EU Accession Negotiations are among the toughest negotiations out there and not just because of the Commission’s increased scrutiny on rule of law and democracy. The dynamics at the negotiation table in itself are unique. They require extraordinary skills of the negotiators, knowledge of the renewed Chapter process, and, above all, transparency. This is exactly where NGOs come in.

In Accession Negotiations, they consistently balance between providing constructive input for their governments and being an independent watchdog. The question of how to strike that balance perfectly was central to Clingendael Academy’s first EU Accession training of 2021.

A diverse group of fourteen people, representing 8 different North Macedonian NGOs of the ‘Blueprint Group’, joined us online on February 26. We trained them in the new Accession process and how they can use the influence of EU institutions, including Parliament and Commission, to their own benefit.

We look forward to working with Western Balkans NGOs in the coming years, aiding them on the bold road to EU Accession.