The President of the Economic Chamber, Branko Azeski, will speak today, 12 March 2026, at a conference organized by the EU Delegation in Skopje, together with social partners and civil society organizations from the country. At the panel titled “Participation of Organized Civil Society in Accession Negotiations with the EU and the Implementation of the Reform Agenda,” Azeski will participate in his capacity as an alternate member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). He will address the commitment and position of the business community that the European Union remains the country’s main trading partner, as well as the importance and role of EU integration, which is above all an economic and developmental necessity. Advocating this position, President Azeski personally launched an initiative last year within the Chamber to establish the Business Club Europe, with the vision of enabling the business community to become a key partner in the economic dimension of EU accession and a leading platform for all economic topics related to European Union integration. This platform would also include participation from the academic community, relevant stakeholders in the EU integration process, and diplomatic representatives from EU countries.

For the business community, it is essential to ensure a clear, structured, and coherent dialogue throughout the entire accession process, so that by its conclusion companies will be fully prepared to face the market forces of the EU single market, maintain their competitiveness in that open market, and contribute to EU supply chains. According to Azeski, this can only be achieved through the full involvement of the business sector throughout the entire process.

On the path toward EU integration, particular importance is also attached to:

-        The Reform Agenda, which the business sector views as a key instrument. However, the level of implementation remains modest—only 4.41%, or 6 completed reform steps. Last year, state authorities additionally delivered 27 more steps out of the planned 41, which is still far from fulfilling the 136 steps envisaged overall.

-        Development of high-quality projects for financing, which would bring direct benefits to companies. However, this will be possible only if the capacity for preparing project applications is strengthened, ensuring full utilization of the available funds, both through the Growth Plan and more broadly through IPA funds.

In these processes, the Economic Chamber expresses its readiness to act as a leader and active driver of the EU integration path for the Macedonian business sector, providing a platform for cooperation, partnership, and shared progress.