Participants of the meeting in Pristina focused on issues related to transposition of EU rules in Kosovo and engaged in discussions on the methodology and approaches to the study of informality in the country. The representatives of the participating national offices expressed their interest in the INFORM project, provided valuable feedback, and emphasised their willingness to engage in future collaborations.

Participants:

1. Mr Artan Çollaku, Director, Department of Coordination of the Stabilization and Association Process
2. Ms Vjosa Beqaj, Director, Department of Sectoral Policies, Ministry of European Integration
3. Ms Hazbije Krasniqi, Head of the Central Office for International Cooperation, Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning
4. Mr Kenan Tora, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
5. Mr Stergios Tragoudas, Task Manager-Education, European Union Office to Kosovo
6. Ms Mimoza Zeqiri, European Union Office to Kosovo
7. Mr Dukagjin Pupovci, Executive Director, Kosovo Education Center
8. Mr Dren Berishaj, Social Research Kosovo
9. Dr Vjollca Krasniqi, INFORM Kosovo Lead Researcher, Social Research Kosovo

During the workshop, the Ministry and national office representatives engaged in discussions about the project outline and methodology, as well as the political and cultural context of Kosovo.

The participants placed great importance on and expressed interest in understanding the interplay between informal practices and formal rules, that is, their implementation and the impact they have on the sphere of economy, politics, and everyday life. They also acknowledged Kosovo’s political challenges in the EU integration processes.

The workshop participants highlighted the importance of research-based policy-making; they posited the INFORM project as an important resource offering data that would to produce better understanding of the economic, political and social dynamics of Kosovo in the context of the country’s EU integration efforts. Moreover, the participants expressed the necessity to gain deeper knowledge on the impact of new laws on the everyday life of citizens.

The meeting participants identified several areas for potential cooperation in future.

They include, but are not limited to:

• Sharing research findings and disaggregated data with state institutions, civil society, academia, media and the broader public in Kosovo;
• Enhancing cooperation between state institutions, academia, and civil society;
• Fostering dialogue on how to close the gap between formal and informal institutions;
• Developing research data-based policy recommendations on how to overcome informality.

Source: INFORM