WESTERN BALKANS – Discussions dedicated to the Common Regional Market (CRM), regional cooperation, and European integrations have taken place in the capitals of all Western Balkan countries as part of the „Common Regional Market Week 2024“.
CRM Week is an initiatie of CDI, supported by the German Foreign Federal Office and carried out in partnership with civil society organizations from the region. The main focus of the series of events was discussing the progress and challenges in advancing the CRM agenda, the impact of the Growth Plan reforms, and the region’s gradual integration into the EU’s Single Market while taking stock of the10th Summit of the Berlin Process.
CDI and partners from the region have been actively involved in promoting an inclusive policymaking process, ensuring greater citizen engagement and societal backing for regional cooperation. Since early 2023, CDI has monitored the CRM’s mobility agreements implementation and has supported the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in carrying out the CRM Action Plan 2025-2028 consultation with civil society actors.
Several key insights have emerged that underscore the importance of regional cooperation and civic engagement. First and foremost, it is clear that barrier-less collaboration across regions directly benefits citizens and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), fostering economic growth and social cohesion. Additionally, the active participation of citizens is vital for the successful implementation of CRM agreements, highlighting the need for inclusive dialogue and engagement. Furthermore, the robust support provided by the Berlin Process for Enlargement remains crucial, as it should continue to enable the convergence of the Western Balkans countries with the European Union.
CRM Week in Tirana: CSOs play vital role in suporting regional cooperation
During the event in Tirana, organized by CDI, it was highlighted the vital role of civil society in supporting regional cooperation and economic integration in the Western Balkans, which is crucial for EU membership preparedness.
It was emphasized the importance of aligning the CRM with the EU Single Market to enhance regional competitiveness and attractiveness. Key stakeholders, including representatives from the German Federal Foreign Office and Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the CRM and fostering collaborative efforts among the Western Balkan countries.
Valeska Esch, Senior Adviser to the Federal Government’s Special Representative for the Western Balkans, representing the German Federal Office, reaffirmed the continued involvement of the German Special Envoy Office in ensuring the implementation of Berlin Process commitments, aimed at delivering tangible benefits to the citizens of the Western Balkans.
Albanian Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Endrit Yzeiraj, underscored Albania’s proactive role in implementing the CRM, as well as its commitment to fostering regional collaboration.
Olivera Ceni Bardiqi, representing the CEFTA, emphasized CEFTA’s strong commitment to achieving tangible outcomes through its active role in shaping CRM 2.
One of the key topics of the event was the linkage between the CRM and the Growth Plan (GP), which is viewed as a crucial bridge between the CRM and the EU’s Single Market. Ms. Francesca Porcelli, Growth Plan Coordinator at the EU Delegation to Albania, described the GP as an innovative initiative by the European Commission to frontload membership benefits for Western Balkan countries.
Sokol Zeneli, CDI’s expert, shared some of the findings from an ongoing research CDI is carrying out on the Reform and Growth Facility reform agendas. He highlighted the importance for robust monitoring and evaluation framework for the reform agendas, as well the necessity for clear and transparent guidance from the EC on the evaluation of the conditionality under the GP. The paper will be published very soon by CDI.
CRM Week in Skopje: Coordination of reforms across the Western Balkans is essential
Dicussion organized by the European Policy Institute from Skopje highlighted the urgent need for stronger regional cooperation and reform alignment to ensure the Western Balkans’ successful integration into the European Union.
The German Ambassador, Petra Drexler, emphasised the importance of the Berlin process in advancing the regional cooperation and inclusion of think-tank and civil society organizations in monitoring the process from the very beginning in order to ensure focus on the actual implementation of the goals.
Ben Nupnau, the Deputy Head of EU Delegation to North Macedonia who reiterated the EU’s commitment to support the reform agendas of the Western Balkans and emphasized that the EU is strongly committed to advancing regional integration efforts on the way to full membership, which will open up potential for economic growth.
