EUKI Interview: Driving Regional Climate Cooperation through the Green Agenda

From 15th to 16th October 2025, the Dubrovnik Ministerial Meeting on the Green Agenda brought together governments, donors, and regional organisations at a pivotal time – five years after the Agenda’s launch. From your perspective, how has the regional approach evolved since 2020, and what key priorities are shaping this new phase of implementation?

Since 2020, the Green Agenda has evolved from a political commitment into a strategic, EU-anchored framework that is reshaping how the Western Balkans approaches growth, resilience, and integration. What stands out most is how this process has turned cooperation into a true regional engine of change. Through the Regional Working Group on the Green Agenda, coordinated by the RCC, we are building a genuine, structured dialogue that connects governments, the European Commission, partners, businesses, and civil society around one shared vision.

The Dubrovnik Ministerial marked a major milestone – four cornerstone deliverables we jointly adopted: the Dubrovnik Declaration, the Revised GAWB Action Plan 2025–2030, the WB6 Climate Adaptation Roadmap, and the Regional Action Plan on Plastic Pollution Prevention, all endorsed by Leaders at the 2025 Berlin Process Summit, underlining that economic growth must be underpinned by the green transformation if it is to be lasting and resilient. Further work will focus on strengthening regional efforts towards climate-nature-resilient, resource-efficient, circular, and pollution-free societies, while ensuring that the transition is just and inclusive for all.

Ivana Markovic Boskovic

is Senior Expert on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans at the Regional Cooperation Council, with 16 years of experience in environmental and economic governance across Southeast Europe and Central Asia. She previously held senior roles with the OSCE in Ashgabat and Montenegro and began her career at Montenegro’s Environmental Protection Agency. Ivana holds advanced degrees in international relations and is pursuing an MA focused on EU environmental policy.

As RCC’s Senior Expert on the Green Agenda, you oversee monitoring and reporting on how WB6 countries are implementing the Action Plan (GARI). What positive trends stand out from the latest implementation report, and where do you see the largest gaps that need urgent regional attention?

As RCC’s Senior Expert on the Green Agenda, I see encouraging progress – but also clear signs that we must act faster to adapt to a rapidly changing climate. The Western Balkans has already warmed by about 2°C since the 1960s, while rainfall is decreasing, triggering more frequent droughts, floods, and wildfires that disrupt lives, economies, and ecosystems. That’s why we prioritised the WB6 Climate Adaptation Roadmap, a joint effort to guide how our region plans, invests, and builds resilience across sectors: energy, transport, agriculture, biodiversity, infrastructure, etc. It also sets the stage for a Regional Adaptation Strategy by 2026, defining a unified and EU-aligned path towards climate-resilient Western Balkans.

We’re also advancing circular economy reforms through the Regional Plastics Plan, while preparing the WB6 Biodiversity Strategic Plan to restore ecosystems. Stronger EPR systems, better donor–EU coordination, and timely investments in adaptation will be essential – every euro spent now yields sevenfold benefits by 2050.

“Every euro spent now yields sevenfold benefits by 2050.”

RCC plays a key role in revising the Green Agenda Action Plan, including pillars like Depollution and Circular Economy. Which changes do you consider most important for its effectiveness?

The revised Green Agenda Action Plan 2025–2030 transforms the framework into a practical, measurable roadmap aligned with EU standards. It streamlined actions from 58 to 41, eliminating overlaps and setting clear milestones and SMART indicators to ensure accountability. Climate adaptation is now fully integrated across all pillars, ensuring that resilience and mitigation go hand in hand. Strong emphasis is placed on Depollution and Circular Economy, addressing long-standing issues such as waste management, water quality, and industrial emissions.

The Plan promotes gradual reduction of landfilling, improvement of wastewater treatment and air quality, and transition to more sustainable production and consumption models. It also advances efforts to reduce plastic pollution and strengthen producer responsibility system, essential for creating cleaner and healthier environment. To me, the integration of biodiversity and ecosystem restoration gives the Plan its heart, linking environmental protection with growth, balance, and regional cooperation. This revision made the Action Plan more predictable, transparent, and result-oriented, strengthening regional ownership and readiness for EU accession.

Funding and capacity constraints remain significant obstacles. How does RCC support WB6 governments and partners in mobilising financial resources – for example, by improving donor coordination or mapping regional support – while also strengthening the administrative, technical, and human capacities needed to implement Green Agenda targets?

Funding and capacity gaps are among the significant challenges the region faces in this transformative transition, and this is exactly where the RCC’`s role as a connector makes a difference. I’ve seen how stronger the results are when everyone works together towards the same goal. Over the past year, we built the first regional database of all donors supporting the Green Agenda, identifying 79 projects and over 24 donors. This laid the groundwork for our first Regional Donor Coordination Meeting, held alongside the Dubrovnik Ministerial, where we brought everyone at a table to align priorities with the revised GAWB Action Plan 2025-2030.

The new donor database, soon part of the GAWB Observatory, will make cooperation more transparent, prevent overlaps, and help match funding with real needs on the ground. Our annual GAWB implementation reports further provide data-based guidance for policy and investment focus. Through the Regional Working Group, we’re also connecting ministries, experts, and partners to strengthen know-how and tap into EU mechanisms. Still, targeted bilateral capacity-building remains essential to sustain this momentum.

Looking beyond the Ministerial, how can regional organisations like the RCC and programmes such as EUKI help sustain momentum? What would you define as success in the next 1-2 years – both for regional collaboration and for national implementation in the Western Balkans?

Looking ahead, the key will be to keep the regional momentum ongoing and ensure that the progress made so far translates into tangible, lasting results. The priority should be to turn regional frameworks into concrete strategies and practical tools that help WB6 deliver on their Green Agenda commitments. By 2026, we aim to see the WB6 Climate Adaptation Strategy and the Regional Biodiversity Strategic Plan fully developed, and both designed to strengthen resilience and protect ecosystems across the region. Our focus will also remain on advancing circular economy and depollution measures.

“Success means seeing these regional efforts reflected in domestic policies, stronger institutions, better coordination, and visible impact on the ground.”

Success means seeing these regional efforts reflected in domestic policies, stronger institutions, better coordination, and visible impact on the ground. RCC, as well as EUKI as well as other partners can play an important role in supporting implementation through targeted projects, knowledge sharing, and capacity development, helping bridge the gap between policy and practice.