A Dialogue of Economies of the Western Balkans and EU for Faster Integration into the Single Market

The European Commission and the Western Balkans 6 Chamber Investment Forum (WB6 CIF) have launched a joint business platform ZB6-EU that brings together businesspeople from the region and EU representatives, with the view to improve a dialogue and support to the Western Balkans economies to overcome challenges and prepare themselves for integration into the single European market.
Marko Čadež, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS) and Chairman of the WB6 CIF, pointed out the importance of strengthening a dialogue between the business community of the region and EU, and the inclusive expansion – progressive opening of the single European market for companies and products from the Western Balkans. CCIS President expects that early integration will be available in the sectors that are in compliance with the European rules and standards.
By establishing the joint platform and strengthening a dialogue between the business community of the Western Balkans and EU institutions, we do lay a foundation for efficiently solving all important issues regarding business operations of our companies that to a large extent fulfill all European standards, Čadež underscored, and invited European incumbents to help a voice of the Western Balkans economy be heard in the EU.
Oliver Varhelyi, European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, welcomed the establishment of the ZB6-EU business platform that was as he emphasized “significant for the improvement of our strategic cooperation and engagement with business community of the Western Balkans”.
Commissioner expects that the public-private dialogue will facilitate easier implementation of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans. “It is difficult to find the reason why the region could not be accepted as the part of the EU“, Varhelyi added.
The Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, which was adopted in October 2020, aims to spur the long-term economic recovery of the region, support a green and digital transition, foster regional integration and convergence with the European Union. It sets out investments in the region worth EUR 9 billion.
Representatives of the economy of the region associated in the WB6 CIF Business Council comprising 16 leading companies in the Western Balkans pointed out through their discussion a series of the significant issues and challenges faced by companies in doing business in the EU market.
Representatives of Elixir, Tikveš, Balfin Group, and Alkaloid emphasized that it was necessary to simplify procedures for faster movement of goods towards EU, to shorten the waiting time at border crossings between the Western Balkans and EU, and the importance of digitalization and investments in infrastructure, agriculture, and energy.
The business community of the Western Balkans expects to have an EU support in the implementation of the Green Agenda, improvement of energy efficiency and higher utilization of hydrogen and biomass, as well as in the transfer of knowledge and technology in order to suspend the exodus of the young from the Western Balkans.