One of the key recommendations from the discussion of the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans is the need for reforms in green and digital transformation, as well as human capital development to close skill gaps across the region. To ensure the successful implementation of these reforms, it is crucial that administrative capacities are strengthened and that reform efforts at the national level are aligned with broader regional objectives. Coordination of reforms across the Western Balkans is essential for avoiding discrepancies and enhancing the overall integration process with the EU.
CRM Week in Pristina: Kosovo should prioritize reforms in democracy and economy
The participants of the events organized by Institute for Development Policy (INDEP) emphasized the need for the government of Kosovo to ratify Protocol 5 and other regional agreements to enable the free movement of goods and services, the importance of involving civil society organizations (CSOs) in monitoring CRM implementation and encouraging participation was underlined active business community in regional initiatives, stakeholders explored the potential of the new EU Growth Plan to support CRM 2, with experts citing benefits for local businesses, especially in trade and manufacturing.
They reiterated that Kosovo should prioritize reforms in democracy and economy to fully benefit from EU policies. They also asked the government to strengthen cooperation with the private sector and harmonize policies with EU norms. Participants also emphasized the importance of continued cooperation and transparency between governments, civil society and business sectors to ensure the smooth implementation of CRM.
The participants at the table were Mr. Jeton Zulfaj, Political Advisor to the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Mrs. Sytrime Dervisholli, Executive Director at Prefab Kosovo, Mr. Burim Ejupi, Executive Director of the Institute for Development Policy, as well as Valeska Esch, Senior Advisor to the Special Representative for the Western Balkans, German Federal Government (Online), Mrs. Olivera Ceni Bardiqi, Trade Facilitation Expert at CEFTA and Mr. Ardian Hackaj, CDI Research Director.
CRM Week in Podgorica: CEFTA plays important central role during the implementation of CRM
The event in Podgorica, organised by the Institute for Strategic Studies and Projections, provided an opportunity to hear views from the business sector and civil society, as key actors contributing to the integration processes.
The panelists analyzed current challenges in the implementation of the Common Regional Market and reflected on new initiatives introduced by the CRM 2 Action Plan. To this end, participants stressed the importance of CEFTA in delivering tangible outcomes through its active role in shaping CRM 2 and its central role during the implementation phase.
The event began with opening speeches from government representatives and international officials Milica Perišić, Adviser to the Prime Minister of Montenegro for Foreign Policy and National Coordinator for the Berlin Process; Yngve Engstroem, Head of the Cooperation Sector at the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro; Peter Felten, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Montenegro.
CRM Week in Sarajevo: Growth Plan goes hand in had with CRM
The participants of the event, organized by Center for Civil Society Promotion from Sarajevo, agreed that the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans is something that goes hand in hand with the Common Regional Market, and that it shows that this region has not gone beyond the focus of the EU even after the Russian aggression against Ukraine, which is why a little more attention is paid to the expansion of the Union to the East.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina emphasized that the Berlin Process and the Common Regional Market effects are tangible. Assistant Minister Aida Hodžić drew attention to the fact that from 2020, in surveys about our country’s accession to the EU, support for this process is falling by about three percent per year.
Aida Soko, Economic Adviser at the Delegation of EU to BiH, expressed her hope that the reform agenda of BiH will soon be fully agreed on in a positive atmosphere, and pointed out that there are many reasons for satisfaction in the 110 measures that have been agreed and approved so far.
The hosts of the meeting, CPCD Director Aida Daguda and CDI Director of Research Ardian Hackaj used the opportunity to mention the role of civil society in integration processes.
CRM Week in Belgrade: Civil society has made a significant contribution to the Berlin Process
The establishment of the Common Regional Market will bring numerous economic benefits and speed up the process of accession of the Western Balkan countries to the European Union, it was concluded at yesterday’s panel discussion organized by the Center for Contemporary Politics from Belgrade.
Speaking about the relationship between the Common Regional Market and the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, Tanja Miščević, Minister of European integration of Serbia, specified that the Common Regional Market is the so-called “second pillar of the Growth Plan”, which is also a precondition for the accelerated integration of the region into the European Union Single Market.
Civil society has made a significant contribution to the Berlin Process