Following the successful completion of phase II 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 September 2025, phase III of the programme was launched on 26 February 2026. This phase also involves the participation of 20 national central banks and the European Central Bank, led by the Deutsche Bundesbank, with the beneficiaries being the central banks of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia as well as the banking agencies of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska.

The programme aims to further strengthen the institutional capacity of these institutions, in particular by enhancing their analytical tools and instruments for the implementation of measures as well as by translating the best international and European standards into their national practices. The European Union has allocated EUR 3m to the programme from its Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III).

An intensive programme of training events on key central banking and supervisory issues will take place over the next 36 months. The training events will focus on current central banking and financial supervision topics related to anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism, cyber risks, data science and data management, digital transformation as well as innovation and artificial intelligence in central banks. The programme will also include high-level meetings on current topics in focus, such as central bank independence and new payment system development trends. In addition, a large number of bilateral measures will be implemented with each of the beneficiary institutions regrading topics in which those institutions have shown special interest.

CNB experts will make a significant contribution to programme activities as lecturers in several training events and as partners in several bilateral measures.