Data inizio: 01/03/2025
Data fine: 28/02/2029
Ente finanziatore: European Union
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
ORCA is a training and research staff exchange programme designed to meet emerging needs in support of improved research performance and output. It brings together 18 partners, with a focus on Central Asia.
In the context of this project, OBCT/CCI hosts researchers and sends its own staff on secondment, favours exchange of experiences among network partners, and engages in research.
Data inizio: 01/12/2025
Data fine: 30/11/2028
Ente finanziatore: UE
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
DAPHnE is a project co-funded by the European Union addressing the growing need for skills in Data Journalism and Data Communication. The project promotes an interdisciplinary approach combining Data Science, Statistical Literacy, Data Analysis, Data Visualisation and Storytelling to strengthen the capacity of journalists and communicators to analyse, interpret and communicate data responsibly and effectively. The overall objective of DAPHnE is to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, employability, and multidisciplinary learning in Data Journalism and Data-Driven Communication.
Official page on Erasmus Plus
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. Project number: 101243032
Data inizio: 01/03/2024
Data fine: 31/03/2028
Ente finanziatore: European Union
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
PULSE – Europe beyond the beat is an initiative coordinated by OBCT which has been promoting intense cross-border journalistic collaborations in Europe since 2024. The main aim is to help strengthen the European public sphere by reporting and telling stories from new and diverse perspectives. At the heart of PULSE are 10 leading news outlets from 10 European countries, which, together with a number of additional partner organisations and freelancers, form a sort of transnational newsroom. New journalistic content is collaboratively produced on a daily basis and distributed in many languages, with over a thousand publications each year.
Data inizio: 01/04/2022
Data fine: 31/12/2027
Ente finanziatore: Comune di Rovereto
Unità operativa: CSG + OBCT
Through the multi-year agreement signed in 2022, the Centre for International Cooperation and Rovereto City Council have established a framework for long-term collaboration aimed at identifying specific areas of action through which to realise the vision of ‘Rovereto, City of Peace’. Taking the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a reference, and drawing on some of the 14 global megatrends identified by the European Commission as the most relevant to the European Union, the following potential dimensions of ‘Rovereto, City of Peace’ will be explored as a priority over the next three years:
Rovereto: City of grassroots international relations Rovereto: City of remembrance in a European context Rovereto: City of education for global citizenship Rovereto: Inclusive and sustainable city
In this way, the CCI is strengthening its activities in Rovereto with the aim of supporting the city as it seeks to define its own role within a European and international context in which the scope and significance of multi-level governance are increasing. Multi-level governance is understood as a method of formulating and implementing public policies characterised by participatory, coordinated and interdependent relationships between a variety of decision-making levels and stakeholders.
Data inizio: 01/09/2025
Data fine: 30/11/2027
Ente finanziatore: AICS
Unità operativa: Competenze per la Società Globale
Municipal Upgrading of Water Systems for Local Impact – MUWALI LIBYA (Modernisation of municipal water systems for local impact)
The MUWALI project forms part of the wider European programme in Libya, the Water Resources Management Facility, which the European Union has entrusted to AICS (Italian Agency for Development Cooperation) for the local component and to the German cooperation agency GIZ for the national component.
The programme is led by the Libyan Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) and the Libyan Ministry of Local Government (MoLG). Within this framework, the MUWALI project aims to modernise water systems in Libya and strengthen water management capacities in 12 Libyan municipalities in the east, west and south of the country. Through training and the exchange of experiences between local authorities in Libya and Trentino, the project focuses on three key areas:
1. facilitating the development of integrated water resources management (IWRM) plans in the municipalities;
2. improving data collection and utilisation in the water sector at local level;
3. strengthening knowledge and promoting the adoption of non-traditional uses of water resources.
The MUWALI project is the second decentralised cooperation initiative with a local territorial development approach between Trentino and Libya, and builds on the experience gained through the REBUILD project (2021–2025).
