Chapter 22 deals with Regional Policy and expects candidate countries to align their national legislation with the European acquis regarding structural and cohesion funds, with the aim to foster economic, social, and territorial development of less developed regions. The implementation of the Regional Policy requires adequate administrative capacity for the proper use of financial instruments and the implementation of related projects.
Focusing on the planning phase of the Cohesion Policy, OBCT together with ISSiRFA CNR is carrying out two projects aimed at promoting training and exchange of know-how and expertise with the national authorities of four Balkan countries candidate to the European Union.
During 2023, capacity-building activities have taken place for the relevant institutions in Montenegro and Serbia. With the conclusion of the screening process, in 2024 training activities are planned in Albania and North Macedonia, to be then concluded with a regional event on exchanging good practices and promoting horizontal inclusion of different societal stakeholders.
This initiative intends to shed light on the value added of the work on Chapter 22 for the general progress of the enlargement process, fostering the creation of a new narrative on European integration perspectives.
Programming the EU Cohesion Policy in Montenegro and Serbia (Nov 2022 - Apr 2024)
Territorial cohesion and place-based policies (Jan - Dec 2024)
Serbia, EU cohesion policy between challenges and opportunities
Serena Epis | 2/02/2024The management of European funds is an often complex task that requires specific administrative and technical-financial skills. For accession countries such as Serbia, preparation to the negotiation stage is key
Regional policy in Serbia's EU accession process
Serena Epis | 30/10/2023Serbia has not yet opened Chapter 22 of the EU accession negotiations on regional policy and coordination of structural instruments. For the European Commission, the lack of an institutional framework and administrative capacities in key institutions remains the main obstacle
Montenegro: the challenge of negotiating Chapter 22
Gentiola Madhi | 24/10/2023More than six years have passed since Montenegro started the negotiations on Chapter 22 on regional policy and, despite the efforts, the challenges to internally adapt to European standards persist. An interview
Montenegro’s path to EU membership
Redazione | 15/06/2023With eleven years of negotiations and 33 chapters opened, Montenegro’s road to EU accession remains long. The country is moderately prepared on regional policy, but several challenges remain. An overview
Video recording of the webinar of March 14, 2024
The webinar aims to discuss the role played by regional policy in the context of EU integration of the Western Balkans. It will also provide an overview of the work done in strengthening the technical and administrative capacities in Serbia and in Montenegro.
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This project is co-funded by the CEI Fund at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), with a contribution from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy. |
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