Brussels, 30-31 January 2025

ReSPA actively participated in the DG TRAD Conference of the European Parliament, which was dedicated to The Multilingual Story of Enlargement. The conference brought together high-level policymakers, translation experts, and academics to discuss the crucial role of multilingualism in EU enlargement and the challenges of translating the acquis for aspiring member states.

The conference opened with a video message from Marta Kos, Commissioner for Enlargement and Eastern Partnership, who emphasized the strong political momentum behind the EU enlargement process. She reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting candidate countries in their accession journey and underlined that timely and high-quality translation of the acquis is not just a technical requirement but a fundamental pillar of the integration process. Commissioner Kos emphasized the European Commission’s unwavering commitment to the Western Balkans, stressing that sustained engagement and support for institutional reforms remain a top priority. She reaffirmed that the Commission is working diligently to advance these reforms to expand the Union within its current mandate, reinforcing the EU’s strategic vision for enlargement.

ReSPA’s Programme Coordinator, Genti Xhaxhiu, took part in the panel discussion on Translation in the Story of Enlargement, where he presented ReSPA’s initiatives in building translation capacities in the Western Balkans. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that national versions of the acquis meet EU standards, addressing the key challenges in legal translation, and highlighting the role of AI-driven solutions in enhancing translation efficiency. He also reflected on ReSPA’s ongoing efforts to support the Translation Coordination Units (TCUs) in the region, particularly through its training programmes, annual conferences, and cooperation with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Translation (DGT).

The conference featured several high-level panel discussions that explored different dimensions of multilingualism and enlargement. A panel on The Historical Context of European Integration and Enlargements examined how past enlargement rounds tackled translation challenges and how lessons learned could inform current candidates. The panel on Translation in the Story of Enlargement, where ReSPA contributed, focused on the practical challenges of translating the acquis and the need for structured capacity-building efforts in candidate countries. Another panel on Enlargements and Multilingualism explored the economic, political, and cultural implications of managing multiple languages within EU institutions, with speakers highlighting the importance of terminology standardization and legal consistency across translations.

ReSPA has been engaged in strengthening translation capacities across the region through targeted training and collaboration with key EU institutions. Between 2015 and 2018, ReSPA organized a series of training sessions for TCUs, equipping public servants with the necessary skills and methodologies for acquis translation. This focus was renewed in 2023 with the launch of an annual conference that brought together European Commission representatives, national governments, and experts from EU Member States. This was followed by an intensive training programme from September 2023 to February 2024, delivered in close cooperation with the DGT. The programme included six training modules and a masterclass in Brussels, covering key areas such as legal translation, terminology management, quality assurance, and the integration of AI and digital tools in the translation process.

In November 2024, ReSPA also played a key role in facilitating the participation of heads of TCUs from the Western Balkans at the Translating Europe Forum 2024, the largest European conference on translation. During the event, the delegation held discussions with the Director-General of DGT, representatives of DG NEAR, and the European Commission’s Legal Service. These discussions reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting the region in strengthening its translation processes and ensuring alignment with EU standards.

Looking ahead, ReSPA remains committed to further advancing translation capacities in the Western Balkans. A new workshop on AI-assisted translation will be launched to explore how emerging technologies can enhance the translation of the acquis.