recommends that the Commission issue clear and transparent guidance on how to apply the proposed conditionality package and also reiterates the importance of ensuring that the EU's focus on stability and geopolitical interests does not come at the expense of the rule of law and democracy;
asks the Commission to support candidate and potential candidate countries in evaluating both the advantages and drawbacks of early market integration, identifying those that are adversely affected and implementing customised mitigation measures;
reiterates the importance of regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations throughout the EU accession process and welcomes the focus in the Commission's proposal on developing the Common Regional Market (CRM).
The high-level civil society conference on youth policy in the Western Balkans, hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), highlighted the key role of young people for the future of the region and called for their active involvement in policy-making.
To secure a more prosperous future for their citizens, Western Balkan governments need to address the problems encountered by young people, who hold the key to such a future. Sufficient and transparentbudget allocations for youth policy development and the inclusion of young people in the EU accession process are a prerequisite for facilitating positive changes and improving the situation of young people in the region.
The EESC's Western Balkans Civil Society Forum, which took place in Skopje on 30 September and 1 October, put the spotlight on the need for a clear EU accession perspective for the region and the role civil society should play in this process.
At its March plenary session, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) hosted a debate with Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, to discuss the state of play of the accession of the Western Balkan partners. EESC members showed their convincement that integrating the Western Balkan partners in the EU is a geostrategic investment in peace and economic growth.
This conference brings together representatives from the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), and youth councils and other organisations across the Western Balkans and the European Union to examine the pivotal role of young people in EU accession negotiations.
European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and Montenegro held its 21st Civil Society Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) on 16 December 2025, at the EESC in Brussels, Belgium. This platform, established between the EESC and Montenegrin civil society, provides a civil society perspective within the EU institutional framework related to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the EU and Montenegro. The JCC enables civil society organisations from both sides to monitor Montenegro's accession negotiations, discuss common interests, and inform the public about the challenges during the accession period.
The second meeting of the EU-Albania Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) will took place on 21 November 2025 at the EESC in Brussels, Belgium. This platform, established within the institutional framework of the EU-Albania Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), will enable representatives from both the EU and Albanian civil society to monitor the country's accession negotiations, discuss issues of common interest, and highlight concerns to be addressed on Albanian's path towards the European Union.
The EU-Serbia Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) held its 20th meeting on 28 November 2025 in Serbia. This platform, established within the institutional framework of the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), will enable representatives from both the EU and Serbian civil society to monitor the country's accession negotiations, discuss issues of common interest, and highlight concerns to be addressed on Serbia's path towards the European Union.
The first meeting of the EU-Albania Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) took place on 4 April 2025 in Tirana, Albania. This platform, established within the institutional framework of the EU-Albania Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), will enable representatives from both the EU and Albanian civil society to monitor the country's accession negotiations, discuss issues of common interest, and highlight concerns to be addressed on Albanian's path towards the European Union.
