🇪🇺 Gradual integration into the EU Single Market requires stronger cooperation, regulatory alignment and concrete progress, with the Common Regional Market Action Plan 2.0 and the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans providing a strong foundation for advancing this integration. 🤝 On 3 November in Brussels, @strategers Institute and the CEFTA Secretariat will co-organise a High-Level Policy Dialogue to discuss how to accelerate this process and turn priorities into concrete results. #CEFTA #EUIntegration

“New Visions for the Western Balkans” (4th Edition): Preparing for Enlargement – Communicating Benefits and Accelerating Connectivity 📍 Rome, 20 October 2026 CEFTA Secretariat Director Pranvera Kastrati took part in Session II, “Accelerating connectivity to support integration”, at the conference organised by Istituto Affari Internazionali and Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa, with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, as part of Italy’s Presidency of EUSAIR. 🤝 She spoke alongside Thomas Botzios (Italian MFA), Nenad Đurđević (Serbian Chamber of Commerce) and Krisela Hackaj (Cooperation and Development Institute), in a panel moderated by Matteo Bonomi (IAI). 💡 Key messages: 🔹 CEFTA’s transformative role in intra-CEFTA market integration. This role is now reinforced by the Growth Plan and the Common Regional Market Action Plan. 🔹 Gradual integration is an opportunity. The CEFTA Secretariat is supporting the Parties in their preparation. “Do it once, benefit twice”: aligning with EU standards brings the benefits of intra-CEFTA integration now, while preparing businesses, administrations and societies for the EU Single Market. 🔹 CEFTA has already delivered tangible results. Green Lanes, introduced during COVID-19, are now a permanent framework. Data exchange at crossing points is expected to save 30 years of cumulative waiting time for businesses in 2025–2026, and it is now extending to the EU through the EU–Western Balkans Green Lanes. 🚀 Looking ahead, CEFTA is focused on turning priorities into concrete results: ✅ Making Green and Blue Lanes work seamlessly between CEFTA and the EU. Our cooperation with Italian Customs (ADM) through SEED+ is helping us in this process. ✅ Eliminating duplicate testing through the recognition of test results for industrial products. ✅ Making paperless trade a reality, by working on the recognition of e-signatures, e-seals and other trust services. ✅ Engaging further on the mobility of professionals through the recognition of professional qualifications across CEFTA Parties.

📍 Montenegro | Berlin Process Leaders’ Summit 2026 Turning commitments into decisions, and decisions into practical benefits for businesses and people. Today, the #CEFTA Secretariat participated in the Berlin Process Leaders’ Summit in Miločer, Montenegro. The Summit, opened by Montenegro’s Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, gathered heads of state and government of Berlin Process participating countries, alongside European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, as well as representatives of regional and international organisations and financial institutions. 💬 Addressing the Summit, CEFTA Secretariat Director Pranvera Kastrati highlighted 20 years since the signing of the CEFTA Agreement, reflecting on progress in reducing tariffs, simplifying procedures and strengthening regulatory cooperation, while emphasising the transition towards frameworks fully aligned with EU rules. 🚛 Green Lanes are a clear example of progress in practice. With expanded electronic data exchange with EU Member States, CEFTA SEED+ now processes information on approximately 3.6 million trucks and 70,000 certificates annually, helping make trade faster and more predictable. 🔎 Looking ahead, Director Kastrati highlighted key priorities: recognition of conformity assessment results, paperless trade, faster and more predictable border crossings, and easier agricultural trade in line with EU standards. 🤝 The message was clear: political support is essential to complete outstanding commitments and turn intra-CEFTA integration into tangible benefits, while preparing CEFTA Parties for gradual integration into the #EUSingleMarket. #CEFTA #BerlinProcess #CommonRegionalMarket #TradeFacilitation #IntraCEFTAIntegration

🎬 Behind the scenes at the Berlin Process Leaders’ Summit! The #CEFTA Secretariat team is making its final preparations as Leaders gather for this year's Berlin Process Leaders’ Summit. 🤝 With clear priorities and a focus on results, CEFTA Secretariat is highlighting the importance of political #commitment in advancing outstanding work and translating technical progress into tangible outcomes, in line with the clear milestones set out in the #CRM 2.0 Action Plan. 🚛 The goal remains clear: simpler procedures, faster and more predictable #trade, and closer integration with the EU Single Market. #CEFTA #BerlinProcess #TradeFacilitation #EconomicIntegration #CommonRegionalMarket

