Today, a presentation of the Strategic Priorities Expertise Facility (PREF) was held at the Training Centre of the Ministry of European Affairs. PREF is a mechanism proposed by the United Nations to provide rapid and targeted expert support to institutions responsible for implementing reforms.
At the opening of the event, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of European Affairs, Bekim Sali, expressed his gratitude to the United Nations for its continued partnership and emphasized the importance of this mechanism at a time when institutions are simultaneously working on implementing and planning reforms that are expected to deliver concrete and measurable results.
“The implementation of the commitments under the Reform Agenda will determine not only the pace of our progress within the Reform and Growth Facility, but also the quality and credibility of the broader European integration process. Therefore, we must approach every reform step seriously, with professional responsibility and a strong focus on results,” Sali emphasized.
PREF aims to provide institutions with rapid and structured access to pre-vetted domestic and international experts. The appropriate expertise can be identified within ten working days following the approval of a request, enabling institutions to receive timely and targeted support for the preparation of complex legislation, impact assessments, roadmaps and strategies, as well as for strengthening institutional capacities.
Minister Sali stressed that external expertise is not a substitute for institutional responsibility.
“External experts can provide knowledge, analyses and technical solutions, but we must define the priorities, we must lead the process, and the final results must be owned by us, together with the responsibility for their implementation.”
Institutions were encouraged to carefully review the Reform Agenda steps for which they are responsible and to identify areas where specialized expert support could directly accelerate implementation, help overcome technical obstacles and contribute to meeting the agreed deadlines.
The Ministry of European Affairs will continue to support institutions throughout the process and ensure the necessary coordination with the United Nations.
“The success of the Reform Agenda will not be measured by the number of plans we adopt or meetings we organize, but by whether reforms are completed on time, whether institutions function better, whether citizens and businesses see tangible improvements, and whether our country moves closer to full membership in the European Union,” Sali stated.
