On January 22, 2024, the European Movement in Albania and the Ministry of Justice organised in Tirana the Roundtable on Chapter 23, focusing on the Active Role of Civil Society in the Roadmap for the Functioning of Democratic Institutions. The purpose of this Roundtable was to discuss and consult with the roundtable members and the civil society actors on the key points and measures outlined in the Roadmap for the Functioning of Democratic Institutions, which covers three main areas 1. Electoral Process, 2. The Assembly and 3. Civil Society.

The opening remarks were delivered by Elona Bano, Director of Integration and Negotiations at the Ministry of Justice, who provided a detailed overview of the monitoring and reporting process within the Rule of Law provided by the Albanian institutions, where a positive step, following COELA approval, is that Albania will now be part of the Rule of Law State reporting conducted by the European Union for its 27 member states, including the 4 Western Balkans candidate countries (Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia). This will require more commitment and preparation on one hand, but on the other hand it will give the candidate countries the opportunity to be assessed and contrasted with other EU members as well as with one another. While acknowledging that the Roadmap for the Functioning of Democratic Institutions is not a mandatory opening benchmark for Cluster 1 – Fundamentals, Bano stressed its necessity in establishing priorities related to the electoral process, the role of the Assembly as a legislative body, and fostering an environment that supports civil society in Albania. During the meeting, Bano welcomed recommendations and comments from civil society actors, particularly on two crucial issues: the involvement of civil society in monitoring the media during the election campaign and the monitoring of political party financing.

Gledis Gjipali, Executive Director of the European Movement in Albania, highlighted the current pivotal moment in the negotiation process as the right time for civil society to engage actively in consultation mechanisms such as the Partnership Platform for European Integration, the National Council of Civil Society, and the National Council for European Integration. He acknowledged that these structures are not yet fully active and inclusive, with the National Council of Civil Society being particularly problematic, as criticised in the European Commission’s report. Despite this, Gjipali emphasized the need for civil society actors to proactively engage, establish collaborations, and institutionalise dialogue with public institutions. He considered it a positive step that civil society is increasingly recognized as a crucial actor in the decision-making processes and policy development within the country’s integration process, which other EU accession countries did not enjoy during their own negotiation processes. Gjipali cited Slovakia as an example, where civil society began to engage only after the country joined the EU. He emphasized that participation is essential, particularly in the first Cluster, which sets the tone for the whole negotiation process because it is the first to open and the last to close. Additionally, the outcome of this Cluster will have an impact on the stages that follow.

In the second part of the meeting, members of the roundtable, civil society actors, representatives from academia, young professionals, and students engaged in discussions concerning the issues outlined in the Roadmap. They provided their recommendations regarding the monitoring of elections by the CSOs for the supervision of the election process and stressed the imperative for increased collaboration with the Central Election Commission. The participants delved into the role and challenges that the Albanian media has, with a particular focus on the issues surrounding online media and social networks that are currently unregulated by law. The participants stressed the pressing need for additional funding and financial support for CSOs to effectively carry out their monitoring role. Moreover, they explored strategies for finding incentives to enhance the activity and involvement of CSO-s in the consultative process.