The 17th session of the Regional Council

The 17th session of the Regional Council of the BFC SEE Network was held via Zoom Online Meeting Platform due to coronavirus pandemic (COVID – 19), on the 24th of September. The meeting was attended by members of the Regional Council from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia and North Macedonia as well as representatives of NALED and GIZ ORF MMS.

The main topics discussed at the meeting were the consideration of previously adopted provisional measures related to the actions of all structures of the regional BFC SEE network as well as other participants in the certification process of cities and municipalities with a Friendly Business Environment in South East Europe according to the Edition III of the BFC SEE regional standard during the COVID – 19 pandemic. Bearing in mind that with the establishment of the regular functioning of local governments, as well as other institutions and organizations within the BFC SEE network, all the necessary conditions have been acquired that would enable the smooth continuation of the certification process according to the rules defined by the BFC SEE standard.

In accordance with that, the Regional Council on June 24, 2020, decides to continue the implementation of activities within the regional BFC SEE network for a Friendly Business Environment in South East Europe. The decision orders that all certification processes of cities and municipalities with a Friendly Business Environment in South East Europe, which were suspended during the COVID - 19 pandemics based on temporary measures, will continue July 1, 2020.

Members of the Regional Council recommended that the Regional Technical Secretariat, in cooperation with the Technical Secretariats in the region, will continue to implement activities related to managing the consequences of COVID – 19 pandemic in the BFC SEE network, and identifying problems, collecting solutions, exchanging experiences and examples of good practice in the region.