During three days in Brussels, the Economic Reform Programme (ERP) and Reform Agenda (RA) teams met with European Commission officials to exchange best practices, learn from regional experiences, and align reforms with EU accession requirements. One of the key messages was that the Western Balkans and Türkiye are advancing reforms that citizens can see and feel. The representatives from the candidate countries and potential candidates – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, and Türkiye used the opportunity to exchange experiences with Ukraine and Moldova on their reform paths.
picture François WALSCHAERTS
Jana Repanšek, the director of the Center of Excellence in Finance – CEF, an international organization based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, serving ministries of finance, central banks, tax administrations, and other public institutions from Southeast and Eastern Europe, said that this gathering showed that the EU integration process delivers tangible results, not just paperwork. “When ministries collaborate with each other and the Commission, reforms gain credibility, budgets are respected, and citizens experience real benefits. With stronger costing, monitoring, and impact assessments, reforms are becoming real investments in jobs, growth, and better services,” she added.
Governments in the Western Balkans and Türkiye are turning reform plans into tangible results, making them visible, measurable, and credible.
Moldova, which is preparing its Economic Reform Programme, and Ukraine are also advancing in the implementation of key reforms. Both countries took part in the discussions to exchange experiences and draw insights supporting their respective reform processes.
“The Commission is continuously supporting 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 in the Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST) at the European Commission.
“This event is another demonstration of how close cooperation and continuous dialogue turn the reform process into tangible progress towards shared European goals.”
Turning Plans into Action: Reforms Citizens Notice
The conference combined reflection with hands-on results. On the first day, the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN) joined teams from 9 EU enlargement partners to review lessons from the past year, focusing on strengthening macro-fiscal frameworks and making reforms more effective.
The second day continued with discussions and activities tackling reporting and monitoring challenges of Western Balkan partners who, under the Reform and Growth Facility (RGF) worked with the Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighborhood (DG ENEST) to improve reporting on reform steps, set up auditing controls, budget reforms efficiently, and improve communication with the European Commission.
Ukraine and Moldova Join the Knowledge Exchange
Supported by a CEF project funded by Slovenia, Ukrainian and Moldovan officials observed FISR2 activities and used the experience of the Western Balkans and Türkiye to improve their fiscal and economic planning.
Supported by the EU, Ukraine is implementing the Ukraine Facility focused on infrastructure, energy sector, and key industries, while Moldova is implementing key socio-economic and fundamental reforms under the Growth Plan, which will help accelerate growth and convergence with the EU. Both countries are translating reforms into visible benefits—better public services, new jobs, and measurable progress toward their EU accession.
Building a Lasting Reform Legacy
As the region moves forward, the gathering in Brussels also highlighted the impact of the EU-funded FISR2 project. Over three years, institutions strengthened their capacity to cost, monitor, and report on reforms. Nearly half of the major reforms now carry evidence of economic or employment impact, laying a strong foundation for continued progress. CEF’s follow-up initiative, EUReady, aims to further build capacities in structural reforms, investments, and public finance, supporting economic convergence and effective EU dialogue.
Source: Press office of CEF
