SEE6 hosts regional series on factor mobility and EU integration

The Common Regional Market (CRM) and CEFTA are two complementary frameworks driving economic cooperation and EU alignment in the Western Balkans. While the CRM sets the political direction and strategic roadmap, CEFTA provides the legal tools and required mechanisms needed to turn that vision into action.

A major milestone was achieved in October 2024, when CEFTA contracting parties adopted eight agreements/protocols and one recommendation to advance the free movement of people and strengthen intra-regional mobility. As of May 2025, three of these have entered into force across all SEE6 economies, while ratification and implementation of the remaining ones are ongoing.

To foster dialogue on key drivers of regional mobility, CDI and its regional partners will host a series of high-level events across the six South East European 6 (SEE6) from 21 to 29 May 2025. These events will spotlight the implementation of CEFTA Mobility Agreements in the region; countries’ progress in adopting the EU acquis under the Internal Market cluster, and the region’s overall trajectory toward integration into the EU Single Market.

Bringing together policymakers, civil society, academia and the business sector, the discussions will reflect on both achievements and remaining challenges. The series will launch in Tirana on 21 May 2025 with the roundtable “Drivers of Regional Mobility in the Western Balkans: Free Movement of People,” organized in partnership with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

These events are part of the regional initiative “Channeling SEE6 Civil Society Contribution to the Common Regional Market (CRM) and Berlin Process,” supported by the German Federal Foreign Office. The initiative promotes inclusive policymaking by fostering greater citizen engagement and building public support for regional cooperation and impactful engagement in EU accession.