Regional Cooperation in Europe
Sida works with countries in Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans and Turkey to address regional challenges. The work focuses on democracy, human rights, peaceful and inclusive societies and gender equality, but also climate, environmental and economic development. This cooperation contributes to bringing the countries closer to the EU. Sida will phase out regional cooperation for the Western Balkans and Turkey by 30 June 2026 following a decision by the Swedish Government, but is awaiting a decision for a new joint strategy for Sweden's reform cooperation in Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans and Turkey later in 2025.
Sida's regional support in Europe 2024
Why aid in Europe?
The consequences of the war in Ukraine
Poverty and inequality have increased in the region. Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine is devastating the development of Ukraine, with huge humanitarian needs and millions of people displaced. Hospitals, schools, roads and housing need to be rebuilt. Ukraine also needs to be able to offer people schools, healthcare and pensions.
Major climate and environmental challenges
Countries in Eastern Europe face major challenges related to climate change, environmental problems, land degradation, deforestation and biodiversity loss. Many countries are dependent on fossil-based industries. Several countries that have applied for EU membership need to implement environmental reforms. In Ukraine, chemical waste such as weapons and mines have been left in the wild, negatively impacting the environment both on land, in rivers and the marine environment.
Support for moving closer to the EU
Several countries in the region want to move closer to the EU, while others lack the political will. For those countries that want to move closer to EU membership, there are high demands for laws and institutions that protect and develop democracy, human rights, fair trade, good jobs and environmental protection. These improvements are also costly to implement.
Examples of what Sida has contributed to
Sida’s support strengthens peace and reconciliation
Sida helps to ensure that women, young people and marginalised groups can participate in conflict resolution, reconciliation and decision-making. Sida also works to ensure that minority groups are more involved in society. In Ukraine, Sida supports efforts to clear land of mines and provide support to displaced people returning home.
Improving environmental legislation
Sida’s support has contributed to the modernisation of environmental laws in several of the countries, bringing them closer to EU membership. For example, the government of Serbia has met several EU requirements for environmental reforms and Belarus has made it easier to practice organic farming.
Countries moving towards EU membership
Sida’s support helps develop authorities in the region, which is a prerequisite for EU membership. For example, co-operation between the Nature Conservation Agency and its Kosovo counterpart helps meet EU environmental requirements. To ensure that all people are treated equally before the law and that decision-makers can be held accountable, Sida supports projects that develop the authorities’ dialogue with the inhabitants, as well as providing greater transparency and accountability.
Sida's development cooperation in Europe
With a population of 750 million, Europe is home to some of the richest countries in the world as well as countries facing major democratic challenges and widespread poverty. Several of the countries in the region have EU candidate status or an ongoing application.
Sida’s work contributes to strengthening democracy and respect for human rights and supports the countries’ ability to address environmental challenges and adapt environmental laws to EU directives.
Sida’s support should facilitate the establishment of small and medium-sized enterprises and promote free trade. Swedish support strengthens conflict prevention efforts, including through dialogue and cooperation between peoples. Sida also contributes to the development of authorities, which is an important precondition for EU membership.
Here are the countries where Sida has regional co-operation in Europe:
- Eastern Europe: Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Azerbaijan
- Western Balkans: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro and Turkey
Sida’s support to Belarus goes only to Sida’s partner organisations, no support goes to the state.
Sida contributes to strengthening human rights, increasing gender equality and reducing corruption and ethnic discrimination. Support is also provided to strengthen free and independent media to counteract disinformation, strengthen civil society and authorities to increase opportunities for accountability, increase citizens’ influence and develop better public services for residents, especially at the local level.
Here are examples of programmes and projects supported by Sida:
In 2014, Ukraine embarked on an effort to increase democracy by moving power and decisions on everyday issues closer to the citizens, an effort that Sida supports, among other things, through the Decentralisation Support Project (DSP) run by the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR). After the Russian invasion, the project immediately changed its work. Among other things, municipalities receive support to take care of people affected by the war, including through job creation initiatives.
Through the Local Councils (Mjesne Zajednice) project, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is creating forums for influence and advocacy between politicians and citizens as well as providing opportunities for people to hold decision-makers at the municipal level accountable.
Sida supports independent media and investigative journalism, including the Centre for Investigative Reporting (CIN), which investigates and reports on corruption cases. Their reporting on corruption around the construction of small hydropower plants has led politicians and citizens to recognise the problem and demand stricter regulation.
Sida supports a collaboration between the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) and the Swedish National Courts Administration and the Swedish Enforcement Authority. The cooperation helps to make the courts more efficient, so that cases do not remain pending for years. As a result, the courts have become better at handling civil cases and resolve cases more quickly. Gender equality work has improved, with more judges receiving training on gender equality and sexual violence, and more clearly taking gender equality into account in their work.
Through support to the Swedish Judicial Authority, Sida supports reforms in the judiciary with a focus on improving judicial training, increasing professionalism and public confidence in judges and the judiciary.
The work contributes, among other things, to increased ethics and independence among Armenian judges and enables the judiciary to act in the way required by law and expected by the public.
The project also contributes to improving the public perception of judges, which is often negatively charged. It therefore also supports improved communication between the media and the courts.
