CIVIL SOCIETY’S ROLE IN ALBANIA’S POLICYMAKING PROCESS AND EU ENLARGEMENT
Civil Society is considered to be one of the key actors that ensure participatory democracy and promote the values and needs of the categories they advocate for. Civil society advocacy aspires to focus on resilient and solution-based policies by promoting value-based decision-making. Their influence on government and legislative decision-making is considered by the EU to be a crucial factor in achieving human rights and rule of law standards by improving participatory democratic governance. The participation of civil society in the decision-making process of a country in the enlargement process is considered a great accelerator which contributes to deepening the citizens’ understanding of the reforms needed to meet the requirements of EU membership.
This research analyses the participation of CSOs in the policy-making process in promoting sustainable development, enhancing democratic governance, and upholding human rights in strengthening institutions and enhancing good governance in Albania. This paper considers the timely and transparent follow-up of the enlargement process through country progress reports and important reputable national and international reports. The article analyses the contribution of CSOs to national policymaking processes over the last five years, in line with Albania’s obligations under the EU accession process and the role of CSOs in safeguarding EU standards as essential actors in enlargement.
Keywords: CSOs, participatory democracy, Albania, EU enlargement, open governance
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