16–17 December 2024, Podgorica, Montenegro

Officials leading EU accession negotiations, coordinating pre-accession assistance, and preparing core accession documents within their respective administrations across the Western Balkans gathered in Podgorica for the European Integration Regional Thematic Group Meeting and a workshop focused on developing and monitoring national programs and planning documents for EU accession. The aim was to foster regional cooperation, enhance knowledge exchange, and support capacity-building efforts in EU integration. Participants included.

Director Handjiska-Trendafilova delivered opening remarks emphasising the region's commitment to reforms and the EU accession agenda: "Over the last year, ReSPA has implemented EU-focused training on clusters 1–4, on acquis translation, partnered with esteemed institutions like the College of Europe and the European University Institute in co-organization of EU integration seasonal schools, implemented the Italian-supported capacity building programme with a strong EU integration strand and much more, while boosting transversal skills for negotiations and communication. Today, amid an intense period of renewed accession dynamics, we embark on an invaluable exchange of insights, experiences, and knowledge critical to advancing the EU accession process while improving NPAAs. I encourage everyone to tap into the collective intelligence and share their experiences and ideas over the next two days to maximise this opportunity."

The workshop sessions addressed critical themes, including aligning national frameworks with the new enlargement methodology, National Programs for the Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA) role, and inter-institutional coordination.

Prominent speakers included Tanja Miščević, Minister of European Integration of Serbia, who highlighted the implications of the New Growth Plan, and ReSPA experts such as Aleksandar Andrija Pejović, Malinka Ristevska Jordanova, Csaba Zalai and Cvetanka Kuzmanovska who discussed the harmonisation of planning documents and NPAA implementation frameworks.

Interactive discussions, including a "World Café" session, enabled participants to share lessons learned and address practical challenges such as financial planning, monitoring, and reporting on NPAA implementation, coordinating the stakeholders' roles in EU accession talks and adapting the existing mechanisms to the new trends in EU accession and integration such as the New Growth plan and Cluster-based methodology.

The event concluded with identifying future priorities for ReSPA’s strategic orientation for 2025–2030, reinforcing its role as a hub for regional collaboration and learning in the European integration process.

This gathering underlines the Western Balkans' commitment to advance reforms and align with the requirements of the EU integration process, supported by platforms such as ReSPA that bridge regional cooperation and European ambitions.