10-12 November 2026, Yerevan, Armenia

Turning EU integration experience into stronger institutions, practical knowledge and shared progress. This was the central ambition of ReSPA’s high-level regional event, “EU Law: Effects, Transposition and Alignment – From Harmonisation to Application,” organised with the support of the European Union.

The three-day gathering brought together senior institutional representatives, legal experts and civil servants from the Western Balkans, Moldova, Ukraine and Armenia to address one of the most demanding aspects of European integration: translating EU legislation into national legal frameworks and ensuring its effective implementation.

At the heart of the initiative was ReSPA’s commitment to connecting administrations at different stages of EU integration and transforming accumulated experience into practical solutions and stronger institutional capacities. For Western Balkan administrations, the event offered an opportunity to share lessons from accession negotiations and legislative alignment, while colleagues from the Eastern Partnership contributed their perspectives on reform and explored approaches applicable to their national contexts.

The event opened with remarks by Boris Ristović, ReSPA Programme Coordinator, followed by a high-level panel discussion featuring Tigran Dadunts, Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia; H.E. Vassilis Maragos, EU Ambassador to Armenia; and Jelena Mrdak, ReSPA Director a.i. The discussion was moderated by Jelisaveta Tasev, ReSPA Programme Manager.

The opening dialogue highlighted the importance of legislative alignment not merely as a formal requirement of European integration, but as a foundation for stronger institutions, effective governance and sustainable reform.

As Jelena Mrdak, ReSPA Director a.i., emphasised: “European integration is not only about aligning legislation with EU standards. It is about building institutions capable of applying those standards effectively. By connecting the practical experience of Western Balkan administrations with the reform efforts of Moldova, Ukraine and Armenia, ReSPA is helping turn regional cooperation into stronger administrative capacities and tangible progress on the European integration path.”

The programme followed a clear progression from understanding EU law to addressing practical challenges of transposition, implementation and institutional coordination.

On the first day, Dr Marija Vlajković, University of Belgrade, and Jelisaveta Tasev explored the foundations of the EU acquis, EU decision-making, legislative approximation and accession requirements. An interactive peer discussion enabled participants to compare national alignment systems and identify common institutional challenges.

The second day placed particular emphasis on transferring practical experience from the Western Balkans to colleagues from the Eastern Neighbourhood: Zlatko Ilijevski, Ministry of Energy of North Macedonia, addressed the challenges of translating EU policy into national legislation, while Luka Stanković, Ministry of European Affairs of Montenegro, shared Montenegro’s experience with national programmes for adopting the acquis, tables of correlation and legislative alignment during accession negotiations.

A dedicated interregional exchange, moderated by Filip Chaparoski, ReSPA Officer, and Jelisaveta Tasev, brought together civil servants from the Western Balkans, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, alongside representatives from Moldova, Ukraine and Armenia. Participants compared national approaches, mapped common challenges and explored transferable practices. The discussions were complemented by hands-on exercises in which participants analysed EU legal acts, identified transposition requirements and prepared approximation tables, turning shared knowledge into practical skills.

The final day focused on the institutional capacities required to ensure that legislative alignment translated into effective implementation. Zlatko Ilijevski addressed coordination and quality assurance, while Luka Stanković presented approaches to monitoring legislative alignment and reporting on progress in adopting the acquis, and Irena Jovanova Popovska, Secretariat of Legislation of the Government of North Macedonia, examined common challenges, including regulatory inconsistencies, institutional overlaps and implementation gaps. Through practical case studies, Jelena Šćepanović, Ministry of Environmental Protection of Serbia, explored legislative approximation in two particularly demanding areas: Chapter 27 (Environment) and Chapter 12 (Food Safety).

Concluding the expert programme, Jelisaveta Tasev brought the discussions together around the importance of building sustainable administrative capacity for effective EU accession and legal approximation, underlining: “The significance of the Yerevan gathering extended beyond knowledge exchange. By combining high-level institutional dialogue, practical experience from the Western Balkans, and hands-on cooperation with Eastern Neighbourhood administrations, we at ReSPA strengthen a platform to turn regional expertise into concrete reform support.”

The programme equipped participants with practical approaches to assessing legislative compliance, preparing approximation instruments, identifying implementation gaps and improving institutional coordination. It also helped identify shared challenges and transferable practices to inform future cooperation and capacity-building initiatives.

For ReSPA, the event represented another important step in connecting the Western Balkans and Eastern Neighbourhood through a shared commitment to more capable, effective and EU-oriented public administrations, reinforcing the role as a trusted regional partner in advancing public administration reform and supporting the practical implementation of European standards.

Meaningful European integration goes beyond legislative harmonisation. It requires institutions capable of turning European standards into lasting improvements in governance and public service delivery.