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Strengthening Civil Society Engagement in the Western Balkans Investment Framework: A Necessary Condition for Sustainable and Inclusive EU Accession

This briefing highlights the urgent need to strengthen civil society’s engagement in the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). While billions of euros in EU funding are reshaping infrastructure, energy, and human capital across the region, civil society organizations (CSOs) remain largely excluded from project programming and governance. Structured CSO participation is essential to ensure transparency, public legitimacy, and locally informed investments, making EU-supported development inclusive, accountable, and resilient. The briefing proposes the establishment of a dedicated WBIF Civil Society Facility to formalize CSO involvement and maximize the impact of EU investments in the Western Balkans.

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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).