Advancing digital trust and cooperation in the Western Balkans! 🌐 Today in Brussels, CEFTA, together with EU4Digital/#GIZ and the Regional Cooperation Council (#RCC), organised the Regional Workshop on the TC AdES List of Trusted Lists (LOTL) Journey for the Western Balkans Six, bringing together representatives of the European Commission, relevant administrations from the #WesternBalkans Six and partners. 🔎 The workshop provides an opportunity to take stock of progress towards inclusion in the EU TC AdES LOTL, exchange practical experiences, identify remaining technical and institutional challenges, and discuss targeted support and next steps. 🤝 For CEFTA, this work is closely linked to our efforts to advance the recognition of trust services under Joint Committee Decisions No. 11/2025 and No. 12/2025. 🔗 By developing common recognition requirements and a methodology that builds on EU standards and existing technical assessments, CEFTA aims to facilitate the use of trusted #digital services across its Parties, reduce unnecessary barriers to electronic transactions and support trade integration. Stronger digital trust means simpler procedures, more secure electronic transactions and new opportunities for businesses across the region. #CEFTA #DigitalTrade #TrustServices #DigitalTransformation #RegionalIntegration #WesternBalkans #EUIntegration#EU4DIGITAL#RCC

🤝 Strengthening CEFTA–Italy customs cooperation! CEFTA Director Pranvera Kastrati met yesterday in Rome with Roberto Alesse, Director of the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM), reaffirming their shared commitment to continuing and strengthening cooperation in 2027–2028. Building on a longstanding partnership, discussions focused on Green Lanes, customs data exchange, SEED+ and closer alignment with the evolving EU customs framework. ADM's expertise in technological innovation, data analysis, specialised training, customs risk management and fraud prevention will remain invaluable as CEFTA Parties advance their digital transformation and prepare for future developments, including the EU Customs Data Hub. 🤝 Both sides expressed their commitment to renewing their cooperation, building on past achievements and supporting more efficient customs procedures, trade facilitation and closer alignment with the EU customs framework. Beyond bilateral cooperation, this partnership reflects CEFTA’s broader commitment to strengthening customs cooperation with the EU, advancing interoperability and facilitating trade between CEFTA Parties and the EU. #CEFTA #ADM #SEEDPlus #GreenLanes #CustomsCooperation #EUIntegration

🚛 Less waiting, smoother crossings, better trade! Great to be back in the field at the Božaj–Hani i Hotit, working with customs colleagues on practical ways to reduce waiting times for trucks entering Albania. We also discussed progress on the ongoing pilots for the recognition of customs controls, an important step towards more efficient procedures. 🎯 What's next? Closely monitoring processing times, identifying bottlenecks and taking concrete steps to reduce delays. Because every minute saved at the crossings makes a difference for businesses and trade across CEFTA! #CEFTA #GreenLanes #SEEDPlus #TradeFacilitation

🤝 CEFTA advancing digital integration through ministerial dialogue At the margins of the Western Balkans Digital Summit, CEFTA Secretariat Director Pranvera Kastrati held bilateral meetings with Ministers Marash Dukaj and Lulëzon Jagxhiu, Ministers responsible for public administration reforms and digitalisation, to discuss advancing CEFTA’s trade in goods and services agenda through digitalisation. 🔗 The meetings with Ministers highlighted the importance of developing a coherent CEFTA framework for the recognition of electronic signatures, electronic seals and trust services. Such a framework would complement individual Parties’ efforts while enabling CEFTA-wide interoperability, scaling up benefits for people and businesses, and translating digital transformation into tangible Common Regional Market benefits. The exchanges also explored how CEFTA can further support Parties in aligning with, preparing for and implementing the economic integration framework developed under CEFTA. 🇪🇺 Both meetings reaffirmed the importance of coordinated action in reducing barriers to digital transactions, facilitating trade in goods and services, and bringing the CEFTA Parties closer to the EU Digital Single Market. #CEFTA #DigitalIntegration #WesternBalkansDigitalSummit #CommonRegionalMarket #DigitalTransformation #TradeFacilitation #EUDigitalSingleMarket

🌐 From internal digitalisation to CEFTA interoperability: making intra-CEFTA digital services work. 💻 On the second day of the Western Balkans Digital Summit 2026, the CEFTA Secretariat highlighted the importance of regulatory and institutional cooperation in enabling interoperable digital services across the CEFTA Parties. Building on the Common Regional Market Action Plan 2025–2028, CEFTA is advancing work on the recognition of electronic trust services and professional qualifications, as well as administrative cooperation between competent administrations, while supporting progressive alignment with the relevant EU acquis. 🔗 The objective is to connect technical interoperability with CEFTA cooperation arrangements, contributing to simpler, more secure and predictable administrative procedures for people and businesses across the CEFTA Parties. #CEFTA #WesternBalkansDigitalSummit2026 #Digitalisation #DigitalTrade #Interoperability #CommonRegionalMarket #TradeFacilitation #EUIntegration