Partners: 12 Libyan municipalities, the Autonomous Province of Trento, CCI – Centre for International Cooperation – University of Trento
Data inizio: 01/11/2020
Data fine: 31/10/2027
Ente finanziatore: UE
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) is a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors, and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries. This project provides legal and practical support, public advocacy, and information to protect journalists and media workers. Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) takes part in the MFRR as partner of a consortium led by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) and including ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Free Press Unlimited (FPU) and the International Press Institute (IPI).
Data inizio: 01/03/2024
Data fine: 31/08/2027
Ente finanziatore: Unione europea, European Urban Initiative
Unità operativa: CSG + OBCT
The Station for Transformation (S4T) project rethinks the role of Rovereto railway station and the surrounding area, transforming it into a public-civic hub for joint actions to promote the ecological transition of the Vallagarina area. S4T makes the response to the climate crisis and biodiversity loss accessible and attractive by experimenting with innovative solutions in strategic areas such as sustainable agri-food, social inclusion, green cities, and responsible tourism.
The project also has a transnational dimension, involving three European cities called Transfer Partner Cities - Nova Gorica (Slovenia), Granada (Spain) and Piraeus (Greece) - to encourage the exchange of practices and knowledge and develop replicable models inspired by the experience of Rovereto, where the disused areas of the station will be transformed into hubs of innovation, promotion of good practices and community involvement.
In addition to coordinating the transnational work, the CCI, through its OBCT Operational Unit, will produce a slow journalism series, including articles, news reports, interviews, and multimedia content, documenting challenges and solutions in different European contexts and showing how different realities can address common problems to tackle climate change.
More information on the project website: stationfortransformation.eu
Data inizio: 01/09/2024
Data fine: 31/08/2027
Ente finanziatore: European Union
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
The EU-Prox Jean Monnet Module explores the EU enlargement at the intersection of geopolitics and sustainability, with a focus on the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus. It examines the evolution of EU enlargement policies, instruments and external action, and their links with stabilisation, resilience, security and democratic transformation. Activities include university teaching, workshops and vocational training for students, career development initiatives hosted by OBCT, and public events on the EU enlargement and the EU’s relations with candidate and neighbouring countries.
Data inizio: 01/09/2025
Data fine: 30/06/2027
Ente finanziatore: Caritro
Unità operativa: Competenze per la Società Globale
“Jump In” is a programme that involves pupils and teachers in the co-design of active citizenship initiatives both within and outside school. The project strengthens the network of ECC coordinators and promotes the creation of a network of school representatives in Rovereto, engaging with local institutions and the wider community through training, mentoring, project work and communication. The creation of a toolkit ensures continuity, making the initiative replicable and sustainable over time.
Data inizio: 01/05/2025
Data fine: 30/04/2027
Ente finanziatore: AICS Beirut
Unità operativa: Competenze per la Società Globale
The LABNE project – Local Governance in the Agricultural Sector to Promote Innovative Economic Models – stems from a desire to revitalise local economies by promoting inclusive development and entrepreneurship focused on public value and social impact (Specific Objective), thereby contributing to human, economic and social development at a local level by strengthening synergies between public, private and non-profit actors (General Objective), in line with SDG 8.
The 24-month project adopts a holistic approach, focusing on the dairy supply chain – identified as the key sector for action – within the Unions of Municipalities (UoM) of Joumeh and Al-Fayhaa in the governorates of Akkar and the North.
Data inizio: 01/03/2025
Data fine: 28/02/2027
Ente finanziatore: UE
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
The "Trancityons" project is coordinated by the University of Bologna and aims to foster a new awareness of the role of urban space in democratization processes. By examining cities as dynamic centres of diverse identities, religions, and social dynamics, the project explores how urban environments can drive democratic change or resist authoritarian tendencies.
The historical and comparative perspective focuses on democratic transitions in Italy after World War II and Eastern Europe and post Yugoslav wars. This analysis provides insights into the development of national democratic systems and the promotion of European Union principles, aiming to explore the role of urban contexts in democratic transitions, emphasizing the importance of memory in understanding present phenomena.
