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Berlin Process

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The Berlin Process is not a part of the EU’s Stabilisation and Accession Process but supplements as an independent format which is focusing on the region as a whole. It was set up in 2014 as a platform for high-level cooperation between high official representatives of the Western Balkan Six, consisting of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, and their peers in Berlin Process host countries.

The Process involves:

  • EU Member States’ governments – Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Poland
  • as well as the United Kingdom (EU member until January 2020)
  • governments,
  • civil society and
  • businesses of the Western Balkans
  • EU institutions – European Commission (EC), European External Action Service (EEAS), and the member state holding the Presidency of the Council
  • International Financial Institutions (IFIs), and
  • Regional initiatives such as the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), South East European Transport Observatory (SEETO), Energy Community (EnC), Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), Regional Anti- Corruption Initiative (RAI)

The Berlin Process was initiated to utilise the potential of increased regional cooperation in the Western Balkans. The idea was to foster specific projects in order to increase connectivity in the region, as well as good neighborly relations and interpersonal relationships, while subsequently supporting the EU integration. 

The Process has a flexible structure, with no central coordination mechanism. It proceeds through a series of meetings:

  • Annual meetings of the WB6 and the respective Berlin Process host countries at the level of Prime Ministers and Ministers, with high-level representatives of the EU and member states, international financial institutions, and regional organisations involved in the Process – the Western Balkans Summits
  • Annual and preparatory meetings of the region’s civil society, youth, and businesses
  • Preparatory and the ministerial level, e.g. through the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, Interior, and Economy
  • Annual conferences of the national academies of sciences – since 2015, the Berlin Process has included a dedicated pillar on science, education, research, innovation and knowledge transfer. This is coordinated by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.

For more information, refer to the website of the Berlin Process: https://www.berlinprocess.de/

Links:

https://www.berlinprocess.de/

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