🌐 Advancing Digital Cooperation and Paperless Trade at the Western Balkans Digital Summit 2026 The CEFTA Secretariat participated in the Western Balkans Digital Summit 2026 in Herceg Novi, highlighting the importance of digitalisation, interoperability and mutual trust in facilitating trade and advancing the Common Regional Market. At the Summit, CEFTA Secretariat Director Pranvera Kastrati delivered remarks alongside representatives of other partner institutions and organisations, including Amer Kapetanović, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Renate Nikolay, Deputy Director-General at the European Commission’s DG CONNECT, Thomas Jarzombek, Parliamentary State Secretary at Germany’s Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation, and Zoran Milovanović, CEO of M:TEL. Under the Summit’s theme, “Digital together, secure together,” Director Kastrati highlighted the importance of digitalisation in facilitating trade in goods and services, making procedures more predictable and connecting businesses. She emphasised that achieving digital interoperability requires not only technological solutions, but also common standards, regulatory certainty, institutional cooperation and mutual trust. CEFTA is putting these principles into practice through concrete initiatives: 🔹 Electronic trust services: Following the adoption of a framework for the recognition of advanced and qualified trust services in December 2025, CEFTA is developing an implementation methodology building on EU standards and trusted lists. 🔹 Paperless trade: Work is underway to enable the use of electronic veterinary health certificates at crossing points, supported by common data standards, interoperable systems and recognition of electronic signatures and seals. 🔹 Digital data exchange: Through SEED+, CEFTA systems process information on approximately 3.6 million trucks and 75,000 certificates annually, supporting more efficient trade procedures. #CEFTA #WesternBalkansDigitalSummit #DigitalTransformation #PaperlessTrade #CommonRegionalMarket #TradeInServices

📢 Application Deadline Extended! The deadline to apply for the Trade Expert (Trade in Services) position at the hashtag#CEFTA Secretariat has been extended to 9 November 2026. 🔗Interested candidates are invited to consult the full vacancy notice and application instructions on the CEFTA website: cefta.int/vacancies/vacancy-… #CEFTA #WeAreHiring #JobOpportunity #TradeInServices #CommonRegionalMarket

📍 Prishtina | From the Common Regional Market to the EU Single Market #CEFTA Secretariat Director Pranvera Kastrati participated in the Civil Society & Think Tank Forum 2026, the official civil society platform of the Berlin Process, joining the thematic session “Competitiveness & Growth: From CRM to Single Market.” 💬 The discussion brought together @rccint Secretary General Amer Kapetanovic, @EUWB6_TCT Transport Community Director Talis Linkaits, Political Advisor to the Prime Minister and Sherpa for Regional Affairs Lorena Sekiraqa, and economist Branimir Jovanovic, alongside CEFTA Secretariat Director Pranvera Kastrati. The session explored different perspectives on competitiveness and growth, the #CommonRegionalMarket, the EU Growth Plan and the path towards closer integration with the #EUSingleMarket. As part of the discussion, CEFTA’s contribution focused on the transition from regional integration towards gradual integration into the EU Single Market, including how CEFTA’s role is evolving and where the most realistic opportunities for closer integration lie in the near term. The exchange also addressed the gap between agreed frameworks and businesses’ experience on the ground, looking at where costs and delays remain despite progress in removing formal trade barriers. 🤝 The Forum brings civil society and think tanks into the Berlin Process, providing space for evidence-based policy discussions and recommendations on priorities shaping the Western Balkans’ European integration. #CEFTA #BerlinProcess #CSF2026 #CommonRegionalMarket #GrowthPlan #EUSingleMarket #Trade

📍 Sarajevo | CEFTA Workshop on Rules of Origin Over the past two days, the #CEFTA Secretariat organised a Workshop on Rules of Origin in Sarajevo, bringing together CEFTA Parties to exchange practical experience and discuss the application of the Revised Regional Convention on pan-Euro-Mediterranean preferential rules of origin. Nine months into its implementation, the workshop provided a timely opportunity to address practical questions and cases arising from the application of the revised rules, exchange experiences and support greater clarity and consistency in their application. The exchange was enriched by experts from the European Commission’s DG TAXUD and DG GROW, who contributed their expertise to the discussions and practical cases addressed throughout the workshop. 🔎 Discussions covered a wide range of rules-of-origin topics, including cumulation of origin, tolerance rules, non-alteration, REX and approved exporters, proofs of origin and their verification, as well as the practical application of rules to specific products. 👏 We thank the European Commission for its continued and valuable support to CEFTA Parties and for its support in organising the workshop, contributing to practical exchange, sharing of expertise and a common understanding of the rules applied in practice. #CEFTA #RulesOfOrigin #Customs #TradeFacilitation

