The rule of law, democratic governance, and inclusive institutions are not only the foundation of EU accession, but also the guarantee of sustainable reforms and public trust, this was underlined at the workshop held at the Parliamentarian Club in Skopje, North Macedonia on 17 September 2025.

The workshop “From Fundamentals to Practice: Parliament’s contribution to EU negotiations”, was organised by the UNOPS project "Support to European Integration of North Macedonia" funded by Sweden, Switzerland and North Macedonia, and with the support of the "Knowledge for Reform Action in the Western Balkans" project, funded by the Kingdom Norway and implemented by UNOPS. 

Together with colleagues from the Parliament of North Macedonia, the Committee on European Affairs, the National Council for European Integration, and regional partners, the K4R expert explored how parliaments can best shape and support the EU accession process.

The discussions focused on parliament’s institutional mandate in reviewing negotiation positions and other documents, as well as ensuring legislative alignment of the national legislation with the EU acquis; tools for effective oversight such as evidence-based hearings, cross-party dialogue, and consensus-building; and comparative insights from region's own EU path, offering practical examples of how parliamentary engagement strengthens transparency, inclusiveness, and credibility.