October, 2024
October, 2024
POLICY BRIEF
The Necessity for Reforms to Enable Economic Cooperation and Development in WB6
Sokol Zeneli
Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) is an important regional agreement. However, its effectiveness is hindered by internal disputes — especially concerning Kosovo's representation. The brief explores the challenges that CEFTA faces and explains why CEFTA should be reformed.
The brief proposes reforms under the concept of CEFTA 2.0, aiming to modernise the agreement and align it with European Union (EU) standards. Key recommendations include amending the CEFTA treaty to acknowledge Kosovo's self-representation, incorporating Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) chapters to address environmental and labour standards, establishing a robust Dispute Settlement Body to enforce compliance, and creating Domestic Advisory Groups (DAGs) to facilitate dialogue with civil society organisations and other stakeholders.