While the SEE6 reforms were advancing, they were becoming integral part of the conditions put by EU for the official opening of negotiations. During 2019 we noticed a shift in the composition of EU conditionality, illustrated by the developments below:
• From chapter-based and normative methodology, to reform-based and impact-oriented methodology; and
• From EU Commission as a designer, monitor and reporter to an increasing participation of member states in setting the benchmarks, scrutinizing and deciding about the progress. In Albania it was translated into the nine Bundestag conditions, the Dutch concerns on organized crime, or the French decision to block the official opening of negotiations with EU.
The focus on the reforms and the inclusion of newly created local institutions and / or of “cleansed” ones into the Enlargement benchmark list, transforms those very institutions into indicators of the success of the whole reform. ALBE methodology brings in focus their good governance features of effectiveness, efficiency, transparency, accountability, predictability, sound financial management and of their integrity. In our hypothesis, the institutional “good governance” conditions the quality, efficiency and sustainability of their delivery process and the quality of their expected deliverables. To be sustainable they must be well governed. To be resilient they should plan in long term, take into account the availability of local resources, and carry regularly risk-management exercises. To be resilient they must function efficiently and produce qualitative and efficient outputs without permanently relying on external assistance.
We have used the ‘Appreciative Inquiry’ approach to identify indicators and assess features of the selected new structures and institutions belonging to the positive core of justice sector reform, such as vision, values, embedded knowledge, learning processes, organizational achievements, availability of technical and financial resources, efficacy, accountability, transparency, openness, inclusiveness, and integrity.
The outreach activities in Brussels are designed to contribute to the legitimacy of the justice reform in Albania through increased accountability. The presentations will provide data on the progress and the challenges of the Justice Reform focused no their good governance component. The following debates will aim to promote best examples, muster support for the newly established justice institutions, and increase their transparency, scrutiny and accountability to the EU and other stakeholders.
The initiative “Preparing and Supporting Albania for the EU accession process (ALBE): Monitoring and Supporting Albania’s reforms on its path to EU” is implemented by Cooperation and Development Institute and supported by MATRA program. The Brussels event is organized in cooperation with CEPS.
Event implemented in the framework of the project: Preparing and Supporting Albania for EU accession process (ALBE): Monitoring and Supporting Albania’s reforms on its path to EU supported by Dutch Embassy in Tirana.