📍 Tirana | Connecting Through Trade at the Tirana Connectivity Forum 2026 Yesterday at the Tirana Connectivity Forum 2026, the #CEFTA Secretariat and the Cooperation and Development Institute (CDI) co-organised the session “Connecting Through Trade: Building the Common Regional Market for Goods and Services”, bringing together perspectives from public administrations, the European Commission and businesses. CEFTA Secretariat Director Pranvera Kastrati and Ronald Seeliger, CEO of Hemofarm Group and lead for STADA Group operations in the #WesternBalkans, opened the session, bringing perspectives from CEFTA and the business community. Their exchange set the scene for a broader discussion on making trade easier through simpler procedures, digitalisation and closer cooperation between administrations and businesses. Moderated by Simonida Kacarska, Director of the European Policy Institute in Skopje, the discussion brought together Enkelejd Musabelliu, Deputy Minister of Economy and Innovation of Albania, Christophe Galand, Deputy Director for the Western Balkans at the European Commission’s DG ENEST, and Danijela Gacevic, Head of Programme Department at RCC, to explore policy priorities and closer integration with the EU Single Market. Agron Llugaliu, General Director of Kosovo* Customs, and Klejvis Pengili, CEO of Milšped Albania, Milšped Group, contributed perspectives on customs cooperation, logistics and the everyday experience of businesses trading across CEFTA. 🔗 Connectivity goes beyond infrastructure. Roads, rail and energy provide the hardware; rules, procedures and trust provide the software that keeps trade moving. Against the backdrop of the #CommonRegionalMarket Action Plan 2025–2028 and the EU Growth Plan, the discussion explored how implementation can strengthen connectivity and support gradual integration into the #EUSingleMarket. 💬 Priorities included avoiding repeated testing and duplicate controls, strengthening customs cooperation and risk management, recognising Authorised Economic Operator programmes, and advancing electronic signatures for paperless trade. Recognition of professional qualifications and easier provision of services across CEFTA can also create opportunities for people to use their skills and businesses to grow. ➡️ The priority is to make agreed commitments work in everyday trade. Success should be measured through simpler procedures, shorter waiting times and fewer repeated administrative steps, creating tangible benefits for businesses and citizens and supporting closer integration with the EU Single Market. #CEFTA #TiranaConnectivityForum #CommonRegionalMarket #TradeFacilitation #EUSingleMarket #Connectivity

30 September–1 October | From Ministerial Dialogue to the Voice of Business A busy week for the #CEFTA Secretariat in Montenegro, bringing together ministerial discussions, trade-focused exchanges and the voice of businesses, with a shared focus on turning agreed priorities into practical progress for trade and closer integration with the #EUSingleMarket. 📍 Cetinje | Berlin Process Economy Ministers’ Meeting: The meeting focused on deepening cooperation, fostering economic development and advancing closer European alignment across the #WesternBalkans. Director Kastrati reflected on CEFTA’s evolution over the past 20 years, highlighting that the next phase has a clear direction: moving towards fully EU-aligned frameworks to make trade easier and prepare for the #EUSingleMarket. On the margins of the meeting, she met with the Ministers from the CEFTA Parties, Nik Gjeloshaj, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Economic Development; Delina Ibrahimaj, Minister for Economy and Innovation; Jagoda Lazarević, Minister for Internal and Foreign Trade; and Mimoza Kusari-Lila, Ministry for Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade to discuss the upcoming CEFTA Week, key deliverables and the work still ahead to successfully conclude this year’s priorities. 📍 Budva | Economic Conference Montenegro 2026: CEFTA joined businesses, academia and the European Commission for a discussion on what “trade without waiting” means in practice and how to make trade faster and more predictable. CEFTA highlighted that tools to reduce waiting already exist within its framework, with further gains depending on consistent implementation and continued development of working systems. 📍 Budva | WB6–EU Business Platform: The week concluded with an opportunity to hear directly from #businesses about their experiences, challenges and priorities, helping keep CEFTA’s work connected to the needs of companies operating across CEFTA markets. Three different discussions, with the same direction: turning commitments into implementation and bringing CEFTA markets closer to the EU Single Market.

