The Bank of Italy has published a special edition of its International Technical Cooperation Newsletter covering the launch of a three-year European Union funded programme to support central banks and banking supervisory authorities in EU candidate countries and potential candidates in the Western Balkans as they move closer to the European System of Central Banks. The programme, launched at an event hosted by the Bank of Italy on 26 February 2026, follows an earlier phase completed in 2025. The initiative brings together 19 central banks from the European System of Central Banks, with the European Central Bank also contributing, and is coordinated by the Deutsche Bundesbank. It has a EUR 3 million budget under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance III. The programme includes 21 training events, two high-level policy workshops and one policy seminar, alongside six bilateral measures for each beneficiary. The first Programme Steering Committee meeting reviewed the institutional framework, programme structure, communication strategy and financial arrangements. Within the programme, the Bank of Italy will organize a high-level meeting on payment systems, a training event on Suptech, and four bilateral activities with the central banks of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Serbia.
Bank of Italy2026-05-01
Bank of Italy hosts launch of three year EUR 3 million EU funded Western Balkans central bank capacity programme
The Bank of Italy has highlighted a three-year EU-funded programme to support central banks and banking supervisors in Western Balkan EU candidate and potential candidate countries as they move closer to the European System of Central Banks. Coordinated by the Deutsche Bundesbank with contributions from 19 ESCB members and the ECB, the EUR 3 million programme will deliver training, policy workshops and bilateral measures, with the Bank of Italy leading work on payment systems, Suptech and bilateral activities with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Serbia.