CEJ Balkans - Climate Environmental Justice Project in the Western Balkans

1. Access to Environmental Justice

This area of operation seeks to enhance environmental justice by 

• strengthening governance,
• gathering main judicial stakeholders
• offering capacity building to legal professionals. 

It aims at establishing a shared understanding of environmental justice by identifying common issues and sharing experiences.

2. Public Participation in Environmental Decision-making

Public participation in environmental decisions will be enhanced in two Pilot Municipalities: Elbasan in Albania and Resen in North Macedonia. 

Local authorities will receive support to improve public engagement, refining tools to align with community needs and EU standards for more transparent and inclusive policymaking.

3. Enhance the awareness by citizens of their rights and the exercise of participation

The CEJ Project strengthens civic engagement by granting civil society organisations in Albania and North Macedonia to advocate for environmental justice, support legal access, and participation in decision-making. 

It will also integrate gender considerations, promoting inclusive governance and stronger civil society coalitions.

Three assessment reports on the state of environmental justice in Albania, North Macedonia and Montenegro have been produced during the inception phase of the project in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each country and therefore make sure that the activities align with the needs of the project.

The first call for proposals was launched in January 2025 and the pre-selected NGOs have been informed for the second phase of the call for proposals, whose final award will be decided in August 2025.

Three Memorandum of Understanding have also been shared with the national stakeholders of each country.