The Head of the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), Gert Jan Koopman, stated today from Tirana that “there is only one month left to complete the reform agenda as lawmakers will adopt the necessary laws by the end of April.”

In his speech at the EU-Western Balkans Summit on the Growth and Convergence Plan 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, being held today in Tirana, Koopman said, “Quality must be very high, but time is ticking, and in the next four weeks, we need to have a product of very high quality so that funds can start to flow in May and before the summer break.”

Furthermore, Koopman said, “The presence of leaders today shows your commitment, and it also shows the fast pace spoken by Commissioner Varhelyi. To move forward, this pace must be sustainable, it must be led from the top.”

Koopman emphasized that “secondly, it is not just about leaders, but as Prime Minister Rama also said, this is an effort of the entire society, and independent institutions must do their job for these changes, otherwise, we will not succeed in achieving everything for this growth we seek.”

“Thirdly, implementation is difficult, it is not easy, it is difficult for the countries of the region because those countries will have to make some ambitious changes in legislation to approximate it to European Union legislation. It is also difficult because some of the initiatives must be functional such as, for example, CEFTA. We also have to be with you all the time,” Koopman underscored.

The Regional Summit on the Growth and Convergence Plan 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, is being held today in Tirana. The Commissioner for European Union Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, Oliver Varhelyi, as well as regional leaders, are participating in the summit.

/k.s/