At the 5^th Steering Committee, (SC) of the regional action on “Enhancing co-operation in the Western Balkans in managing violent extremism in prisons and preventing further radicalisation after release”, partners and beneficiaries confirmed their joint commitment to bring forward sustainability in the efforts to counter violent extremism and prevent radicalisation in prisons.. During the meeting held in an online format, beneficiaries from the Western Balkans (WB) including representatives from the ministries of justice, prison and probation systems and respective countering violent extremism (P/CVE) co-ordinator offices, reflected on the action’s accomplishments, discussed ongoing challenges and planned activities, and unanimously supported the project workplan for the next six months. The representative of the Council of Europe’s Cooperation in Police and Deprivation of Liberty Division greeted the SC members and underlined that the security threats related to terrorism and violent extremism are still present  and urged the SC members to remain vigilant and continue with the efforts in preventing and responding to these threats. Moreover, he reiterated that the Council of Europe will continue to support the Beneficiaries in the region by enhancing penitentiary capacities and providing necessary tools to effectively address  the deradicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration of violent extremist prisoners VEPs. This support also includes strengthening the human resource capacities of professionals working with not only with this specific group of prisoners but also with those vulnerable to radicalisation. The representative of the European Commission (DG ENEST) welcomed the SC Members and emphasised the importance of preparing violent extremist prisoners (VEPs) for reintegration into their local community and society upon their release. She highlighted the importance of co-operation between correctional services and other agencies and stakeholders in preparing local communities to accept former prisoners and support their reintegration. Additionally, she reaffirmed the EU’s continued support for the WB region in their continues efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism. The SC members from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia emphasised exceptional cooperation with the Council of Europe, the results achieved thus far and reiterated their commitment to further strengthen safety and security in the WB region. Furthermore, the participants highlighted the ongoing challenges in preventing and addressing radicalisation and violent extremism within prison environment, particularly the need for strengthening the inter-institutional cooperation both in preparation for release and upon return of the VEOs to the local community and society. They emphasised that only through co-ordinated efforts among all relevant institutions can the rehabilitation and reintegration of this category of prisoners be successful and recidivism reduced. The SC members agreed to ensure the sustainability of the progress achieved so far, and to work together to integrate into national regulatory frameworks, the VEP-specific tools and programmes developed under the Action. The regional action will continue to support the beneficiaries in the WB in their efforts to strengthen safety and security in the region by improving the management, rehabilitation, pre-release preparation and post-release support of VEPs and other marginalised and vulnerable prisoners at risk of radicalisation. The Steering Committee was organised within the framework of the regional action on “Enhancing co-operation in the Western Balkans in managing violent extremism in prisons and preventing further radicalisation after release” implemented under the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.