The Plenary Session of the Enlargement Day on 1 June was chaired by Mr. Karl-Heinz Lambertz, First Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions. The Meeting was addressed by Mr. David Mc-Callister, Member of the European Parliament, and also by Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Mr. Johannes Hahn (by video-message). For the First Panel Debate on Enlargement: Dynamics and Stabilisation speakers were Mr. Allan Jones, Head of Unit “Strategy, Policy” from the DG NEAR, Ms Corina Stratulat, Senior Policy Analyst from the European Policy Centre and Mr. NaimIsmajli, Mayor of Štime Municipality from Kosovo and Metohija. During the Second Panel Debate on Connectivity speakers were Mr. Morten Jung, Senior Adviser from the Western Balkans Directorate of the DGNEAR, Mr. Dirk Buschle, Deputy Director of the Energy Community Secretariat, Mr. Adam Szolyak, Policy Oficer with DG Energy of the European Commission and Mr. Fuad Kasumović, Mayor of Zenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The main message from this meeting was that the European path of the Western Balkans has no alternative and that the process of the already initiated reforms in the region should be carried out to the end, where full contribution should be givenat and by all levels of government, including the citizens themselves. It was reiterated that on the path toward the European integration the region should cooperate more intensively, and that this process is not a substitute for the process of European integration, but should be its part. The need for a better and more dedicated EU approach to the region was confirmed once more, and especiallyhaving in mind that this is the EU’s firstNeighbourhood,thus looking for sustainable solutions for some of current problems the EU is facing, such ascrisis with migrants and security issues, are indispensable without the Western Balkans.