A Western Balkans Roundtable was convened in Brussels, bringing together representatives of AmChams from across the region and senior officials from the European Commission and CEFTA. The discussion fostered a multilateral dialogue on the region’s EU integration, with a focus on aligning reform priorities, advancing economic integration, and approximating national frameworks with the EU acquis.
AmCham Albania was represented by its Executive Director, Neritan Mullaj. In his remarks, Mr. Mullaj underscored the importance of clearly defined national priorities across Western Balkan countries to accelerate their path toward EU membership. He also highlighted the need for well-designed and consistently implemented policies to effectively support this process. Also participating in the roundtable, highlighting the role that businesses in the region can play through their practical experience on the impact of EU regulations on operations and investments, were Albana Karapanco, Chair of the Legal Committee, and Marin Gjonaj, CEO of Gjonaj Group.
Participants stressed the importance of facilitating trade procedures, reducing non-tariff barriers, and addressing key regulatory challenges. The integration of the regional energy market into the EU single market emerged as another central theme of the discussions. AmCham Albania contributed to this exchange through its member Marin Gjonaj, who highlighted the importance of effectively managing the rules related to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), particularly in the context of renewable energy trade flows from the Western Balkans to EU markets.
The roundtable delivered a clear message, strengthened cooperation between the Western Balkans and the European Union, grounded in shared priorities and robust institutional coordination, is essential to advancing the region’s European integration path.
