Tirana Connectivity Forum – ReSPA’s Active Role in Reloading Enlargement
18-19 Tirana, Albania
The Tirana Connectivity Forum (TCF) has reshaped the ongoing discussions regarding EU Enlargement with the Western Balkans, taking a development-oriented approach. TCF has established itself as an annual benchmark for national, regional, and EU stakeholders engaged in EU enlargement, regional cooperation, and connectivity in the Western Balkans region. Its goal is to influence discussions on a development-focused path to EU accession that enhances the resilience of Western Balkans reform efforts and reduces the gap between Western Balkans and EU neighbouring states.
Organised by the Cooperation and Development Institute (CDI), TCF 2023 under the main theme “Reloading Enlargement” encompassed two main aspects:
The first pillar concentrated on the progress of implementing the Common Regional Market agreements and the EU Economic and Investment Plan Flagships. Specialized civil society organizations (CSOs) and think tanks shared their evaluations with regional policymakers and drew conclusions regarding the implementation status and its impact on the citizens of the region. The second pillar brought together think tanks from both the EU and Western Balkans to present proposals for accelerating the enlargement process. They engaged in discussions and collaboration with EU decision-makers to explore the most effective ways to expedite WB's accession to the EU.
ReSPA contributed to various panels on topics focused on the Common Regional Market, Enlargement scenarios and projections, the Growth Plan and accelerated integration, and implementation of the Economic and Investment Plan with the underpinning message that for the successful implementation of all these initiatives the capacities of the public sector shall be preserved, strengthened and upgraded continuously.
ReSPA Director Maja Handjiska-Trendafilova invited as keynote speaker called for doubling down efforts on strengthening resilient democratic institutions and capacitating the public sector: “For ReSPA, strong and resilient institutions truly matter. We need more allies in this call for a renewed focus on the human capacities in our public sector. Joint learning and capacity building is a broadly unifying topic - so we have to arm up joint forces towards this goal. Hope also the reinvigorated Berlin process and the upcoming Growth Plan integrate stronger learning/capacity-building elements across core agendas. On our end, we will also integrate more prominently the vast body of knowledge and expertise of the civil society sector in the conceptualisation and delivery of our learning and peer exchange actions.”
Director Handjiska- Trendafilova discussed with the participants the ReSPA portfolio of support towards the region, its priorities as well as provided a flavour of ReSPA direct support instruments’ achievements.
This annual meet-up gathered key actors at the local, regional, and EU levels who exchanged about a development-focused path to join the EU, one that makes WB administrations stronger in their reforms and brings them closer to EU neighbours.
ReSPA is dedicated to enhancing the capabilities of the public sector throughout the region, contributing to the implementation of Public Administration Reform and broader reform agendas. Reforming public administration and establishing robust institutions are now central to the accession process. The reorganization of the negotiating chapters into clusters places PAR in the fundamental cluster. This means that the region must demonstrate a more credible commitment to implementing reforms that lead to resilient institutions, good governance, and other essential aspects.
ReSPA will continue to empower public servants by enhancing regional cooperation and knowledge transfer and providing tailor-made expertise and capacity-building tools to better equip them for addressing significant societal challenges.
