Civil society’s role in supporting the reform process under the growth plans for the Western Balkans and Moldova and Ukraine’s Reform Path

Background 

The EESC views enlargement as a geostrategic investment in a stable, secure and united Europe, grounded in democratic values and based on credible reforms and merit. It is urging the candidate countries – including Ukraine, Moldova, and the countries of the Western Balkans – to maintain strong progress, particularly on the rule of law and democratic governance, while also fostering good neighbourly relations. 

In an opinion requested by the Cyprus presidency and selected for the Enlargement Candidate Members (ECMs) initiative, the EESC explores the role of organised civil society in supporting the reform process under the EU growth plans for the Western Balkans and Moldova and as part of Ukraine’s reform path. It focuses on the implementation of the three performance-based facilities designed to support these countries’ paths towards EU membership and closer integration, emphasising the critical role of civil society organisations and the social partners. 

In the opinion the EESC: 

  • calls for structured engagement with civil society in the roll-out of all three facilities. Sustainable and credible reforms require permanent, active and institutionalised roles for the social partners and civil society organisations, alongside national authorities, to secure legitimacy, public trust and societal ownership of these reforms;
  • calls for clear European Commission guidance on assessing both reform progress and backsliding, in order to ensure transparency and credibility, and enable civil society and local and regional authorities to ensure meaningful monitoring of reform implementation;
  • believes that tailored, predictable, multi-annual funding for civil society organisations and the social parters is vital for empowering their participation in reform implementation, safeguarding the civic space and strengthening reform legitimacy and sustainability;
  • points out that EU funding should actively contribute to preparing countries for EU membership in line with the European social and economic model, and not be limited to supporting integration into the single market. 

Additional information

EESC section: External Relations (REX)

Opinion number: REX/612 EESC

Opinion type: Exploratory

Rapporteur: Oleg Roibu, Employers - GR I, Romania

Co-rapporteur: Andrej Zorko, Workers - GR II, Slovenia

Date of adoption by the section: 17 April 2026

Date of adoption in plenary: 29-30 April 2026

Result of the vote in plenary: 193 in favour/ 1 against/ 4 abstentions

Contact 

Millie Tsoumani

Press Officer, Email: Amalia.Tsoumani@eesc.europa.eu 

David Hoić

Policy Officer, Email: David.Hoic@eesc.europa.eu