Strengthening the Local Roots of Europe: New EU Cooperation with Albania, Kosovo, and Moldova
- maria tsaousi
- May 29
- 2 min read
On 27 May 2025, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) took a significant step in advancing the European integration of Albania, Kosovo, and Moldova*—not through grand speeches in Brussels, but by deepening dialogue with the people working on the ground: mayors, councillors, and local leaders.
These new formats of cooperation were launched during Enlargement Day, the CoR’s flagship annual event focused on bringing EU institutions closer to aspiring member countries. This year’s milestone? The creation of structured partnerships designed to ensure that local and regional authorities in candidate countries are empowered to shape their EU future.
From Dialogue to Real Partnership
Albania now joins the EU at the table through a newly established Joint Consultative Committee (JCC), a body with fixed membership and a clear agenda that will meet twice a year to tackle key local challenges and align efforts with EU legislation.
For Kosovo and Moldova, the CoR launched dedicated Working Groups, also meeting biannually, to facilitate structured collaboration and policy alignment at the municipal level.
These mechanisms are more than bureaucratic upgrades—they’re bridges. Bridges that connect local governments with EU institutions and bring the ambitions of European integration down to the level where they matter most: in communities.
Common Ground, Shared Challenges
The new bodies will work on a wide range of shared priorities:
Democracy and rule of law
Cross-border cooperation
Local economic development
Environmental and climate resilience, tailored to each country's context:
Albania focuses on climate adaptation
Kosovo addresses environmental degradation
Moldova targets the energy transition
These themes reflect the understanding that EU membership is not only a national project—it’s a local one too.
Local Voices Leading the Way
The chairs of the new CoR bodies spoke passionately about the opportunity to build peace, trust, and prosperity from the grassroots up:
“This Committee shows local cooperation is the heart of the European project,” said Antonio Mazzeo, president of Tuscany’s Regional Council and co-chair of the JCC with Albania. “Here, Albania and the EU sit at the same table, as equals.”
Gillian Coughlan, Irish councillor and chair of the Kosovo Working Group, drew on Ireland’s peace journey: “Local leadership can heal division... Peace built locally is peace that lasts for generations.”
Mariana Gâju, Romanian mayor and chair of the Moldova group, emphasized the real work ahead: “It is mayors and local administrations who must deliver good governance and align with EU law on the ground.”
What’s Next?
The CoR also announced a forthcoming Working Group on Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose inaugural meeting will be held later this year.
The message is clear: EU enlargement is about more than negotiations in Brussels—it's about tangible change in towns, cities, and regions across Europe. By building stronger local links today, the EU is investing in a more inclusive, resilient, and democratic union tomorrow.
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