2024
The EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans:
One year After
The EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans: One year After
Converging with EU: Albanian stakeholders discuss necessary steps to boost country’s competitiveness
November 8, 2024
Introduced in 2023, the EU Growth Plan (GP) aims to accelerate the reforms dynamics and the integration of Southeast Europe (SEE6) into the EU Single Market. Central to this plan is the Reform and Growth Facility (RGF), a performance-based instrument linking EU financial support – €6 billion in financial assistance through grants and loans – to region’s progress in governance, public administration, private sector development, energy transition, human capital, and the rule of law.
This insight paper examines the preparation and national consultation of reform agendas. Insights from the SEE6 reveal a process widely perceived as lacking transparency and inclusivity.
With the approval of reform agendas (only Bosnia and Herzegovina’s remains pending) the focus now shifts to implementation. To ensure efficient reforms and their lasting impact, transparency and accountability will be crucial. This paper argues that civil society should play a key role during the implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
As countries advance in setting up institutional governance for the Facility, this insight paper recommends incorporating best practices from Structural Funds. By structuring the Growth Plan Monitoring Committee based on the partnership principle and drawing on successful multi-level governance models from Cohesion Policy, the EU Growth Plan could serve as a transformative framework, preparing the region for post-2027 EU instruments.
