“Progress in the implementation of Albania’s Reform Agenda relies on transparency and cooperation between state and non-state actors” was the main takeaway from the consultation meeting organized by IDM regarding Albania’s Reform Agenda.
“The delay in publishing the Reform Agenda and the lack of willingness from the Chief Negotiator’s office to engage in meetings organized by civil society remain a concern. Civil society is here to stay and given that the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans goes beyond being merely an economic plan, we call for increased cooperation with state institutions to accelerate the pace and quality of reforms,” said Gjergji Vurmo, Senior Advisor at IDM.
Jorida Tabaku, Chairperson of the National Council on EU integration expressed concerns about the current state of the integration process, stating that it lacks meaningful discussions and inclusivity.
She added that in Albania there is a strong and united political will across all parties regarding EU accession. Ms. Tabaku expressed concerns about the Council on European Integration’s lack of access to the Reform Agenda drafts and the Parliament’s limited involvement in the process. “Has the government conducted a business readiness assessment to determine if the private sector is prepared? It is crucial that this sector and other stakeholders are involved and informed at the earliest stages, as every element of the integration process carries associated costs. The process should not become bureaucratic.” she concluded.
Daniel Prroni, researcher at IDM introduced the initiative and the methodology that will be used to monitor the implementation of the Reform Agenda. He mentioned that this will be done with semiannual reports and the establishment of a multistakeholder consultation Platform. Prroni briefly talked about the policy brief that will be published by IDM regarding the preparation Reform Agenda and the challenges that surfaced during the process.
“We are concerned by the urgency of the entire consultation process regarding the Reform Agenda as it may undermine the quality of the outcomes. We have provided input, but much of it was not taken into consideration maybe due to prior consent with Brussels on what is deemed relevant. As Civil Society we were expecting a more comprehensive expansion of the reforms rather than just a “to-do list” and we are still unclear about the role of civil society in this process. Monitoring by civic actors is essential to offer the EU an alternative perspective to the narrative presented through government inputs.” said Blerjana Bino from SCIDEV when talking about the fundamentals and digital transition.
Zana Vokopola from Urban Research Institute expressed concern about the rushed approach to the Reform Agenda and the tight deadlines for certain measures. She discussed one of the objectives of the reform Agenda related to carbon trading mechanisms. “In theory, setting up a system for carbon trading may seem simple, however I believe that Albanian companies are not prepared to do this allin-one year. In the energy sector, Albania has started making progress by developing several strategies, but more work is needed to align with the EU legislation.” She also pointed out that previous attempts to implement some of the reform measures have been unsuccessful.
Ardita Seknaj from the International Chamber of Commerce asserted that the private sector has not been informed or involved in the process of the consultation of the Reform Agenda. Ms. Seknaj observed that some measures in the business environment sector lack ambition and remain within the comfort zone. “The proposed reforms could have been more ambitious and viewed in the context of the business climate. The government needs to establish a more efficient mechanism for consulting the private sector and adapt the communication to a technical level rather than a political one. The number and complexity of reforms often create confusion in determining the priorities“.
Professor Selami Xhepa from the European University in Tirana highlighted that the Growth Plan represents the EU’s most ambitious initiative for the region, offering more accessible funding tied to conditionality. He also emphasized that economic reform measures should be guided by insights from key documents such as the Letta and Draghi reports. “Such large-scale initiatives must be research-based, with well-defined objectives and measurable indicators. Unlike the IPA funds, where insufficient administrative capacities have often been seen as the main obstacle to achieving progress, the Growth Plan addresses this challenge by investing in capacity-building. If we focus on the new reforms without supporting the existing industries, there is a risk that convergence with EU will decline further” Professor Xhepa stated.
Odeta Barbullushi, former advisor to the Prime Minister, sees the document positively particularly due to the tight deadlines and the new funding mechanism which compels the governments to make efforts and meet deadlines. Ms. Barbullushi stressed that the Reform Agenda should leverage both
the expertise of civil society and its capacity for alternative monitoring.
The national event in Tirana is part of a series of national events in the six Western Balkan countries that are being implemented within the framework of the project “Pathways to EU Integration: Advancing the Dialogue on the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans” funded by the Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans. The purpose of this event was to discuss the potential for cooperation in the process of monitoring the implementation of the Reform Agenda.
