judicial officials from Kosovo and Albania. The training was designed and led by short-term experts Maurizio Varanese, Chief Inspector of the Italian Police, and Emanuele Marchisio, an Italian Prosecutor, alongside Mr. Marco Mosele, Judicial Cooperation Officer from Eurojust. Participants engaged in interactive sessions combining theoretical and practical components focused on Schengen instruments, international coordination mechanisms, and the establishment of Joint Investigation Teams (JITs). This initiative is part of HAPE’s ongoing commitment to support Kosovo authorities in enhancing operational and legal capacities for effective international police and judicial cooperation, contributing to stronger regional security and justice cooperation frameworks.

HAPE project organized and delivered an advanced training to Kosovo Police Water Border Control Unit (WBCU) with the support of a highly qualified French expert. The team consisted of Kosovo Border Police and Kosovo Customs in order to make the training as close as possible to real joint patrols between the two Kosovo authorities. This was the second training session provided by HAPE project following the initial training delivered in July 2025. The joint team was equipped with two powerful inflatable boats -one received through a donation and the other from criminal assets seized by police. This made it possible to conduct joint exercises between KP and Customs in real nautical environment. The final training session, lasting for two weeks and was held at Batlava Lake, where a new dedicated floating dock was also installed to support hands-on exercises during the training. The objective of the training was to enhance navigation and practical skills in waterborne joint operations. A total of 16 officers – 10 from KP and 6 from Kosovo Customs – participated to the advanced training. The training covered a wide range of essential competencies, including safe approaches and manoeuvres to surround a vessel, before taking control and conducting inspection, ensuring professional standards for waterborne patrol operations, etc. Special emphasis was placed on teamwork, situational awareness, and coordination of boats in different scenarios. Participants from both the Kosovo Police and Kosovo Customs demonstrated a strong motivation and engagement throughout the joint activities. Following these training sessions and the previous capacity building intervention provided by HAPE, the WBCU now has the capacity to independently conduct joint operations on Kosovo’s lakes. This activity reflects HAPE’s continued commitment to strengthening operational capacities and inter-agency cooperation of Kosovo law enforcement authorities, in line with European standards for border security and public safety.

HAPE project delivered the third week of training on Drone Operation to Kosovo Police (KP) and Kosovo Customs. This was the first-ever specialized training delivered by very highly trained French experts – 2 were trainers of trainers for drone and anti-drone units in the French Police Academy and 1 was a technical training expert and drone operator-pilot from a crowd management unit in France. They were also involved in ensuring the safety of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The training participants consisted of 5 policemen from KP Drone Unit, 1 from KP anti-drug unit and 2 agents from Kosovo Customs. Participants demonstrated a high level of interest and motivation. The training covered a wide range of essential knowledge and operational and technical skills for the professional use of drones for KP and Customs. The aim of the training was to train a group of pilots and operator-pilots, with high professionalism and technical know-how. The objective of the training is to certify the participants as drone pilots and operator-pilots, enhancing their practical skills in the operational use of drones for crowd management and judicial investigations. The five-week training program is taking place at Camp Vrella and in the city of Prishtina. The first one-week module focused on the study of drone legislation and regulations, including EU civil and military standards and KFOR regulations for Kosovo’s airspace. The second two-week module enabled all participants to become certified drone pilots. The third and final two-week module, scheduled for the end of October and November 2025, will focus on operational exercises in crowd management and the use of drones in judicial investigations. This activity reflects HAPE’s continued commitment to strengthening operational capacity and inter-agency cooperation among KP and other Law enforcement agencies (LEAs), in line with European standards for public safety.

The Home Affairs Programme of the European Union in Kosovo (HAPE) Project, successfully concluded a two-day High-Level Workshop on Non-Conviction-Based Confiscation (NCBC). The initiative was attended by senior representatives of the Government of Kosovo, the judiciary, and law enforcement agencies, together with the European Union and experts from EU Member States.

The workshop featured keynote interventions on the Italian and French models, operational insights from Eurojust, and practical case studies illustrating the added value of NCBC in asset recovery and judicial cooperation from Special Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Structure of Albania, as well as, senior representatives of Kosovar institutions, the European Commission, judicial and law enforcement authorities from EU Member States.

