Implementation period: November 2024 – November 2025

This project represents a foundational advocacy effort aimed at shaping EU decision-making on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034. Conceived as a catalyst initiative, the project seeks to generate new, evidence-based ideas and compelling policy arguments that place
the Western Balkans’ EU membership perspective clearly and visibly at the centre of the next EU
long-term budget.
The project’s overarching objective is to embed EU enlargement as a strategic political and
budgetary priority within the MFF 2028–2034, ensuring that financial commitments match the
EU’s geopolitical and policy ambitions in the Western Balkans.
Advocacy Focus & Results
The project developed a new set of evidence-based ideas and compelling policy arguments,
which formed the backbone of an ambitious and inclusive advocacy campaign. This campaign
successfully paved the way to integrate and embed the Western Balkans’ EU membership
perspective in a clear and visible manner within the debate on the EU Multiannual Financial
Framework 2028–2034.
Through data-driven analysis and a targeted EU-level advocacy campaign, the project engaged
key EU institutions and mobilized a coalition of 46 civil society organizations from the Western
Balkans, including also Ukraine and Moldova. The advocacy efforts culminated in a joint letter
delivered to EU institutions (read here), initiated by Europe Plus (E+), calling for:
 Increased and predictable pre-accession funding for the WB6, embedded directly in the
MFF 2028-2034 and comparable in scale and structure to funding available to EU
Member States.
 The creation of a dedicated budget envelope for Enlargement.
 The reinforcement of political momentum by keeping enlargement visible as a core EU
priority.