The Western Balkans–EU Business Platform, organized by the Western Balkans 6 Chamber Investment Forum (WB6 CIF), convened a joint meeting in Budva dedicated to assessing the progress of Western Balkan economies three years after the launch of the Growth Plan and two years following the adoption of the Action Plan for the Common Regional Market 2.0. The meeting brought together representatives of member companies of the WB6 CIF Business Council, regional chambers of commerce, the European Commission, the CEFTA Secretariat, and the Regional Cooperation Council. It was held on the sidelines of the Economic Conference "Montenegro 2026," organized under the motto "Connected Economies for a Stronger Europe," ahead of this year's Berlin Process Summit.

Discussions centered on the more effective execution of reform agendas, accelerating the flow of goods with the EU, transport infrastructure development, and capitalizing on EU funds as a driver of economic growth. Particular emphasis was placed on improving operating conditions and bolstering enterprise competitiveness throughout the integration process toward the EU Single Market.

The findings and recommendations of the Report on the Implementation of the Common Regional Market were presented, along with an analysis of trade opportunities and regional value chains in the Western Balkans. Debates zeroed in on the concrete impact of regional reforms on daily business operations, non-tariff barriers to intra-regional trade, and the ramifications of EU regulations on the business climate.

Participants underscored that while regional cooperation has made marked strides in recent years, the region's full economic potential remains untapped. From the perspective of businesspeople, the bottom-line consideration is straightforward: can an enterprise deliver its goods to customers on time, under predictable terms, and without unexpected costs? The discussions underlined that prolonged border crossing delays, mismatched operating hours among border control authorities, duplicate inspections, vague documentation requirements, and volatile trade measures continue to pose concrete obstacles for business, inflating operational costs.

Looking ahead, coordinated efforts alongside the European Commission and regional bodies will concentrate on pinpointing a targeted set of the most critical and documented bottlenecks facing companies. Priorities include assigning competent institutions and hard deadlines for resolution, upgrading advance data exchanges, coordinating border management agencies, and deploying risk-based inspections.

The unified message from the business community was that harmonization with EU standards must be paired with streamlined procedures and the phased opening of single market access for Western Balkan firms.

During the meeting, the study "Mapping Potential Value Chains Through Regional Integration of Western Balkan Economies"—prepared under the WB6 CIF EU Project—was presented, drawing keen interest from both policymakers and corporate leaders as a practical roadmap for identifying emerging export markets for regional goods.

A session of the WB6 CIF Management Board was likewise held in Budva with European Commission officials in attendance, focusing on the execution of activities under the ongoing EU project "EU Support to the Western Balkans 6 Chamber Investment Forum for the Development of the Common Regional Market," as well as other active implementation programs.