The “Fundamentals First – Improving the Rule of Law and Inclusiveness in the Western Balkans Energy Transition“ project, implemented by Renewables and Environment Regulatory Institute (RERI), aims to promote and uphold the rule of law as a backbone of the WB energy transition, which is in line with the EU fundamentals’ first enlargement principle. The project seeks to promote collaboration between civil society, parliaments, and regulatory bodies to strengthen oversight and accountability, ensuring that energy transition efforts align with international commitments and sustainable development goals.

ABOUT THE PROJECT
The project addresses the lack of rule of law in the Western Balkans energy transition, particularly the breaches of the Treaty Establishing the Energy Community, which delay the achievement of climate neutrality goals, sustainable energy transition, and pollution reduction. The project aims to reinforce the rule of law as the foundation of the energy transition in the region and to foster cooperation among civil society, parliaments, and regulatory bodies to enhance oversight and accountability through development of a model for independent energy transition oversight.

LOCAL IMPACT
The project aims to drive an impact on the local level by reinforcing the rule of law and accountability in the Western Balkans’ energy transition and focuses on ensuring that local governments adhere to international agreements. One of the key impacts of the project is the establishment of independent oversight mechanisms, which will monitor the financing and implementation of energy transition initiatives. By engaging civil society, independent regulatory bodies, national parliaments, academic community and trade unions, the project ensures that the energy transition is transparent, locally-owned and driven by evidence-based decisions.

REGIONAL IMPACT
The project contributes to building a foundation for transparent, inclusive, and sustainable energy governance in the Western Balkans, which is crucial for the region’s development. By promoting compliance with international agreements such as the Energy Community Treaty and the Paris Agreement, this project encourages legal accountability among state actors. Through civil society engagement and the involvement of regulatory institutions, it aims to strengthen independent oversight, bridging the gap between citizens and decision-makers in the region. The project seeks to improve accountability and effectiveness in energy governance by developing and advocating policy recommendations grounded in EU enlargement principles and international commitments.