RCC hosts meeting of Prime Ministers’ Sherpas from the Western Balkans Six

Vienna – Prime Ministers’ Sherpas from the Western Balkans Six met in Vienna today to review progress on the 2026 Berlin Process deliverables and coordinate the next steps ahead of the ministerial meetings and the Berlin Process Leaders’ Summit scheduled for October.

The meeting, convened by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), brought together Western Balkans Six Prime Ministers’ Sherpas, the European Commission, representatives of the 2026 Berlin Process host Montenegro and representative of Germany, as well as regional organisations involved in preparing this year’s Summit deliverables.

Opening the meeting, RCC Secretary General Amer Kapetanović was joined by CEFTA Secretariat Director Pranvera Kastrati, Adviser for the Western Balkans at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST) Wojciech Kowalski, Prime Minister’s Sherpa of the 2026 Berlin Process host Milica Perišić, and a representative of the Federal Chancellor of Germany Tim Prange.

“Regional cooperation is no longer simply part of the accession process; it has become a strategic prerequisite for successful integration into the European Union. Agreeing on new deliverables is necessary, but implementation remains the ultimate test of credibility. The success of the Berlin Process will not be measured by the number of commitments we make, but by our ability to translate them into practical and measurable benefits for citizens and businesses,” said Kapetanović.

The participants reviewed progress achieved since the previous Sherpas meetings in Brussels and online, assessed the readiness of the proposed deliverables and discussed the remaining challenges, responsibilities and timelines ahead of the upcoming ministerial cycle and the Leaders’ Summit.

The RCC presented progress on deliverables across all pillars of the Common Regional Market, including labour mobility, investment promotion, tourism, digital transformation, innovation and the Green Agenda. Several initiatives are entering their final stages of preparation, while others are laying the foundations for deeper regional integration, stronger competitiveness and faster economic convergence with the European Union.

Kapetanović stressed that the Common Regional Market is an essential vehicle for implementing the EU Growth Plan and preparing the Western Balkans Six economies for gradual integration into the EU Single Market.

“Merit-based and sectoral integration can provide a powerful incentive for reforms, accelerate economic convergence and deliver tangible benefits even before accession. The initiatives being advanced through the Common Regional Market demonstrate that the Western Balkans Six can already contribute to, and benefit from, deeper integration with the EU Single Market,” added Kapetanović.

Representatives of the RCC, CEFTA Secretariat and other regional partners, including the Energy Community, Regional Youth Cooperation Office, and Transport Community, presented the state of play of their respective deliverables. The meeting concluded with an agreement to maintain close coordination and ensure that the proposed results are sufficiently developed for endorsement at the relevant ministerial meetings before being presented to the Leaders in October.

During his visit to Vienna, RCC Secretary General Amer Kapetanović met with Secretary General for Foreign Affairs at the Ministry for European and International Affairs of Austria, Nikolaus Marschik. The discussion focused on regional cooperation, the state of play of EU enlargement, economic convergence, investment and competitiveness, the Common Regional Market, and stronger economic ties between the European Union and the Western Balkans Six. Secretary General Kapetanović is also set to meet Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu later today.