Safeguarding Civic Space: Role of Civil Society in the EU Accession Process

We hosted the expert panel discussion “Safeguarding Civic Space: Role of Civil Society in the EU Accession Process”.

Tzonka Iotzova, Head of the Unit for External Relations at the EESC and College of Europe alumni, shared her views on the role of the EESC in strengthening the role of civil society in candidate countries.

Milena Mihajlovic, CoE alumni and Programme Director of the European Policy Centre in Belgrade, discussed the challenges Serbian CSOs face in the context of shrinking civic space.

Juliana Hoxha, Director of Partners Albania, shared her concerns about the gap between formal compliance with the EU accession requirements and the real delivery of meaningful outcomes, especially when it comes to the quality of public consultations on draft policies.

Taulant Hoxha, Director of Kosovar Foundation for Civil Society Development in Pristina, warned about the risks of the EU’s losing credibility among progressive forces in other Western Balkans countries due to the lack of consistent follow-up and delivery of its promises.

Gjergji Vurmo, Senior Advisor at the Institute for Democracy and Mediation in Tirana elaborated on the increasingly demanding environment in which think tanks in Albania and the region operate.

Blerjana Bino, Executive Director of Center Science and Innovation Development in Tirana pointed out complex challenges related to media freedoms, which are deteriorating across the region, as well as the series of obstacles in the effective fight against disinformation.

The panel discussion was facilitated by our Director of Studies, Igor Vidačak who announced the continuation of similar panel discussions aiming to encourage critical reflection on different aspects of the transformation of candidate countries in the 🇪🇺European integration process.
 
College of Europe - Tirana Campus is funded by the European Union.