On November 27, journalists participating in the PIPS Program for journalists in energy and environment met with the Group Caucus of MPs.

Journalists had the opportunity to get informed about the short-term and long-term objectives of the group and their commitment to environmental protection, and its prioritization on the national agenda.

Furthermore, the discussion covered the issue of hydropower plants and the energy situation in the country, the orientation of development policies towards sustainability and raising awareness regarding Kosovar media coverage of environmental issues.

On November 25, PIPS published the analysis on the second phase of rationalization of agencies and regulators in Kosovo. Together with representatives from key institutions involved in this reform - the assembly, the ministry of public administration and the agencies we discussed the opportunities for the second phase.

As part of the political priorities agreed between Kosovo and the EU in 2016, for the implementation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement, the implementation of the first phase of this reform has not been completed, and consequently there are delays in the implementation of the second phase, which according to the action plan for the implementation of the whole reform, was intended to be completed by the end of this year.

From 13 to 20 October 2020, we organized an environmental reporting workshop with German journalist Dirk Asendorpf and a group of Kosovar journalists profiled in research and writing on environmental issues. During these four sessions Kosovar journalists had the posssibility to learn about the history of environmental reporting, current challenges, best practices, reporting angles, presenting stories and hear about experiences of the facilitator.

 

Over the weekend of 9 October PIPS held the third seminar of the School for Political Studies with the participants of the eighteenth generation.
This seminar covered the topic "Foreign Policy and International Relations".

We discussed with a group of experts of the field the dynamics and main theories of foreign policy and security, especially within the context of Kosovo.

During these days we discussed the interaction between foreign policy, international relations theory and public international law; Kosovo in the new regional and global context; the challenges of Kosovo's sovereignty and recognition as well as Kosovo in the multilateral framework and potential NATO membership.

The second seminar of the School for Political Studies was held from July 21-23 and July 28-30. Over the course of six days the participants participated in lectures by public policy experts in the areas of political ideology and its effects on public policy.

On 15 July School for Political Studies held a discussion with Mr. Shpend Ahmeti, Mayor of the Municipality of Prishtina on the topic of "Effects of the pandemic on the Kosovar economy".