Western Balkan Reforms Draw Mixed EU Assessments
A new policy study finds one in four Western Balkan rule of law laws from 2020 to 2025 received negative assessments.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Law
A policy study by the Centre for Contemporary Politics and the Jacques Delors Institute analyzes 89 laws or sets of laws and one constitutional amendment across six Western Balkan countries. It finds that one in four of these Fundamentals-related reforms was assessed negatively by European Commission or domestic civil society sources.
Why it matters
The findings bear on the region's progress toward EU membership, where rule of law reforms are a central condition. The gap between European Commission and civil society assessments highlights how contested reform quality remains.
The analysis covers 89 laws or sets of laws and one constitutional amendment, with Bosnia and Herzegovina recording the highest negative share at 40% and North Macedonia the lowest at 17%. Nine cases were flagged by the European Commission as missed opportunities, while civil society identified eight cases of backsliding.
The players
Centre for Contemporary Politics
A policy research organization that co-published the study assessing Western Balkan rule of law reforms.
Jacques Delors Institute
A European policy think tank that co-published the study on Western Balkan rule of law reforms.
European Commission
The executive body of the European Union, whose Enlargement Packages served as the primary assessment source for the analysis.
The details
The study compares European Commission Enlargement Packages published between 2021 and 2025 with assessments from domestic civil society organizations. Albania's registration law for non-profit organizations, Bosnia and Herzegovina's public procurement law, Kosovo's Electoral Code, and Montenegro's public broadcaster law are among the reforms examined.
Timeline
2021: Albania adopts its Law on the Registration of Non-Profit Organizations.
2022: Bosnia and Herzegovina adopts its Public Procurement Law.
2023: Kosovo adopts its Electoral Code.
2024: Montenegro adopts its Law on the Public Broadcaster (RTCG).
Political Context
Civil society organizations in the region have argued that formal legislative adoption under EU Enlargement Packages can mask weak implementation. The study's divergence from official Commission ratings points to a continuing debate over how progress on Fundamentals chapters should be measured.
For residents across the Western Balkans, the reforms assessed affect how non-profit organizations register, how public procurement and elections are conducted, and how public broadcasting is governed. The divergence between EU and civil society assessments means the practical effect of these laws may differ from their formal adoption.
The takeaway
Formal adoption of a law does not always equal effective reform, and independent assessments can reveal gaps that official reviews miss. Tracking both sets of evaluations gives a fuller picture of rule of law progress.
Further reading
Explore more on Law for context on legal reform and EU accession standards.
