Regional Trial Monitoring Project - Combatting Organised Crime and Corruption in the Western Balkans

This multi–year regional project (2021-2026) is supporting a more effective administration of justice regarding serious corruption and organized crime cases through trial monitoring. OSCE field operations in Tirana, Pristina, Sarajevo, Belgrade, Podgorica and Skopje are implementing the project, with ODIHR providing guiding support and the OSCE Secretariat/Conflict Prevention Centre leading project co-ordination.

The fight against serious organized crime and corruption, and the provision of support in developing more effective judicial institutions, represent key components of the OSCE’s work towards achieving long-term stability and prosperity in South-Eastern Europe, and is fully consistent with local strategic priorities.

The project aims to enhance judicial systems’ independence, quality and efficiency in tackling serious corruption and organized crime, and is being delivered in close partnership with – and with the financial support of – the European Commission.

The OSCE, capitalizing on its long-standing experience of trial monitoring in the region and building on ODIHR’s extensive trial monitoring toolkit, is uniquely placed to implement this initiative.

The project’s overall objective is to support a more effective judicial response to corruption and organized crime in South-Eastern Europe. This will be done by establishing an evidence-based framework for future reforms. The quantitative and qualitative data collected during the monitoring process will be analysed to define systemic problems and their probable root causes, enabling the OSCE and relevant local institutions to determine where successes are being achieved in the fight against organized crime and corruption and where further assistance is needed.

The European Commission is funding the project through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA II).