June 2026 – August 2026
The overall goal of the project is to strengthen transparency, public accountability, and evidence-based oversight of externally financed energy and infrastructure projects in Serbia.
The project addresses systemic governance challenges identified in the preparation and implementation of major investment projects, including limited transparency of decision-making processes, restricted access to relevant documentation, and insufficient public scrutiny of financial and regulatory arrangements. These challenges are particularly pronounced in projects supported through international loans and external financing mechanisms.
By building on existing analytical work, the project will provide structured, verified, and publicly accessible information on governance failures, regulatory inconsistencies, and environmental risks associated with selected projects. Through targeted collaboration with investigative journalists and preparation of public-interest materials, the project will contribute to improved public understanding and increased scrutiny of such investments.
While focused on Serbia, the project also addresses governance patterns and financing structures that are common across the Western Balkans, thereby offering potential for broader regional relevance and future replication.
Activities:
The first phase will involve consolidation and targeted updating of existing analyses through desk research and review of newly available documentation. This will result in structured internal analytical briefs and identification of key governance failures, transparency gaps, and inconsistencies in publicly available information.
The second phase will focus on structured engagement with a selected group of investigative journalists. In the first round, RES Foundation will present its findings in a closed working format, providing access to underlying documentation and collecting feedback on clarity, relevance, and potential investigative angles. This feedback will be used to refine and strengthen the analysis.
In the third phase, a second round of engagement will be organized to support journalists in developing public-interest reporting. RES Foundation will provide targeted analytical support, including clarification of technical and financial aspects, and assistance with fact-checking and contextualization.
In parallel, the project will produce a set of public-interest outputs, including short policy briefings and explanatory materials. Dissemination will take place primarily through independent media and digital channels, ensuring visibility and impact within the limited timeframe without organizing large-scale public events.
This project is supported by the Balkan Trust for Democracy, a project of the German Marshall Fund of the U.S.
