Post by Erëza Vela

Today in Vienna, at the EU–Western Balkans Civil Society High-Level Conference, we talked about trust, partnership, #EUEnlargement and the reforms that make the European path real. For those of us working on Energy Community processes, the link between #EUAccession and energy reform is part of our daily work. Through the Energy Community, the EU energy acquis, market integration and #energytransition objectives are already being translated into concrete reforms well before accession. This makes energy one of the clearest examples of European integration in practice, and one of the sectors where the #WesternBalkans’ accession path becomes very tangible. Also, a great opportunity to catch up with civil society representatives from across the region — always one of the most valuable parts of such gatherings and an important reminder of the role of #CivilSociety in keeping reform processes grounded and accountable. In picture with Donika Emini Ph.D. - one of the region’s sharpest voices on regional cooperation, EU integration and policy dialogue.