A high-level regional conference in Skopje highlights how sustainable infrastructure is essential for EU integration, climate resilience, and economic development.

Skopje, 16 May 2025 – Green infrastructure is no longer optional but essential, regional leaders and experts emphasized at a high-level conference on advancing green infrastructure in the Western Balkans.

Hosted by the Institute for Good Governance and Policies in Environment and Climate Change (IPECC) as part of Ignita, an OSF-WB’s flagship initiative committed to forging connections and championing a shared vision for an integrated region into the EU, the conference gathered over 80 participants, including government officials, EU delegations, regulatory bodies, civil society, and technical experts.

“Green and sustainable infrastructure is not a choice, but a necessity,” said North Macedonia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment and Physical Planning, Izet Mexhiti.

Calling for long-term investments that integrate climate risk and biodiversity, Minister Mexhiti added: “The way we shape our infrastructure projects directly influences quality of life, economic stability, environmental protection, and resilience to climate change.”

North Macedonia’s Minister of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources, Sanja Božinovska, echoed the urgency, noting that “the green transition is no longer optional—it’s essential. For the Western Balkans, it is also a crucial step toward full EU membership.”

Božinovska emphasized the need to overcome technical barriers to funding access, strengthen regional cooperation, and improve institutional coordination. “Strategic preparedness and systematization are critical to closing the gap between planning and implementation,” she said.

Participants discussed how EU financial instruments can support green infrastructure in the region, and shared lessons from local and cross-border initiatives.

IPECC President Jadranka Ivanova called for strengthened intersectoral and interregional cooperation: “Green infrastructure is a vital component of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, and its implementation must be strategic, financially sustainable, and inclusive of all relevant stakeholders, including citizens and local communities.”

As part of its Just Green Transition pillar, OSF–WB promotes sustainable and inclusive development, aligned with EU accession objectives and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans.

“What we build now—whether infrastructure, institutions, or alliances—must be regionally coherent, locally informed, and institutionally credible,” said Adrijana Lavchiska, OSF–WB Program Manager for Just Green Transition.

“Green infrastructure is not just technical. It is political, strategic, and civic. It is not only about roads or pipelines—it is about building trust, resilience, and opportunity. How we design and implement it will determine the pace and type of integration we achieve,” she added.

Lavchiska also highlighted Ignita, a civil society-led platform supported by OSF–WB, which brings together traditionally siloed actors to shape convergence with EU policy cycles. “Ignita aims to align regional priorities with EU dynamics and foster forward-looking advocacy,” she said.

Ignita promotes multi-sectoral collaboration and strengthens regional cooperation through joint advocacy campaigns and policy recommendations. By creating a unified regional platform to address EU integration and sectoral challenges, Ignita advocates for Western Balkans’ interests in Brussels and across the region.

OSF–WB supports several regional initiatives under the Green Agenda including the Green Industrial Policy for the Western Balkans, which aims to create a unified regional framework for green economic growth and resilience, as well as Decarbonization for Energy Security, an advocacy effort to integrate the region into the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), offering a pathway for sustainable investment and energy stability.

The interconnection between the just energy transition and EU Integration portfolios of the OSF-WB ensure that the region’s development is not only environmentally sound, economically resilient, equitable and inclusive, but also aligned with the region’s broader European integration goals and standards.