On 14 October 2024, Western Balkans leaders signed the second phase of the Common Regional Market (CRM) during the 10th Berlin Process Summit. This initiative, designed for the Western Balkans Six (WB6), builds on EU rules and standards to boost regional competitiveness and cooperation. The CRM is seen as a step toward deeper regional economic integration and as a gateway for the WB6 to align with the EU Single Market.

The newly launched CRM Action Plan for 2025-2028 focuses on advancing the EU’s four fundamental freedoms - movement of goods, services, capital, and people - while fostering a business-friendly environment, and enhancing human capital, digitalization, and innovation.

The drafting of the CRM 2025-2028 Action Plan began with the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and CEFTA proposing foundational elements at the request of the WB6. Kosovo, in particular, worked closely with key ministries, agencies and EU partners to identify strategic goals and deliver inputs for the plan, which culminated in a draft presented in July 2024.

The UNOPS Partnerships Specialist supported the Office of the Prime Minister in providing the country’s input for the new CRM AP 2025-2028. The support included the review of the drafts provided by regional organizations, identification of pillars which accelerate the integration into the EU single market, and proposed new actions in line with Kosovo’s strategic goals and with the citizens as end-beneficiary. The input for the new CRM AP was built upon an evaluation of Kosovo's successes and short-comings in the previous CRM AP 2021-2025. 

This collaborative process sets the stage for continued economic growth and integration in the region.