Inclusion of civil society within SAA’s structures

Prishtina, 9 March 2017 –Minister of European Integration, Ms. Mimoza Ahmetaj, today had a consultative meeting with CSO’s and other stakeholders regarding their inclusion in the structures of Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA). This activity will be accomplished in cooperation with German International Cooperation (GIZ) project, in order to support the European integration process.

The Stabilization and Association Agreement will require profound reforms in all areas, in order to obtain the status of a candidate country, and commence negotiations for EU membership. Its importance, in terms of reforms ahead of us, lies in three main dimensions: that is the political, economical dimension, and alignment with EU legislation. SAA requires establishment of political stability and rule of law, based on functional, more democratic, representative and effective institutions, which shall be able to assume obligations deriving from the EU legal order.

Minister Ahmetaj stated as follows: “Civil society and other stakeholders shall be inimitable contributors and partners of public institutions in accomplishing the most strategic objective of our society – full political, economical and societal integration. The consensus of all stakeholders involved and the highest level of public support to EU integration in the region, are the cornerstone to this partnership”.

Moreover, Minister Ahmetaj emphasized that following the entry into force of the SAA, all joint institutional structures, at politics and policy level, for supervising its implementation and decision-making have become functional, such as: the Council, Committees, sub-committees, and Special Groups and the Parliamentary Committee. Moreover, their regulatory grounds also stipulate inclusion of civil society and other actors in the work of such bodies.

Amidst discussion was also mentioned that civil society, and other stakeholders, shall be inimitable contributors and partners of public institutions in accomplishing the most strategic objective of our society; that is full political, economical and societal integration, and that civil society could play a particularly important role in pushing forward the reforms by promoting benefits deriving from such reforms, putting constructive pressure on public institutions for implementation, and in achieving European standards for an open-governance, based in transparency and accountability.
Ministry of European Integration, with the support of the GIZ project, and making use of the Croatian experience, is establishing a mechanism for including civil society in the work of SAA bodies.

Last modified: August 10, 2022