​On 18 and 19 June 2019, EU enlargement was high on the agenda of the European Committee of the Regions which hosted the 5th edition of its annual Enlargement Day along with meetings of Joint Consultative Committees (JCCs) and Working Groups (WGs) for relations with Western Balkan states and Turkey.

This year’s edition was focused on links between the rule of law and socio-economic development in enlargement countries, as well as EU support to the region in these two domains. The topics of individual joint consultative committees included EU pre-accession assistance to Montenegro, rule of law at the local level in Serbia, measures to strengthen good governance in North Macedonia, youth unemployment in Turkey and the evolution of governance in Bosnia and Herzegovina 24 years after the Dayton peace agreement which ended the civil war in the country.

The European Committee of the Regions currently has JCCs with representatives of local and regional authorities from Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia, whilst cooperation with Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Kosovo takes place at the level of working groups.

EA Group members who took part in the events are Cllr Andrew Cooper (JCC Serbia), Dr Uno Silberg (JCC Montenegro), Cllr Tony Buchanan (JCC FYROM), Mr Karim Van Overmeire (WG Turkey) and Mr József Kóbor (WG Western Balkans which includes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Kosovo).