Written by Teodora Danilović, Young European Ambassador from Serbia

Attending the DG ENEST Institution Building Days in Brussels, marking 30 years of TAIEX and Twinning, offered a rare opportunity to step into a space where technical cooperation meets political vision. TAIEX and Twinning serve as bridges between the European Union, Candidate Countries, and the MENA region, presenting tangible cooperation in enhancing public administration, the green transition, fight against corruption, among many areas in which the EU is leading by example. TAIEX (Technical Assistance and Information Exchange) is an EU instrument that provides short-term, targeted expertise to help public administrations align with EU legislation and standards. Twinning, by contrast, is a long-term partnership between institutions in EU Member States and partner countries, focused on building sustainable administrative capacity through ongoing collaboration and knowledge transfer.

Young European Ambassadors from across the Western Balkans and the Eastern Neighbourhood joined the celebration, bringing together different regional perspectives that, despite their diversity, often converged on similar challenges and expectations. Early in the programme, the numbers set the tone: more than 1,100 TAIEX events and over 3,600 experts mobilised in just one year. Each of these events represents a concrete intervention: supporting legislative alignment, strengthening administrative capacity, or addressing specific institutional gaps. Across sessions, whether the focus was enlargement, cooperation with the Southern Neighbourhood, or partnerships with Africa, a consistent message emerged: institution-building is not an occasional effort, but a continuous process.

In regards to the Western Balkans, the data presented during the sessions reinforced how embedded the region already is within European cooperation structures. Countries such as Italy and Croatia consistently rank among the most active providers of expertise to the Western Balkans. On the one hand, this reflects how much significance cultural and geographical proximities hold, yet on the other, this shows how enlargement is never a one-ended process. Croatia, the newest Member State of the Union, following its transformation through the process of EU integration, is now playing a leading role in transferring its knowledge and expertise to others. This proves that in the future our region can also become a knowledge hub for others wishing to learn and expand their competencies in line with EU standards. This was further proved through the recognition of Albania and Montenegro as TAIEX Champions, acknowledging concrete reform progress rather than political commitments. Albania was recognised for advancing key judicial reforms, while Montenegro was highlighted for its strategic and consistent use of TAIEX in driving accession-related changes.

Amid these structural and policy discussions, one moment during the closing session shifted the tone of the event. Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos explicitly acknowledged the presence of Young European Ambassadors and invited us on stage. The gesture was brief, but its significance was clear. It interrupted the otherwise formal structure of the event and introduced a different dimension: recognition of the role that young people from regions like the Western Balkans and the Eastern Neighbourhood play in these processes. It also served as a reminder that institution-building is not only about systems and reforms, but about the people who engage with them, interpret them, and ultimately carry them forward.