TIRANA, Feb 29 /ATA/ There is only one month left to fulfill the reform agenda as the lawmakers will pass the relevant laws by the end of April, the Director-General of the Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Gert Koopman stated on Thursday at the EU-Western Balkans Summit on the Growth and Convergence Plan in Tirana.
“Higher quality reform is essential, but time is ticking and in the next four weeks, high quality product must be provided to secure funds in May, ahead of the summer holiday”, Koopman said.
“Leaders presence at the today’s summit shows evidence of your commitment, which should be a fast-paced commitment, as EU Commissioner Varhelyi said. In order to move forward, this pace must be stable and led by senior management”, he said.
“Secondly, it is not only up to the leaders, this is an effort of the whole society. The independent institutions must do their job, otherwise we will not succeed in achieving results on the growth plan”, he added.
“Thirdly, the implementation of ambitious changes in the legislation must be fully align with EU legislation under EU growth plan. This is difficult for the countries of the region. Thus, we will be by your side all the time”, Koopman said.
The European Commission adopted a new Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, with the aim of bringing some of the benefits of membership to the region in advance of accession, boost economic growth and accelerate much needed socio-economic convergence.
The objective should be to enable partners to step up reforms and investments to significantly accelerate the speed of the enlargement process and the growth of their economies.
A new €6 billion Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans has been proposed for the period 2024-2027.
Regional Summit on the Growth and Convergence Plan is taking place on Thursday, February 29, in Tirana focusing on the integration of the Western Balkans towards the European Union, as well as the implementation of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.
This second summit will also offer new opportunities for an exchange of views on the European future of the region and on common regional challenges.//a.i/
