Tirana – “Common Regional Market as a transformative tool bringing the region closer to the EU has over the past decade, successfully navigated Western Balkans through two significant global crises: the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine and energy crises, making real tangible impact on citizens’ lives:
•    3% increase in GDP per capita compared to EU average,
•    doubling intra-regional trade in goods over the past five years,
•    500% increase in roaming usage within the Western Balkans, with total data consumption in the EU up 97% in 2023 compared to the previous year,
•    reduced border waiting time with Green, saving over 20 years in queuing in 2023 alone,
•    enabling mobility of young people and workforce through mutual recognition of higher education qualifications and seven key professions, ensure free movement with ID Cards,” 
said Elda Kalaja, Head of Office of Secretary General of Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in her keynote speech at 10th Tirana Connectivity Forum in Tirana today. 

Apart from Kalaja, the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans and Human Capital keynote speeches were delivered by Enrico Letta, Former Italian Prime Minister, Tanja Miscevic, Minister of European Integration of Serbia, and Maja Handjiska-Trendafilova, Director of Regional School of Public Administration. 

“The new phase of Common Regional Market (CRM) has been shaped by extensive consultation with stakeholders. Priorities were defined by the Western Balkans Six, and then nearly 550 civil society organisations were reached out to comment and provide their ideas and suggestions on how to dismantle barriers for functional CRM. Good percentage of these recommendations became part of the new phase. CRM 2 will focus on Human Capital and Business Enabling Environment, as two main drivers of competitive and resilient regional economy. And last but not least, Common Regional Market 2 will now include measures that actually prepare the region to have access to the EU Single Market, with the so-called ‘phasing in’ policies and areas,” added Kalaja thanking civil society organisation for their valuable contribution to the process.

The 10th edition of Tirana Connectivity Forum brings together policy-makers, experts, researchers, academicians, and CSOs to discuss EU enlargement, regional cooperation, and connectivity dynamics. This edition has been organised in partnership with Regional Cooperation Council and other international partners. 

Building on the success of its predecessor, the new phase of Common Regional Market has been transparently and all-inclusively built as an “access gateway” for progressive integration of the Western Balkans into the EU Single Market, delivering socio-economic convergence and alignment with the EU.

More information on Common Regional Market