🤝 CEFTA at the EU–WB6 Business Platform Meeting Making intra-CEFTA trade easier and advancing integration with the EU Single Market were in focus at today’s EU–WB6 Business Platform Meeting in Budva. #CEFTA Secretariat Director Pranvera Kastrati contributed to discussions on the Common Regional Market and the Growth Plan, highlighting opportunities to simplify trade and strengthen cooperation with the business community. 💬 The meeting provided an important opportunity to hear directly from #businesses about their experiences, challenges and priorities. For the CEFTA Secretariat, dialogue is essential to understanding how agreed measures work in practice, where obstacles persist and where further progress is needed. Keeping this dialogue strong helps ensure that our work remains connected to the needs of businesses operating across CEFTA markets and focused on making #trade simpler and more efficient. 👏 We thank the Western Balkans 6 Chamber Investment Forum (WB6 CIF) for the invitation and organisation, and for creating space for this valuable exchange. We also thank the European Union for its support to this initiative. #CEFTA #WB6CIF #Business #TradeFacilitation #CommonRegionalMarket #RegionalCooperation

📍 Cetinje | CEFTA at the Berlin Process Economy Ministers’ Meeting Today, #CEFTA Secretariat Director Dr Pranvera Kastrati participated in the Berlin Process Economy Ministers’ Meeting, hosted on behalf of the Government of Montenegro by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development H.E. Mr Nik Gjeloshaj. Bringing together the Western Balkans Six, European partners, international financial institutions and international organisations, the meeting focused on deepening regional cooperation, fostering economic development and accelerating progress towards closer European alignment across the Western Balkans. 💬 Director Kastrati’s message looked at how far regional trade integration has come and what needs to happen next. Twenty years after CEFTA 2006 was signed, CEFTA has moved from reducing tariffs to common rules, and from rules to working systems, including Green Lanes, CEFTA SEED+ and CEFTA TRACES NT. With the #CommonRegionalMarket and EU Growth Plan, the next phase has a clear direction: moving towards fully EU-aligned frameworks to make trade easier and prepare for the #EUSingleMarket. 🎯 The priorities ahead are concrete: advancing the recognition of conformity assessment results and professional qualifications, moving towards genuinely paperless trade, completing the recognition of AEO programmes, advancing the recognition of customs controls, aligning working hours at crossing points and moving towards risk-based inspections to avoid duplication and reduce the cost of doing business. 🇪🇺 CEFTA stressed that adoption is only part of the job. Agreed measures create value when they are implemented consistently, backed by the necessary administrative capacity and operational resources. Twenty years on, CEFTA’s purpose remains unchanged: bringing its Parties closer to one another and closer to the European Union. #CEFTA #BerlinProcess #CommonRegionalMarket #TradeFacilitation #EUSingleMarket

📍 Budva | Trade Without Waiting: Accelerating the Flow of Goods between the Western Balkans and the EU Today, #CEFTA Secretariat Director Dr Pranvera Kastrati joined the panel “Trade without waiting: How to accelerate the flow of goods between the Western Balkans and the EU?” at the Economic Conference Montenegro 2026 in Budva, organised by the Chamber of Economy of Montenegro and NALED. The panel brought together representatives of businesses, academia and the European Commission to discuss what “trade without waiting” means in practice and how to make the movement of goods faster and more predictable as the Western Balkans move closer to the #EUSingleMarket. 💬 CEFTA Secretariat Director highlighted that tools to reduce waiting already exist within its framework and are delivering tangible results. In 2025, around 1.4 million trucks used the #GreenLanes, supported by CEFTA SEED+, with estimated cumulative waiting-time savings of approximately 12 years. CEFTA TRACES NT is another tool supporting more efficient trade through digitalisation. More broadly, intra-CEFTA goods exports increased from approximately €3.9 billion in 2015 to €8.9 billion in 2025, a 2.3-fold increase. 🎯 CEFTA’s key message: The greatest gains now depend on administrations using these tools consistently, implementing what has been agreed and developing working systems further. 🇪🇺 Looking ahead, CEFTA also emphasised that #EU accession is a shared objective. Preparing early for changes in trading arrangements will be important so that progress towards membership supports existing supply chains and creates opportunities for the other CEFTA Parties. 🔗 More about the Economic Conference Montenegro 2026: kecg.me/?lang=en #CEFTA #TradeFacilitation #GreenLanes #SEEDPlus #EUSingleMarket #CommonRegionalMarket