“EU Policy Hub” is a forum created with the support of Open Society Foundation for Albania (OSFA) and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) – Office for Albania, aimed at engaging young professionals in promoting, monitoring the progress and exerting influence on the country’s integration process into European structures. It aims to engage young professionals in the promotion, monitoring and impact of Albania’s integration process into the European Union.
Albania was granted official candidate country status for EU accession in June 2014 and the European Commission declared that the country should work towards fullfilling five key priorities for the opening of the accession negotiations.
These factors have intensified domestic policy-making efforts, and have sparked a public debate on speeding up the pace of this process.
In this context, civil society organizations, interest groups and citizens are expected to play a key role in monitoring, improving and accelerating the pace of reform and the implementation of priorities, as outlined in the Commission’s opinion on Albania.
Therefore, EU Policy Hub aims to serve as a platform for exchanging ideas and improving the process. It will liaise with relevant local and regional actors, fueling a public debate on the opening of Albania’s accession negotiations with the European Union. The forum will also serve as an independent voice in the quality and implementation of reforms stemming from the annual progress reports and other strategic documents.
What is our goal?
- Building and improving existing capacities in monitoring and analyzing the effective implementation of reforms in the context of EU integration through the engagement of young professionals / experts;
- Creating an interactive and interdisciplinary environment where each member has the opportunity to advocate, exchange and participate in initiatives undertaken by the forum;
- Consolidating the culture of civic engagement in Albania, in order to provide a proactive and sustained support in the various steps of the European integration process;
- Raising independent working groups to analyze and discuss the process of negotiation chapters and strategic documents suggested by the European Commission and the National Council for European Integration (without limitation);
- Publishing reports and studies that focus on meeting the five key priorities for the opening of accession negotiations, in order to facilitate public policy and civic participation in policy-making processes;
- Conducting consultative meetings with political actors at national, regional and European level for an effective exchange of views and experiences regarding the challenges of the European integration process.
Vision and Mission
We aspire integration in the European family where values of diversity and dialogue are the bridges that unite us.
The Forum’s mission is to contribute to the creation of synergies for the European integration of the country through the establishment and functioning of a structure of young professionals who promote, influence and monitor the progress of the process.
Values
With the confidence and determination that our work and contribution will serve to the integration of Albania into the European family, our common values are inspired by:
- Professionalism: efforts to achieve concrete results in every aspect of our work, making them known to the professionals, citizens and other stakeholders;
- Responsibility: To be accountable to the public by being taken over implementation of possible solutions;
- Innovation: The desire for innovation, applications and unique contemporary solutions;
- Collaborative Approach: Close collaboration with organizations sharing the same values and objectives;
- Volunteering: Continuous efforts to positively influence the progress of the integration process;
- Respect for the other: Affirming and respecting the dignity, for the potential and contribution of the staff, institutions and all those who have an interest in contributing to our cause.
Do you think that you share these values, have the same goals and want to join our team? For more information click here.