Collection of Policy Briefs on the Green Agenda in the Western Balkans

This deliverable ‘Overview of the Collection of Policy Briefs on Green Deal across all Policy Areas’ includes the products of Task 4.2 of the POLICY ANSWERS project which addresses alignment of priorities related to climate change and environmental challenges in a holistic perspective across different policy areas. This task promotes a whole-of-government approach, strengthening coordination and focusing the dialogue across different policy areas and across the region. This cross-cutting thematic task produces several outputs, policy briefs and reports, summarising pertinent issues across the region, and provides recommendations.This deliverable presents the recommendations for creating an effective WB Roadmap and Regional Action plan in line with the wider EU targets for climate action and environmental protection with sustainable economy and new job creation.In the first two-and-a-half years of its implementation, the POLICY ANSWERS consortium developed, together with external experts, a Policy Report and a Policy Brief. Policy Report on the Green Transition in the Western Balkans The Policy Report presents a comprehensive overview on the green transition in the Western Balkans (WB), addressing various dimensions including infrastructure, skills, governance models, strategic frameworks, and legal and regulatory frameworks.The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans (GAWB), which is at the heart of regional policies towards the green transition, is a shared commitment between the region and the European Union (EU), aligned with the ambitions of the European Green Deal. It is structured along five pillars: 1) Decarbonisation, 2) Circular Economy, 3) Depollution, 4) Sustainable Agriculture, and 5) Protection of Biodiversity and Ecosystems.This Policy Report is based on extensive research, including individual interviews conducted for each WB economy and outcomes from the Policy Dialogue Conference in Sarajevo (2023). By systematically exploring contributions from different sectors and fostering coordination, this document provides valuable recommendations for decision-makers in the region, based on identified challenges, barriers, and good practices for implementing the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans (GAWB).The report has been prepared by the POLICY ANSWERS consortium in WP4, led by Sanja Damjanovic (GSI), and Djordje Djatkov as regional expert and main author with the support of several external experts from the region providing inputs through interviews, in email exchanges and by contributing to conference results. POLICY ANSWERS Policy Brief. Green Transition in the Western Balkans The Policy Brief presents an Executive Summary of the Policy Report described above. It was prepared by the POLICY ANSWERS consortium to present it at the Ministerial Meeting of the Steering Platforms on 30 September-1 October 2024 in Skopje. Both documents are available on the Western Balkans Info Hub and were extensively disseminated:https://www.westernbalkans-infohub.eu/documents/policy-answers-policy-report-and-briefgreen-transition-in-the-western-balkans/ The deliverable has been developed in the frame of the Horizon Europe project "R&I policy making, implementation and support in the Western Balkans", Grant Agreement N° 101058873.