On 11 May, the first labour ministers’ meeting of the Berlin Process was held at the invitation of Federal Minister Bärbel Bas. The Berlin Process is an initiative launched in 2014 to enhance regional cooperation in the Western Balkans. At the high-level “Western Balkans Conference: Advancing Employment and Social Policy Together” in Berlin, Federal Minister Bärbel Bas and the six labour ministers of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia jointly kicked-off their close future cooperation in front of about 100 high-ranking participants from among governments, social partners, civil society and European and international institutions.
The joint Work Plan on Employment and Social Policy, which was presented to the public at the conference, will serve as the roadmap for this cooperation. It contains concrete measures in three areas: active labour market policies, the implementation of labour rights, (including occupational safety and health and labour inspections) as well as social dialogue. The measures will be implemented over the next two years. The focus will be on strengthening dialogue and the exchange of technical expertise in the region.
The Berlin Process is an initiative launched in 2014 to enhance regional cooperation in the Western Balkans.
Berlin Process
The aim is to highlight employment and social policies as an important pillar of the European integration of the Western Balkans Six and to support their employment and social policy reforms on their path to the EU.
Federal Minister Bärbel Bas said in her opening remarks:
We are developing a new form of cooperation in times of many crises and conflicts. This new cooperation focuses on employment and social policies and thus on people’s well-being. We want to preserve employment, create good working conditions and foster social inclusion. This is about opportunities and prospects for people in the Western Balkans and especially about social peace and stability. This is our joint objective!
The Berlin Process is a platform launched in 2014 by former Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel. Today, it brings together 16 European countries, the European Commission and other stakeholders with the aim of supporting the Western Balkans Six on their path to European integration. At the same time, the Berlin Process is designed to promote regional cooperation in the Western Balkans on different economic, security, environmental and socio-political topics. Employment and social policies were included in the cooperation process last year. Especially the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs had advocated for the inclusion of these policies in the process.