The event brought together decision-makers, civil servants, representatives of business, unions, civil society members, and students from the College of Europe – Tirana Campus, to discuss Albania’s path to EU membership and the crucial role of structured civic dialogue in this process.

Albania has set an ambitious goal of joining the EU by 2030. With two negotiation chapters opened last year, the country aims to open more chapters in 2025 and close all negotiation chapters by 2027. To achieve this goal, a reform agenda must be developed and implemented within the set timeframe. A high-quality dialogue with economic and social partners is the key to success of this process.

France strongly supports Albania in its journey towards full EU membership, offering financial assistance and institutional support. In her welcoming speech, the French Ambassador to Albania, Catherine Suard, referred to the visit of the President of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) as a reflection of France’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation while supporting Albania’s European path.

To strengthen dialogue between public authorities and civil society, the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council (CESE) conducted a mission to Albania in November 2024. Today, CESE President Thierry Beaudet presented the mission’s report to Prime Minister Edi Rama, outlining key recommendations. The report suggests creating a single institution to improve consultation effectiveness and contribute to ongoing reforms.

In his speech, Beaudet emphasized that “Organized civil society plays a crucial role in strengthening democracy, the rule of law, and trust between public authorities and citizens. The report I delivered to the Prime Minister presents proposals for structuring this dialogue, developing it through collaboration between civil society organizations and public authorities.”

Delina Ibrahimaj, the Minister of State for the Protection of Entrepreneurship, emphasized that Albania aims to establish an Economic, Social, and Environmental Council to facilitate regular dialogue between the government, private sector, and civil society. She highlighted the CESE model in France as a key example of how to institutionalize this dialogue and make it a driving force for policy development and implementation.

Representatives from the private sector, civil society, and EU member states played an active role in the discussion, reaffirming their commitment to enhancing civic participation and strengthening institutional dialogue, thus opening the path for a more inclusive and effective EU accession process.

As a co-organizer and moderator, CDI highlighted the importance of structured dialogue to boost Albanian citizens’ engagement in both social and electoral democracy. CDI also emphasized CESE’s support for strengthening Albania’s cooperation with the EU’s national economic and social councils and its ongoing collaboration with the European Economic and Social Committee to enhance civil society inclusion in Albania’s EU accession reforms by 2030.

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