Centre for Civic Education (CCE) draws attention to the Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), which examines the role of civil society in supporting reforms within the Growth Plans for the Western Balkans and Moldova, as well as reforms in Ukraine. Daliborka Uljarević, Executive Director of CCE, contributed to the drafting of the Opinion as a representative of civil society from a non-EU country (ECM).
The Opinion represents one of the most relevant contributions to understanding three new EU performance-based instruments aimed at making enlargement-related reforms credible, measurable, and irreversible. These instruments link financial support to progress in key areas such as the rule of law, public administration, and economic governance, but their success, as emphasised, directly depends on the quality of engagement with civil society and social partners.
The EESC clearly underlines that the participation of civil society must be a structural condition for a legitimate, inclusive, and sustainable reform process. The long-term sustainability of reforms cannot be measured solely through the fulfilment of technical indicators, but also through public trust, understanding of reforms, and perceptions of their fairness and inclusiveness.
In this context, while enlargement is recognised as a geostrategic priority, it is stressed that deadlines for the implementation of reforms must not undermine democratic procedures, including public consultations, mandatory consultations, and dialogue with social partners and civil society organisations. It is also emphasised that these actors must be systematically involved from the earliest stages of planning through to monitoring and evaluation, alongside ensuring stable, predictable, and transparent financial support for their work to strengthen their oversight role.
The Opinion also points to uneven progress in the implementation of Reform Agendas across the Western Balkans region, where Montenegro is among the formally more advanced countries, yet continues to face challenges in the quality of implementation, coordination, and the inclusion of relevant stakeholders. At the same time, it highlights underdeveloped consultation standards, insufficient documentation of processes, and a constrained civic space, which may lead to superficial monitoring without genuine accountability.
CCE recalls that in Montenegro, the Reform Agenda 2024–2027 is facing delays in the implementation of certain measures, as well as a pronounced lack of transparency and inclusiveness, which may result in the loss of a portion of financial support, but also in declining public confidence. In this context, it is important to note that the Ministry of European Affairs, as the lead institution in this process, has not adopted a communication plan, although this is one of the key documents intended to regulate both internal communication and communication with the wider public, and its adoption was foreseen by the Reform Agenda.
CCE further notes significant discrepancies between the Government’s self-assessments and the assessments of the European Commission regarding the fulfilment of reform steps, as well as the absence of mechanisms to monitor potential backsliding after formal obligations have been met. In this regard, the EESC rightly insists on strengthening independent monitoring, establishing clear and publicly available performance indicators, and ensuring transparent reporting systems that measure the actual social and economic impact of reforms.
Particular emphasis is placed on the need to strengthen governance and oversight mechanisms, including inclusive monitoring committees, enhanced parliamentary scrutiny, and regular public hearings. As noted, the role of parliaments must go beyond a formal framework and become an active factor in overseeing the implementation of reforms and the use of EU funds.
The EESC also calls on the European Commission to further refine its methodology for assessing reform outcomes, based on lessons learned, and to conduct structured dialogue with all relevant stakeholders, including civil society, in order to ensure the continued improvement of these instruments and their long-term transformative impact.
Ultimately, the key message of the Opinion is that reform processes can deliver real and lasting results only if they are grounded in transparency, accountability, and the meaningful inclusion of civil society as a partner, rather than an observer.
CCE calls on the competent institutions in Montenegro to take these recommendations seriously and to improve the practice of planning and implementing reforms within the Growth Plan and the Reform Agenda, with full recognition of the role of civil society and the need to strengthen public trust in this process.
Ivan Kašćelan, Project Assistant