Data inizio: 01/03/2023
Data fine: 28/02/2027
Ente finanziatore: European Union
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
PRESILIENT is a cross-regional research and training network dedicated to exploring informal economies in the Global South. Instead of treating informality as a residual or problematic sector, the project approaches it as a central dimension of livelihoods and economic organisation for a large share of the world’s population. Through collaborative research conducted in 15 countries across Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, the network investigates how informal practices emerge within specific historical and socio-political contexts. Particular attention is given to the ways communities develop strategies of resilience in conditions marked by inequality, precarity and limited institutional support. By combining academic and non-academic expertise and supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the PRESILIENT project aims to foster empirically grounded understandings of informal economies and their role in shaping economic life.
Data inizio: 01/04/2025
Data fine: 31/12/2026
Ente finanziatore: InCE
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
Recognizing the vital role that a free, independent, and diverse media landscape plays in sustaining democratic societies, MAAM is dedicated to empowering media professionals and fostering an open and pluralistic media environment in Moldova. The project aims to establish a collaborative platform connecting Italy, Moldova, and Romania, while promoting Moldova’s alignment with European standards on freedom of information and media pluralism, and strengthening its public watchdogs. In doing so, MAAM contributes to the country’s path toward European integration.
Specifically, MAAM enhances transnational exchanges among civil society organizations through targeted capacity-building and advocacy activities directed at legal experts, activists, and independent media professionals. At the same time, it fosters mutual learning and innovation by encouraging cross-border and cross-sector collaboration—creating meaningful exchanges and lasting impact for both beneficiary and contributing organizations.
MAAM is a collaborative initiative led by Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), in partnership with the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) in Moldova and ActiveWatch in Romania.
Data inizio: 01/12/2025
Data fine: 30/11/2026
Ente finanziatore: MAECI
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
This project focuses on the link between the rule of law, media freedom, and the EU enlargement process in the Western Balkans. After focusing on Albania and Serbia (ATLIB 1) and on Montenegro and North Macedonia (ATLIB 2), the third edition will examine Bosnia and Herzegovina, an EU candidate since 2022, and Kosovo, considered a potential candidate for accession.
Data inizio: 01/11/2024
Data fine: 31/10/2026
Ente finanziatore: European Union
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
The MOST – Media Organisations for Stronger Transnational Journalism - project aims to drive innovation within the foreign reporting sector and strengthen the resilience of non-profit and independent media in their coverage of European issues.
By bringing together six specialised non-profit media outlets and one human rights-focused organisation, the project will establish a collaborative platform for the exchange of knowledge, resources, and content among the participating partners and other media outlets focused on foreign reporting or European topics.
Building on a decades-long commitment to specialised and non-profit reporting, the initiative seeks to enhance the visibility of Southeast and Eastern Europe within the European public sphere, while reinforcing journalistic practices to combat misinformation and disinformation.
Coordinated by OBCT, the hub will promote the exchange of best practices in creative business models, news production, and distribution processes. Additionally, the project will explore the potential of AI and collaboration, encouraging peer-to-peer learning among partners and engaging with the wider community of specialised digital non-profit media.
Data inizio: 01/12/2025
Data fine: 01/10/2026
Ente finanziatore: MAECI
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
The project examines the potential for economic cooperation between Kosovo and Serbia within the broader framework of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. It places particular emphasis on the long-term economic costs of the stalled normalization process and assesses how the current deadlock hinders regional integration and future access to the EU Single Market.
The project is led by the Regional Center for Strategic and Policy Initiatives, based in Serbia, in collaboration with OBCT/CCI and European Policy Institute of Kosovo.
Data inizio: 01/10/2025
Data fine: 30/09/2026
Ente finanziatore: UE
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
The EuSEE project - Advancing EU cohesion coverage across South-East Europe - aims to inform on the contribution of cohesion policy, Union's main funding instrument for reducing socioeconomic disparities between European regions, promoting growth and improving quality of life. Since 2021, we have been exploring and reporting on the various realities, challenges, and initiatives promoted by cohesion policy in the territories of South-Eastern Europe, and we continue to do so, from the Greek islands to the Carpathian Mountains of Romania.
