Policy Brief: Accelerating Western Balkans Integration through the Common Regional Market and EU Single Market Access

The Western Balkans 6 Chamber Investment Forum (WB6 CIF) is publishing a new Policy Brief titled “Accelerating Western Balkans Integration: Implementing the Common Regional Market and Advancing EU Single Market Access”, presented during the Berlin Process WB6 Business and Chambers Forum held in Belgrade on 7 October 2025.

This policy paper provides an analytical and practical roadmap for the full implementation of the Common Regional Market (CRM) Action Plan 2024–2028, emphasizing the need to turn long-standing political commitments into tangible, measurable outcomes for businesses, workers, and consumers across the Western Balkans.

The brief identifies the urgent need for a shift from policy vision to practical delivery, stressing that the region’s economies continue to face fragmented regulations, border delays, and non-tariff barriers that hinder trade, investment, and competitiveness. It highlights that despite progress in areas such as free roaming and Green Lanes, much of the CRM’s potential remains unrealized due to inconsistent implementation and lack of coordination.

Among the key messages, the document calls for:

• Stronger political ownership and accountability, through a regional task force of ministers and business chambers to ensure coordinated CRM implementation;

• Integration of CRM targets into EU Growth Plan funding and national EU accession roadmaps, creating a “recognition by adoption” mechanism where EU-aligned rules adopted in one Western Balkan economy are recognized regionally;

• Focus on business-driven reforms that directly reduce costs, delays, and administrative burdens, especially for SMEs;

• Investment in quality infrastructure, digital trust systems, and SPS alignment as the foundation for future Single Market access;

• Strategic prioritization of sectors with high integration potential, including IT services, automotive components, agri-food, tourism, and green industry.

The Policy Brief distinguishes between “early demonstrator sectors” – where quick results can be achieved in 12–24 months – and “longer-term reform sectors” that require sustained investment and policy alignment. Early demonstrators such as digital services, automotive components, tourism, and premium agri-food can showcase tangible benefits of regional cooperation, while long-term reforms in agriculture, construction, and green transition will define the region’s competitiveness over the next decade.

“The Common Regional Market must now move from framework to delivery. Only through practical, sustained reforms can the region gain the full benefits of EU integration, economic growth, and long-term stability.”

Accelerating Western Balkans Integration through the Common Regional Market and EU Single Market Access (POLICY BRIEF CRM and Access to Single Market)