Gender stereotypical attitudes and norms are a widespread problem, although the extent varies between countries. The Kvinna till Kvinna organization and local and regional networks of women’s organizations are key to turning this around. They work to strengthen women’s rights, political influence and their participation in the EU accession process.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is affecting the stability of the region and making a peaceful resolution of the other conflicts in the region more difficult.
Peace work has become central to Sida’s work. The focus is on democracy, gender equality, a functioning legal system, reduced corruption and economic development that benefits all people. The aim is to create better conditions for reconciliation and to prevent conflict and violence. The most vulnerable people are supported to demand respect for their rights. Sida helps to ensure that women, young people and marginalised groups are included and participate in conflict resolution, reconciliation and decision-making.
Here are some examples of projects supported by Sida:
Together with several other countries, Sweden supports the Partnership Fund for Resilient Ukraine, which contributes to better social services, increased dialogue and economic development. During the war, the fund provides support to municipalities, displaced persons and works against disinformation.
Sida also supports the UN Development Fund (UNDP) Peace and Recovery Program. The fund works to increase security and meet people’s needs, both social and health. Support for economic recovery is also included.
Sida is supporting the Danish Refugee Council’s mine clearance programme in Ukraine, which aims to make it easier for people to farm, move back to their homes, drive on roads and use public buildings.
In addition to the direct impact on people, mines and other explosive remnants are a major obstacle to Ukraine’s construction and agricultural production, which is important both for the economy of Ukraine and food security worldwide. Mapping, equipment and training are included in the support, as well as raising people’s awareness of the risks of explosive remnants.
Sida contributes to reconciliation and increased understanding between people from different ethnic groups, including through the EJA program run by the Kosovo Civil Society Foundation (KSCF) and the Danish Refugee Center. It increases income and job opportunities, as well as knowledge about conflict resolution in the Mitrovica region.
Sida supports the organization Kvinna till Kvinna, which works for women’s rights and peace in Serbia. One of the goals is for more women to participate in resolving tensions between Kosovo and Serbia as well as in the public dialog between the countries. Through Kvinna till Kvinna, Sida also supports local civil society organizations in Serbia that counteract gender-based violence and help women gain more power over their own economy.
About the cooperation with Serbia on Kvinna till Kvinna’s website
Sida supports projects and organisations that support countries’ ability to address environmental challenges and adapt environmental laws to EU directives. The support contributes to strengthened biodiversity protection and improved management of natural areas.
Here are some examples of projects supported by Sida:
Energy and natural resources are often used inefficiently and the management of emissions and waste is poor. Through the Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership (E5P), Sida is investing in energy efficiency, district heating, wastewater treatment and waste management. In total, the projects are expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around one million tons each year.
In Kosovo, illegal logging is a major environmental problem. Through the organisation Connecting Natural Values with People (CNVP), Sida supports local forestry associations that organise rural residents for sustainable and local forestry.
Street lighting in Armenia’s cities consumes too much energy and works poorly. In Armenia’s second largest city, Gyumri, Sida is working with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to renovate the city’s lighting. Replacing older mercury-based lamps with more energy-efficient LEDs will reduce both energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Sida supports the SANE27 program that contributes to Albania’s efforts to meet EU environmental requirements. This is done, among other things, by adapting environmental laws. The support also increases the participation of local environmental organizations in the country’s environmental work.
The countries of Eastern Europe and the Balkans face major economic challenges and high unemployment.
Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine all have free trade agreements with the EU and are working to make it easier to start businesses and drive innovation.
Sida supports projects and programmes that contribute to economic justice and jobs with good working conditions. This improves the business environment, reduces corruption, strengthens labour rights and promotes the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Here are examples of projects Sida supports:
Climate change, poor infrastructure, complicated regulations and lack of funding prevent the agricultural sector from reaching its full potential. Through the organization We Effect, Sida supports local organizations that develop rural areas. They promote entrepreneurship, competition and productivity and work to ensure that more people in rural areas find employment, especially women and young people.
The country’s Roma have less access to work, health care, education and housing. Through the organization Helvetas, Sida supports the RECONOMY project, which helps to create jobs with decent working conditions for the Roma population, so that they have access to unemployment insurance, health care and pensions.
Eastern European countries need to improve their innovation skills to increase their competitiveness. Sida is working with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) to strengthen their innovation systems. Representatives from the countries’ innovation institutions meet regularly to discuss concrete issues. Swedish universities and Vinnova have participated on several occasions.
About the Innovation Policy Outlook project on the UNECE website
Sida’s cooperation with UN Women and the Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM) has contributed to Serbia and North Macedonia working to make the state budget more gender equal. This involves assessing the impact of the budget on gender equality and reallocating revenue and expenditure to promote gender equality. The countries will also start implementing new laws to increase gender equality.
Fewer women than men work in Europe, and they often have lower pay and worse conditions. Through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) “Women in business” program, Sida is helping to make it easier for women to start and run successful businesses in the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe. The project enables women to participate in training and to network with other entrepreneurs. The project also increases access to bank loans for small and medium-sized enterprises owned or run by women.
Sida’s regional work in Europe is currently governed by two strategies, one for Eastern Europe and one for the Western Balkans and Turkey. Following a decision by the Swedish Government, Sida will phase out regional operations for the strategy for the Western Balkans and Turkey by 30 June 2026. At the same time, Sida is awaiting a Government decision for a new joint strategy for Sweden’s reform cooperation in Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans and Turkey later in 2025, which will replace the current two strategies.
Updated: December 12, 2024