The high-level event Western Balkans Civil Society Policy Dialogues in Brussels: How Do We Get to Enlargement That Delivers brought together experts from civil society, EU institutions, and policy circles to tackle key challenges of Western Balkans in EU Enlargement.  

Open Society Foundations Western Balkans (OSF-WB), in the framework of the Ignita initiative, and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) supported this event organized by the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) and European Policy Institute (EPI). The discussion took place in Brussels, Belgium, on 25 February 2025 at the European Policy Center (EPC).  

The Western Balkans are at a decisive moment, with EU integration gaining momentum. Civil society, as a vital and integral part of this effort, plays a crucial role—defending rights, amplifying voices, and ensuring accountability.  This dialogue was a significant opportunity to push for a more inclusive and transparent EU integration process, where civil society is not just recognized as an observer but as a key actor in shaping democratic reforms.  

The discussion was structured around two key panels: ‘How to Defend Democracy? Civil Society, Media, and the EU’s Response to Rising Pressures’ and ‘The Growth Plan’s Reform and Growth Facility: A New Instrument to Ignite Transformative Reforms?’ The panels, moderated by Berta López Domènech Policy Analyst at European Policy Centre and Corina Stratulat 

Associate Director and Head of European Politics and Institutions, European Policy Centre, explored key challenges and opportunities related to democratic resilience, media freedom, and economic reforms in the Western Balkans, providing a platform for public discussion on the current and future contributions of Western Balkans civil society to policy reforms and the region’s EU integration  

Speakers included Valentina Superti, Director for Western Balkans, European Commission; Gordan Bosanac, Member of the European Parliament; Andi Dobrushi, Director at Open Society Foundations | Western Balkans; Taulant Hoxha, Executive Director of Kosovar Civil Society Foundation (KCSF), Biljana Spasovska, Executive Director of Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN), Nikola Burazer, Executive Editor of European Western Balkans; Stefan Ristovski, researcher at EPI; and Milena Mihajlovic Denic, Programme Director of Centar za evropske politike – CEP. 

During the opening keynote speech, Valentina Superti, Director for Western Balkans, European Commission (EC), confirmed the EC’s stance on EU Enlargement.

“The new European Commission President, on der Leyen, has asked each member of the European Commission to play an active role in supporting candidate countries. And this is the first time that this has happened in decades. It is very important because it’s a political signal, but it also means that the candidate countries can count on our technical expertise and dedication across Commission services.”

Ms. Superti also addressed civil society and its role in monitoring the reform agendas under the Reform and Growth Facility.  
“This is a new important instrument: the first objective is boosting socioeconomic development of the countries. The second one is to prepare for membership—it’s not a substitute; it’s a tool to prepare for membership in order to allow a softer landing at the end of the road when the countries will join. And I’m sure they will join the European Union. We need you—in particular, civil society’s help monitoring the implementation of these reforms, especially because the time horizon for carrying out the reforms is relatively short.”  

Gordan Bosanac, Croatian politician currently serving as a Member of the European Parliament for Croatia, reflected on the importance of including Civil Society voices in the enlargement process.

“It is more important than ever to stand by Civil Society, which is traditionally the vocal voice of the rule of law, human rights, and the values we stand for. Civil Society organizations must be supported. I hope the European Parliament, Council, and Commission will continue to be vocal and bring Civil Society as key partners in defending our values.”

In the high-level intervention, OSF-WB Director Andi Dobrushi commented on the Growth Plan’s potential to transform the Western Balkans region.

“Uncertainty is not an excuse for inertia. When the space for progress narrows, agency matters even more. The Growth Plan and enlargement itself must not be a passive exercise dictated by political cycles, but a process driven by those who have the most to gain from real integration”, Andi Dobrushi stated.”

On the second panel, the European Policy Institute – Skopje presented its findings and policy recommendations to assess the progress of reform implementation, identify key challenges, and propose solutions to expedite the EU integration of the Western Balkans. These insights, developed through monitoring, comparative policy analysis, and regional dialogues, were shared as part of their project “Pathways to EU Integration: Advancing the Dialogue on the Growth Plan for the WB” under the Ignita Initiative.  

The event provided a space for civil society to engage in this debate, ensuring their voices shape a transformative EU accession process. As civil society continues to play a critical role in shaping reforms, OSF-WB will further support initiatives that empower civic actors, enhance policy advocacy, and push for greater transparency in EU integration.