RFAs: Rule of Law for Judiciary and Anti-Corruption Reforms (Macedonia)

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2 hours ago

Deadline: 25-Aug-2026

The Rule of Law (ROLAW III) programme is designed to reinforce the rule of law in North Macedonia. Its main goal is to improve the independence, efficiency, effectiveness, and professionalism of the justice system while also strengthening the country’s capacity to investigate and prosecute high-level corruption and organised crime.

The programme supports institutional reform, operational improvement, and stronger cooperation between justice, prosecution, law enforcement, and related public bodies. It also aligns with North Macedonia’s EU accession priorities and reform agenda.

Key facts

Programme name: Rule of Law (ROLAW III).
Country: North Macedonia.
Total indicative budget: EUR 10 million.
Grant request range: EUR 9.5 million to EUR 10 million.
Funding rate: Up to 100 percent of eligible costs.
Implementation model: Grant agreement with EU Member State public bodies or mandated authorities in partnership with North Macedonian institutions.
Main purpose: Strengthen rule of law, judicial reform, anti-corruption, and organised crime response.

What the programme supports

The action focuses on reforms and capacity-building in areas such as:

Judicial independence.
Judicial accountability.
Judicial efficiency and professionalism.
Anti-corruption measures.
Organised crime investigations.
Asset recovery and confiscation.
Financial investigations.
Democratic governance.
Human rights.
Cooperation with EU institutions and Member States.

It also contributes to national strategies on:

Judiciary reform.
Money laundering prevention.
Confiscation of criminal assets.
Organised crime prevention.

Why it matters

The programme responds to concerns raised in the European Commission’s North Macedonia 2024 Report, especially around judicial independence, effectiveness, and accountability. It also addresses practical problems such as:

Prolonged trials.
Weak coordination between institutions.
Limited resources.
Insufficient confiscation of criminal assets.

By addressing these issues, the programme aims to make justice institutions more effective in handling serious crime and corruption cases.

Alignment with broader frameworks

The action is aligned with:

IPA III Programming Framework.
North Macedonia’s strategic priorities under the EU accession process.
Chapters 23 and 24 of the EU acquis.
North Macedonia’s Reform Agenda 2024–2027 under the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.
Sustainable Development Goal 16 on peace, justice, and strong institutions.
Indirectly, Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality.

This alignment shows that the programme is both a national reform tool and a European integration instrument.

What the programme will do

The programme will strengthen the operational ability of the criminal justice system through:

Coaching.
Mentoring.
Peer-to-peer exchanges.
Transfer of experience from EU Member States.

These activities are intended to improve day-to-day performance in investigations, prosecutions, judicial processes, and inter-institutional cooperation.

Who is involved

The final beneficiaries include key justice and law enforcement institutions, such as:

Supreme Court.
Judicial Council.
Court Budget Council.
Council of Public Prosecutors.
Public Prosecution Office.
Constitutional Court.
Ministry of Justice.
Ministry of Interior.
Financial Intelligence Unit.
Agency for Management of Confiscated Assets.
Financial Police Office.
Other justice and law enforcement institutions.

The implementing partnership will involve government departments, public bodies, or mandated authorities from EU Member States working with North Macedonian counterparts.

What strong proposals should include

A competitive proposal should show:

Clear experience in justice reform or anti-corruption work.
Strong institutional cooperation between EU and North Macedonian actors.
A practical approach to improving courts, prosecutors, and law enforcement coordination.
Delivery methods such as coaching, mentoring, and peer learning.
A realistic plan for strengthening asset recovery and financial investigation.
Results that support EU accession-related reforms.

How the programme works

Identify the reform needs.
Focus on judicial independence, efficiency, corruption response, or organised crime capacity.
Build a partnership.
Form a grant agreement involving EU Member State authorities and North Macedonian institutions.
Design the support model.
Use coaching, mentoring, and peer exchange to transfer knowledge and experience.
Target the right institutions.
Work with courts, prosecutors, law enforcement, and financial intelligence bodies.
Strengthen implementation capacity.
Improve coordination, case handling, and institutional performance.
Deliver measurable reform support.
Show how the action improves justice system effectiveness and anti-corruption results.

Common mistakes and tips

Common mistakes

Treating the programme as a general governance project rather than a rule-of-law reform initiative.
Failing to connect activities to organised crime or high-level corruption.
Overlooking the need for EU Member State partnership.
Proposing broad reform goals without operational tools.
Ignoring institutional coordination and implementation constraints.

Tips for a stronger proposal

Focus on practical institutional strengthening.
Show how the project will improve case processing and coordination.
Include asset recovery and financial investigation where relevant.
Tie activities directly to EU accession priorities.
Demonstrate experience with mentoring, coaching, and peer-learning approaches.

FAQ

What is the main goal of the ROLAW III programme?

To strengthen the rule of law in North Macedonia.
To improve judicial independence, efficiency, and accountability.
To enhance the country’s response to high-level corruption and organised crime.

How much funding is available?

The indicative budget is EUR 10 million.
Grant requests must be between EUR 9.5 million and EUR 10 million.

Is full funding available?

Yes.
The call covers up to 100 percent of eligible costs.

Who are the final beneficiaries?

Key institutions such as:
- Supreme Court.
- Judicial Council.
- Public Prosecution Office.
- Ministry of Justice.
- Ministry of Interior.
- Financial Intelligence Unit.
- Agency for Management of Confiscated Assets.
- Other justice and law enforcement institutions.

What kind of support will the programme provide?

Coaching.
Mentoring.
Peer-to-peer exchanges.
Transfer of experience from EU Member States.

What policy areas does the programme align with?

IPA III Programming Framework.
EU accession process priorities.
Chapters 23 and 24 of the EU acquis.
Reform Agenda 2024–2027.
SDG 16 and indirectly SDG 5.

What problems is the programme trying to solve?

Prolonged trials.
Weak inter-agency coordination.
Limited resources.
Low confiscation of criminal assets.
Gaps in judicial independence and accountability.

Conclusion

The Rule of Law (ROLAW III) programme is a major reform initiative for North Macedonia’s justice system. It is designed to improve institutional performance, strengthen anti-corruption and organised crime response, and support the country’s EU accession-related rule-of-law reforms through practical cooperation and capacity building.

For more information, visit European Commission.