3rd Western Balkan Forum

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), representing the economic and social components of organised civil society in the European Union (EU), has held its third Western Balkan Civil Society Forum with the support of the European Commission. It has brought together 150 participants, including representatives of Western Balkan civil society organisations (CSOs), EESC members, European and international socio-professional organisations, European NGOs, representatives of the Governments of the Western Balkan, diplomats, EU institutions and international organisations. The Forum was opened by Ms. Irini Pari, Vice-President of the EESC, Mr. Michael Leigh, Director-General, DG Enlargement, EC, and. H.E. Mr. Aleksandar Andrija Pejovič, Ambassador, Head of Permanent Mission of Montenegro to the EU.

The participants welcomed the progress made in the region towards the common goal of accession to the European Union. They noted that the EU institutions have worked consistently towards the promised European perspective of the region and that positive concrete steps have been taken in recent months that have brought the region closer to this shared goal.

Among these positive steps, the participants welcomed, in particular, the decision taken by the Council of the EU to allow visa-free travel, as from 19 December 2009, to and throughout the Schengen area for citizens of three countries of the region. They called on the authorities of the other countries of the region to deliver results in line with the agreed benchmarks under the visa liberalisation dialogue, so that the white Schengen list can be extended to the citizens of the whole Western Balkan. They stressed that this process would play a pivotal role in encouraging exchanges between the EU and the region and that young people and students should especially benefit from it. They should then be offered more opportunities to engage in traineeships and scholarships in the EU.

The participants noted that since the last EESC Western Balkan Forum held in June 2008, two additional Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAA) with countries of the region had entered into force. They further ask EU member states to proceed with the remaining SAAs for which ratifications need to be completed.

They welcomed the enthusiasm for the EU in the Western Balkan that has led three more Governments of the region to officially apply for EU membership.  The participants called on the European Commission (EC) to assess these applications on the basis of a broad and transparent consultation. They asked the EC to consult with local CSOs and to take their views into consideration when evaluating the preparedness of each country. They underlined that the assessment of the level of participatory democracy, the functioning of social and civil dialogue, had to be performed by the EC during the process.

On the issue of regional cooperation, the participants stressed the fact that good neighbourhood relations and regional cooperation are key political priorities for the countries of the Western Balkan in advancing towards the EU. Two years after it started functioning, the participants welcome the work achieved so far by the Regional Cooperation Council and further encourage it to develop projects of regional interest, especially in the fields of infrastructure and economic and social cooperation.

The participants also urged all stakeholders to make a success of the EU-Western Balkan Summit to be held in Sarajevo on 2 June 2010 under the initiative of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU. They expressed the view that this high-level Summit would be an important opportunity for the region to demonstrate tangible improvements in regional cooperation.

After two days of discussion, the Forum participants have adopted the following conclusions:

on the progress made in the region towards the EU,

• commend the candidate and potential candidate countries to EU accession in the Western Balkan for their progress towards EU accession.
• insist that the countries of the region, on their paths towards the EU, devote more resources to the implementation of the newly adopted legislation.
• call on the remaining authorities concerned in the region to deliver results in order for their citizens to be granted visa free travel to and throughout the Schengen area by the EU.
• recommend that the fight against corruption and the issue of minorities remain top political priorities for the countries of the region.

on the future treaty establishing a Transport community between the EU and the Western Balkans,

• encourage the political authorities of the region to consider transport infrastructure projects as a priority to be tackled through regional cooperation.
• urge CSOs of the region to engage in dialogue with their governments on the future implementation of the Treaty.
• underline that the recommendations which will be adopted by the representatives involved in the regional social forum must be implemented by ministerial meetings within the Transport Community.

on reinforcing the capacities of civil society organisations in the region,

• call on the Governments to develop a legal environment that supports civil society and urge them to develop and implement a strategy that will increase the level of dialogue and cooperation between public authorities and CSOs.
• welcome the development of the Civil Society Facility, which is a European Commission programme, and encourage it to better tailor to the needs of small local CSOs.
• express their support for the initiative of the Regional Cooperation Council, which aims to set-up a regional economic and social council at the level of the Western Balkans.

Vladimíra Drbalová
International Organisations and EU Affairs
Member of the EESC