“The New Growth Plan represents a new turning point in the approach of the EU towards the Western Balkans economies, promising to open up further possibilities for access to the EU single market for our companies well before the accession to the European Union, and we are thankful that we have been given the opportunity, to be actively involved in the process of identification of the priority actions for Integration into the EU’s single market within the first pillar of the Growth plan. WB businesses will need support to get prepared for the market pressures of the Single Market. We stand ready to work further on with the companies in this process, in continuation of the Regional Supplier Development program within the Common Regional Market, under which in the last three years more than 6,500 companies from the Western Balkans have benefitted from our trade promotion activities and have received individual, tailor-made support.
A form of involvement of the region’s businesses in the work of the involvement of EU institutions is the EU-Western Balkans Business Platform, a forum that brings together representatives of the Western Balkans’ business community and the European Commission to discuss challenges and opportunities for the region’s private sector. Such dialogue helps the business community to better understand the European Union, its laws, and policies. It helps them prepare for the integration into the Single Market, by presenting concrete challenges and proposing solutions directly from the WB6 companies to decision-makers.
I want to thank the colleagues from European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) for recognizing this pioneering step several years ago and having partnered with us in its establishment.”- pointed out Shterjova Dushkovska in her address.