Data inizio: 01/10/2025
Data fine: 30/06/2026
Ente finanziatore: MAECI
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
The extension of the European integration perspective to Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, known as the Trio, occurred shortly after the introduction of the idea of a gradual integration of the Western Balkan candidate countries into certain EU policies and sectors. This gradual integration is based on existing bilateral agreements between the candidate countries and the EU, namely the Stabilization and Association Agreements and the Association Agreements/Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. In this context, the project aims to compare the two types of agreements, highlighting their differences and opportunities, in order to propose concrete solutions for gradual integration. The research also intends to explore the proposal for an earlier integration of these countries into the European cohesion policy, in order to reduce potential externalities resulting from the candidates' gradual accession to the European single market.
Data inizio: 01/12/2021
Data fine: 31/12/2025
Ente finanziatore: European Union
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
Due to climate change, large forest fires are becoming an increasingly serious threat in many regions of Europe. The multi-year project FIRE-RES – an acronym that stands for "Innovative technologies and socio-ecological-economic solutions for fire resilient territories in Europe" aims to develop and disseminate effective solutions to prevent and manage fires of extreme magnitude, intervening on many levels and in different phases. It is co-financed by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 programme and is coordinated by the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia; 34 organisations from 13 countries participate, including OBC Transeuropa. In addition to journalistic content, OBCT contributes with dissemination, training, and awareness-raising campaigns, thanks to its growing experience in the field of communication of scientific research and journalism on environmental issues.
Data inizio: 04/12/2024
Data fine: 30/11/2025
Ente finanziatore: MAECI
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
Media freedom, independence, and pluralism are fundamental pillars of European democracies. Freedom of speech and journalists' safety is crucial for countries such as Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania and Serbia that aspire to join the EU. Thanks to the cooperation with local partners, this project intends to contribute to creating a network of Balkan, Italian, and European actors engaged in effective advocacy to protect media freedom in the EU and the countries involved in the integration process.
While the first edition focused on Albania and Serbia, this second edition will investigate media freedom issues in Montenegro and North Macedonia.
Through the exchange of experiences and cooperation in advocacy work together with two local partners - Metamorphosis Foundation in North Macedonia and the Montenegro Media Institute in Montenegro - OBCT will elaborate two shadow reports on the accession negotiations concerning the media sector in the candidate countries, to strengthen the involvement of civil society in the EU accession process focusing on the nexus between media and democracy.
Data inizio: 09/10/2025
Data fine: 20/11/2025
Ente finanziatore: Università degli Studi di Padova, Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche, Giuridiche e Studi Internazionali
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
Data inizio: 01/10/2024
Data fine: 30/09/2025
Ente finanziatore: Unione europea
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
Cohesion policy is the main instrument used by the European Union in order to promote social and economic growth, foster convergence between the different regions, and improve the quality of life on the ground. Since 2021 we have been reporting on the challenges faced by the regions of South-Eastern Europe and on initiatives which were promoted thanks to cohesion funds, first with the Work4Future projects and then with Energy4Future. The ‘Cohesion for Climate’ project continues to look at cohesion policy and related challenges, focusing in particular on interventions in the field of environment: prevention of natural disasters, land management, conservation of protected areas and species, and so on.
OBC Transeuropa collaborates in the Cohesion for Climate project together with Il Sole 24 Ore, ISSiRFA/CNR, Monithon and PressOne.
Data inizio: 01/01/2024
Data fine: 30/09/2025
Ente finanziatore: Unione europea
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
"MigraVoice: Migrant Voices Matter in the European Media" is a project co-funded by the European Union, in collaboration with six prominent European media organisations. The project aims to amplify the voices and perspectives of migrants in Europe within the European media and information space, by promoting active participation of individuals with migration backgrounds in the creation of high-quality media content for European audiences in both traditional and social media formats. Migravoice represents a crucial step towards fostering inclusivity, diversity, and authenticity in journalism and the media content that Europeans consume. By empowering those with a migration background to share their perspectives, MigraVoice not only enriches the media landscape but also contributes to a more vibrant and inclusive European society.
