Opportunity Next Door: The Western Balkans and Europe’s Economic Future

As the EU seeks to strengthen its economic resilience and competitiveness, the Western Balkans are increasingly viewed not only as candidates for membership but also as potentially major contributors to that project. The region’s proximity to EU markets, expanding manufacturing base, and competence in emerging sectors create opportunities for deeper integration into European value chains. Despite this, the enlargement process appears stalled. What would it take for economic partnership between the EU and the Western Balkans to come good? To unpack persistent obstacles in the region’s business environment, including regulatory uncertainty and governance challenges, Carnegie Europe invites you to a public event with Dimitar Bechev, senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, Elvin Guri, CEO of Invenio Partners, Ana Krstinovska, president of Estima, and Maurits-Jan Prinz, deputy Head of Unit, Private Sector Engagement, at DG ENEST. The discussion will be moderated by Milan Nič, senior research fellow at the German Council for Foreign Relations (DGAP).