Executive Training: Empowering Parliamentary and Ministry Staff of the Western Balkans on the Common Regional Market (CRM)

From 2–5 December 2024, Europe Plus (E+) and ACIT delivered a four-day executive training for senior civil servants from Western Balkans parliaments and ministries working on Common Regional Market (CRM)–related policies. The programme aimed to strengthen participants’ understanding of the CRM, the EU Single Market and the policy and institutional requirements of the EU integration process.

Bringing together 21 participants from across the region, the training combined expert-led sessions with peer exchange and practical discussions. Key themes included regional economic integration, trade and mobility, the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, digital transformation and strategic communication. The programme was enriched by contributions from leading regional and EU experts and provided space for participants to share institutional experiences and challenges.

As a result, participants enhanced their technical knowledge and policy skills, strengthened regional professional networks and increased their capacity to contribute to CRM implementation at national level. The training also supported closer cooperation between parliaments and ministries and laid the groundwork for future regional collaboration on CRM-related reforms.

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Dr. Majlinda Bregu, is a policy leader, academic, and former politician with over two decades of experience in European integration, regional cooperation, and governance reform across South-East Europe. She currently serves as a Commissioner of the Pan- European Commission on Climate and Health (WHO).  From 2019 to 2024, Ms. Bregu served as Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council, where she led flagship regional initiatives such as the Common Regional Market, the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, and the SEE2030 Strategy – strengthening the region’s alignment with EU standards and advancing cooperation under the Berlin Process. Previously, she served as Minister of European Integration and Government Spokeswoman of Albania (2007–2013), and as a Member of the Albanian Parliament (2005–2017), where she chaired both the European Integration Committee and the National Council for European Integration. A sociologist by training, Ms. Bregu has lectured widely at international universities and authored numerous publications on EU integration, governance, gender equality, and social development. Her leadership and commitment to regional cooperation and European integration have been recognized with several distinctions, including the Prespa Dialogue Award (2023) and the European Western Balkans Award (2021).