The event was conceived as a high-level institutional forum to stimulate debate on this strategic issue, present comparative European models, and consolidate cross-border cooperation in the fight against organised crime and corruption. It aims to support Kosovo in strengthening its asset recovery system and aligning it with European standards in the fight against organised crime and corruption

In their opening remarks, Ms. Ilaria Renelli, HAPE Project Team Leader highlighted the importance of “follow the money” principle in financial investigation and asset recovery, Mr. Jarmo Feliks Helppikangas, Head of Rule of Law & Legal, Human Rights, European Union Special Representative in Kosovo, stressed the importance of asset confiscation as a cornerstone of rule-of-law reforms and a key element of Kosovo’s EU integration path. Whereas, Kosovo Acting Minister of Justice, Mr. Blerim Sallahu, underlined Kosovo’s determination to advance reforms that increase the effectiveness of confiscation mechanisms and close existing gaps in the legal framework.

The agenda featured contributions from leading European practitioners, including:

Mr. Filippo Romano, Secretary-General, Italian National Anti-Corruption Authority (ANAC)
Mr. Aldo Ingangi, Magistrate, Eurojust
General Vincenzo Molinese, Commander, Carabinieri Special Operations Department (ROS)
General Antonio Nicola Quintavalle Cecere, Guardia di Finanza, SCICO
Mr. Altin Dumani, Chief Prosecutor, SPAK (Albania)
Mr. Frédéric Copero, French Judicial Police

Over the course of two days, participants examined comparative approaches from Italy, France and Albania; assess Kosovo’s specific institutional and legal challenges; and identified priority steps for the introduction and operationalisation of NCBC in Kosovo.

This initiative builds on the 2024 European Commission Report on Kosovo, which called for enhanced confiscation mechanisms, particularly in high-level corruption and complex financial crime cases. By the conclusion of the workshop, Kosovo and its partners aim to reinforce inter-agency cooperation, strengthen institutional readiness, and set a roadmap for reforms in line with the EU acquis.

From 7 to 11 July 2025, under the auspices of the European Union’s Home Affairs Programme in Kosovo (HAPE), a specialized training aimed at enhancing international police and judicial cooperation was successfully delivered in Pristina. The initiative aligns with HAPE’s ongoing efforts to support Kosovo authorities in strengthening cross-border collaboration in criminal matters. The training, held on 8 and 9 July 2025 at Hotel Sirius in Pristina, was designed and led by short-term experts Maurizio Varanese, Chief Inspector of the Italian Police, and Angela Continisio, an Italian Prosecutor, alongside Mr. Marco Mosele, Judicial Cooperation Officer from Eurojust. A total of 15 law enforcement representatives attended, including ten from Kosovo Police and five from the North Macedonia Police. Participants engaged in an intensive programme combining theoretical insights with practical exercises based on a detailed and realistic cross-border criminal scenario. Key topics addressed included the application of Schengen instruments such as hot pursuit and cross-border surveillance, the role of international bodies like EUROPOL and EUROJUST in facilitating cooperation, as well as the establishment and management of Joint Investigation Teams (JITs). The training facilitated in-depth exploration of legislative frameworks, procedures, and operational tools necessary for effective international cooperation. Participants gained hands-on experience through simulated operational meetings, enhancing their capacity to organize and coordinate cross-border investigative activities. In parallel, HAPE experts initiated a preliminary assessment of Kosovo’s existing domestic legal instruments and operational mechanisms that enable effective international police and judicial cooperation. Constructive meetings were held with senior police and judicial officials, providing valuable insights and laying the groundwork for future improvements in Kosovo’s cooperation framework. The training concluded successfully, with participants demonstrating strong engagement and a significant increase in both theoretical understanding and practical operational skills. Additional trainings and consultations will be conducted in October and November 2025, further consolidating Kosovo’s capacity in international criminal cooperation. The HAPE Project remains committed to fostering regional stability through enhanced law enforcement and judicial collaboration.