25 February, 15:30- 17:30h, CET, Brussels
The Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) and Think for Europe Network (TEN) are organizing the Western Balkans Civil Society Policy Dialogues in Brussels. This high-level event, hosted by the European Policy Center (EPC), will bring together leading civil society organizations, policy experts, EU officials, and representatives from Member States to explore the evolving challenges and opportunities in the EU enlargement process. Opened by Ms. Valentina Superti, European Commission Director for Western Balkans, the event will focus on ensuring that EU accession remains a merit-based, values-driven process with meaningful engagement from civil society.
Why Now?
The Western Balkans stand at a crossroads. As momentum for EU integration grows, the debate is shifting toward security risk and geopolitical considerations. However, this must not come at the expense of democratic governance, institutional reforms, and fundamental freedoms, nor undermine EU’s transformative power in the region. The event will provide a platform for dialogue, ensuring that civil society voices remain central in shaping a truly transformative EU accession process. The EU’s Growth Plan aims to bring tangible benefits to the region, but for enlargement to remain transformative, it must be merit-based and rooted in democratic values. Civil society plays a pivotal role in this transformation—amplifying voices, safeguarding rights, and holding power to account —but shrinking civic space threatens their impact.
Critical issues to address
The discussion, divided into two key topics: How can democracy be defended amid rising pressures on civil society and the media? and The Growth Plan’s Reform and Growth Facility: A New Instrument to Ignite Transformative Reforms?, will aim to:
- Reinforce the EU’s transformative power: Push for an enlargement process where democracy, human rights, and the rule of law remain non-negotiable.
- Propose clear and actionable recommendations: Offer concrete steps for sectoral integration and aligning accelerated enlargement with democratic reforms.
- Elevate civil society’s role: Strengthen ties between governments, civil society, and citizens, recognizing CSOs as key actors in government accountability and inclusive policymaking, including through major EU initiatives like the Growth Plan.
Read more in the Background information and access the Agenda here.
Register HERE.
> The event is supported by Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans (OSF-WB), in the framework of the IGNITA initiative, and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), through the “Western Balkan Civil Society Hub” project. <