WB6 Advocacy Group is an initiative of Western Balkanthink tanks coming from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, FYR of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia,  aimed at accelerating and facilitating the European Union enlargement towards the Western Balkans.

Established in September 2016, the Group grew out of two successive projects– the European Integration of the Western Balkans: Can the Visegrad Countries Serve as Role Models, Belgrade, 2015, which was supported by the International Visegrad Fund, and the Advocacy Strategy for the EU Integration of the Western Balkans – Guidelines, Belgrade 2016, supported by the International Visegrad Fund, the Stability Pact Fund of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC).  Both projects benefited from expertise provided by partner think tanks from Visegrad Group countries

In order to contribute to overcoming the impediments to EU integration of the Western Balkans, the Group aims to instigate the support of policy- and decision-makers in Brussels institutions, EU Member States, and in the Western Balkans, and of wider publics.

Through its programs and initiatives, the Group encourages advocacy efforts of national administrations, parliaments and civil society organizations and offers ideas on how to highlight arguments for faster accession to the EU, better cope with the EU “enlargement fatigue” and contribute to developing a positive perception of the region

For this purpose, the Group carries out research, publishes reports and policy papers, provides fora for public discussion, initiates dialogue between stakeholders, conducts outreach campaigns and issues direct calls for action.

The establishment and organisation of the WB6 Advocacy Group was supported by the partner think tanks from the Visegrad Group (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), which shared their national experiences in advocating EU integration. The Advocacy Group is a result of a one-year research project implemented by the European Movement in Serbia with other regional and V4 think tanks and supported by the Visegrad Fund and German Cooperation. The portal is supported by the Regional Cooperation Council.

Source: WB6 Advocacy Group