Following the successful closure of the Programme for Strengthening the Central Bank Capacities in the Western Balkans with a View to the Integration to the European System of Central Banks in December 2021, the follow-up programme was launched on 21 September 2022. The programme again includes 20 national central banks and the European Central Bank, led by the German central bank, the Deutsche Bundesbank. The central banks of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia and the banking agencies of the Federation of Bosnia and Hercegovina and Republika Srpska are the beneficiaries.

The aim of the programme is to further strengthen the institutional capacities of these institutions, notably by enhancing their analytical tools and instruments for the implementation of measures, as well as by transferring the best international and European standards into their national practices. The European Union allocated EUR 3 million to the programme from its Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III).

Over the next 36 months, an intensive programme of training events on key central banking and supervisory issues will be organised. The training events will focus particularly on the areas of anti-money laundering, banking supervision, financial stability, consumer protection and financial inclusion, bank resolution, communication, financial markets, information technology, monetary policy, payment systems, statistics, EU integration, governance policies, accounting and internal audit. Three high-level policy workshops will also be held on payment systems, cash management and governance issues. A number of bilateral measures will be implemented with each of the beneficiary institutions on topics in which those institutions have shown special interest.

CNB experts will make a significant contribution to programme activities by participating as lecturers in two training events, one workshop and about ten bilateral measures.