Data inizio: 01/11/2024
Data fine: 30/06/2025
Ente finanziatore: Ministero degli Affari Esteri italiano
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
The project addresses the issue of Ukraine's post-war reconstruction from the perspective of the return of refugees and displaced persons. The potential connection between return, contribution to reconstruction, and the role of civil society is explored through a diachronic approach. It begins with the experience of Italian civil society engagement in the post-war period in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and continues with the current situation in Ukraine, analyzing the propensity to return/contribution of those who fled and the role of Italian NGOs.
The project is led by Cespi in partnership with OBCT/CCI and implemented with the contribution of the Analysis, Programming, Statistics, and Historical Documentation Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, pursuant to Article 23-bis of Presidential Decree 18/1967.
Advancing EU Enlargement: Italy’s Role and Strategic Convergence on the Western Balkans’ Integration
Data inizio: 01/09/2024
Data fine: 30/06/2025
Ente finanziatore: Ministero degli Affari Esteri italiano
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
The integration of the Western Balkans is back on the agenda as a geostrategic priority for the EU following Russia’s large-scale aggression against Ukraine. In this context, the European Council has provided new impetus to accession negotiations with EU candidate countries, while the European Commission has sought to capitalise on the momentum for enlargement through the New Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. The conference “Advancing EU Enlargement: Italy’s Role and Strategic Convergence on the Western Balkans’ Integration”, to be held in Rome on 15 April 2025, will assess recent progress, discuss challenges and explore concrete measures to accelerate the process while safeguarding its sustainability.
Organisers: Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) and Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and with the support of the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation.
Data inizio: 01/09/2024
Data fine: 30/06/2025
Ente finanziatore: MAECI
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
What are the main framings used in pro-Kremlin public discourse in Russia to characterise its invasion of Ukraine? How do different actors and sources adapt their narratives through time? How do they refer to Ukrainian territories that Russia controls or claims?
This project approaches these questions through the structured analysis of on-line sources, including official publications, media, as well as other digital spaces used in this context.
Textual datasets produced in the course of this project:
Introducing ‘Russian state institutions full-text datasets’ (2024 edition)
Giorgio Comai (2024): Russian state institutions full-text datasets – A collection of corpora based on contents extracted from the websites of Russian state institutions, v. 1.0, Discuss Data, https://doi.org/10.48320/0578D7FE-35F7-4E9E-A29D-926618A5C6BD
Data inizio: 01/09/2024
Data fine: 30/06/2025
Ente finanziatore: MAECI
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
The project explores how Communities of Practice born out of the implementation of Interreg projects and participation in EUSAIR policy fora can further the European integration of the Western Balkans. EU enlargement has returned to the center of the European political agenda as a geostrategic project for the security of the continent, but without active involvement of the territories it is unlikely to come to fruition. In addition to the already earmarked IPAIII funds, in early 2024 the EU introduced the Western Balkans Growth Investment Plan, allocating six billion euros to support the candidates' internal reform processes. At the same time, the European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) and the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) also provide resources for innovation and sustainable development, actively involving the territories. The project is implemented in collaboration with CeSPI - Center for International Policy Studies.
Data inizio: 01/07/2023
Data fine: 30/06/2025
Ente finanziatore: European Union
Unità operativa: OBC Transeuropa
The Collaborative and Investigative Journalism Initiative (CIJI) supports independent media and freelance journalists in Europe through training, mentoring, funding and the exchange of knowledge and best practices. It also provides structured networking opportunities to strengthen collaborative and investigative journalism in Europe.
Data inizio: 20/06/2024
Data fine: 30/05/2025
Ente finanziatore: Caritro
Unità operativa: Competenze per la Società Globale
The project aims to strengthen teachers’ knowledge and skills in the areas of Civic Education and Global Citizenship, laying the foundations for a network amongst teachers and with local stakeholders (teachers, the student body, the third sector, and private and public bodies) within the framework of an informed and responsible educational and local community.
ProjectsRoberta Bertoldi2026-09-28T10:27:31+02:00
