BERLIN – During the Berlin Process Summit in October, representatives of the Civil Society and Think Tank Forum presented policy recommendations to leaders from the Western Balkans, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. This year, the CSF has formed seven thematic working groups to develop recommendations with representatives of over 115 civil society organizations.
The thematic areas addressed by the civil society leaders included: EU Integration and the Berlin Process; Dealing with the Past and Reconciliation; Gender and Diversity; Common Regional Market and Mobility; Energy, Climate Change, and Decarbonization; Environmental Protection and Sustainable Economic Development; and Disinformation and Cyber Threats.
In addition, crosscutting issues were covered in all groups: rule of law, youth, minorities, and local issues. For the first time, the Civil Society and Think Tank Forum featured a working group focused on gender and diversity, including grassroots organizations from across the Western Balkans and the EU.
CSF recommendations chart a path forward to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the Western Balkans. The recommendations are specific, timely, and addressed towards specific stakeholders, including governments in the Western Balkans, European Union, and United Kingdom as well as regional organizations and civil society.
Divided between “Low Hanging Fruit” and “Tougher Nuts to Crack,” the recommendations offer immediate steps and longer-term solutions from the perspective of civil society. If acted upon, the recommendations could meaningfully advance regional cooperation and European integration.
Participants also presented recommendations on how the future of the Berlin Process should better reflect their priorities and put forward their own ideas for possible changes to the Process.
On the Berlin Process 10th anniversary, the CSF commissioned a comprehensive study to identify and map outputs and initiatives within the Berlin Process. The study provides—for the first time—a complete, unified and clearcut picture to policy makers and other stakeholders. Authors Dr. Marika Djolai and Dr. Silvana Mojsovska presented the study at the CSF on a panel which included several esteemed speakers.
According to the study, the Berlin Process has been hindered by a lack of a centralised monitoring and evaluation mechanism, in- adequate core funding, and unclear procedures on handing over priority topics to the next chair. Initiatives often falter without a sustained follow-up, and there is a need for more robust monitoring and impact assessment practices. Some topics were dropped after a short time on the Berlin Process agenda including health, migration, and terrorism and radicalisation as well as good governance, rule of law, and support for judicial reforms.
The study recommends establishing a small secretariat to ensure continuity, formalize monitoring and reporting mechanisms, conduct regular impact assessments, and help transfer the ownership of and accountability for Berlin Process initiatives to the WB6 governments.
The Berlin Process should support democratic processes, specifically rule of law and media freedom in the WB6, and tap into the expertise of the scientific community to counter the brain drain and empower youth in the region. Alongside regional cooperation, achieving reconciliation between and within societies in the region is at the core of the Berlin Process, but this intention needs more concrete and institutionalized support.
According to Zoran Nechev, Head of the Center for EU integration and Senior Research at the Institute for Democracy Societas Civilis – Skopje and Rapporteur for the Civil Society and Think Tank Forum 2024, said that this year, Berlin Process has marked significant success with the unblocking the CEFTA agreements, the publication of the new CRM Action Plan.
“These milestones have reinforced the Berlin Process’s reputation as a vital complement to the EU accession process, as Western Balkan countries actively pursue closer ties to the EU single market. Moreover, the Berlin Process has served as an effective platform for introducing innovative ideas aimed at streamlining the EU decision-making process, including the proposal to implement Qualified Majority Voting (QMV) during intermediate stages of EU negotiations. This approach underscores the commitment to making the integration process more efficient and responsive to the needs of the region”, Nechev said.