Skopje – At today’s Growth Plan Summit in Skopje, Western Balkan leaders, EU representatives, and regional organisations reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the EU Growth Plan and deepening regional cooperation through the Common Regional Market (CRM).

Participating in the Summit’s panel on zooming in the Growth Plan pillars and referring to the implementation of the reform agendas and the CRM Action Plan, Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretary General Amer Kapetanović presented the main building blocks of the new Common Regional Market Monitoring Tool, being developed under RCC’s coordination, designed to transparently track reforms across all CRM segments. The tool is a direct response to the need for evidence-based implementation, aligning CRM progress with the EU Growth Plan timeline.

“Let me be clear: this is not a box-ticking exercise. It is a structured, transparent and evidence-based system that will help us all answer a fundamental question: are we moving forward collectively as a region, and how fast?” said RCC Secretary General Amer Kapetanović.

The CRM Monitoring Tool will consolidate economy-level inputs on laws, systems, and agreements, verify them through regional coordination mechanisms, and present the findings via a live dashboard and annual report. It is designed to foster trust, encourage reform, and ensure regional progress is not just promised, but proven.

Kapetanović also underlined both the achievements and uneven progress in CRM 2.0 implementation, noting advancements in digital transformation, tourism branding, sustainable finance, and cybersecurity, while calling for renewed efforts on previously signed mobility agreements.

“This Monitoring Tool reflects the Western Balkans’ maturing governance capacity. It brings structure where there was once informality. It sends a message: The Western Balkans are not waiting, we are working,” concluded Kapetanović.

The Summit gathered leaders and ministers from the Western Balkans, EU Commissioner for Enlargement, senior EU officials, and heads of key regional and financial institutions, reinforcing collective accountability as the cornerstone of regional integration.

On the sidelines of the Summit, RCC Secretary General Kapetanović held bilateral meetings with Minister of State and Chief Negotiator of Albania, Majlinda Dhuka, and Deputy Minister of Finance of North Macedonia, Nikolche Jankulovski. Discussions focused on fast-tracking the implementation of the Common Regional Market within the EU Growth Plan and enhancing regional financial integration. The importance of Albania’s EU negotiation process and North Macedonia’s SEPA membership were highlighted as key drivers for the region’s gradual integration into the EU Single Market.