Advancing EU Accession Efforts at High-Level Conference in Brussels
We were delighted to welcome Economic Reform Programme (ERP) and Reform Agenda (RA) teams from the Western Balkans and Türkiye, alongside representatives of the European Commission, in Brussels for the high-level conference “Economic Reform Programme and Reform Agenda Teams - Working towards EU Accession.” Joining them were also coordination teams from the Ukraine Plan under the Ukraine Facility, and the Reform and Growth Facility for Moldova, representing the EU’s most recent candidate countries.
Over two days, participants exchanged experiences, shared progress, and worked on aligning reforms with EU accession priorities. Discussions focused on enhancing the credibility of reforms by ensuring they were costed, budgeted, monitored, and supported with measurable impact data. “At a time when Europe faces climate urgency, digital disruption, and geopolitical conflict, the CEF strengthens institutions by equipping them to deliver real reforms,” said Jana Repanšek, CEF Director. “This conference was about demonstrating how reform ambition can be matched with budgetary realism and measurable impact, while providing a platform in Brussels for governments, the European Commission, and experts to align reform agenda implementation with EU accession priorities.”
On the first day, the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN) joined teams from nine EU enlargement partners to review lessons from the past year, focusing on strengthening macro-fiscal frameworks and improving reform effectiveness. The second day focused on execution: under the Reform and Growth Facility (RGF), Western Balkan partners addressed reporting and monitoring challenges, working with the Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST) to enhance reporting on reform steps, set up auditing controls, allocate reform budgets efficiently, and strengthen communication with the European Commission.
“The Commission continuously supports our Western Balkan partners in implementing their Reform Agendas and translating them into credible, results-oriented actions,” said Valentina Superti, Director for the Western Balkans at DG ENEST, European Commission. “This event was another demonstration of how close cooperation and ongoing dialogue turn the reform process into tangible progress towards shared European goals.”
“With stronger costing, monitoring, and impact assessments, reforms are becoming real investments in jobs, growth, and better services,” added Jana Repanšek, CEF Director. “This gathering showed that the EU integration process delivers tangible results, not just paperwork. When ministries collaborate effectively with each other and the European Commission, reforms gain credibility, budgets are respected, and citizens experience real benefits.”
The conference took place on 21–22 October 2025 in Brussels as part of the EU-funded multi-beneficiary project “Structural Reforms Better Integrated Within Fiscal Frameworks” (FISR2).