As stated in the explanation provided by the jury, this year the European Movement decided to stimulate the incentive for building a modern and democratic society, by providing their support to those who currently need it the most – people whose profession is journalism. 

The winners of the Balkan “FACT-CHECKING” award for Serbia are Vladimir Kostić, a journalist, and Ivana Jeremić, a fact-checker, for the articles “State aids Pink with € 3.9 million” and “Pink received at least € 7 million in loans from the state”

The jury that awarded the prize of the European Union for investigative journalism declared Milica Šarić the best young investigative journalist in the past year. Šarić has been awarded for investigationon the construction of a new block of Kostolac B thermal power plant and expansion of Drmno open-cast coal mine.

CINS journalist Anđela Milivojević received this year’s Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia award for investigative journalism in the online category. Her story reveals that a significant part of the Governor’s doctorate is plagiarized. The award is shared with BIRN and OCCRP investigation “Making a Killing: The 1.2 Billion Euro Arms Pipeline to Middle East”

The Center for Investigative Journalism of Serbia (CINS) won the most renowned European journalism recognition in the competition of most reputable European media and in the most prestigious category for investigative journalism. CINS was awarded for a series of articles on the treatment of corruption in Serbia and an article on the links between football, politics and crime. Past winners for excellence in investigative journalism were Reuters, El Pais and Revue XXI.

On Thursday evening (20 April), we will find out if we won the 2017 European Press Prize for Investigative Journalism.

Upon being appointed to public office, Branislav Švonja did not mention another job position that he held – a representative of the company Švonja. CINS finds out that he occupied the position of manager in three other companies and did not even submit a disclosure report on his property in due time.

Last year Švonja was appointed Acting Manager of the Provincial Fund for Refugees, while the company he had founded – Nacionalni privredni operater – was making millions by selling information which is free otherwise, which CINS wrote about on several occasions. Švonja was previously convicted for purchase of votes.

Dates: 15 May – 19 May | Location: Belgrade, Serbia
Application deadline: 3 April | Programme: Reporting Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery