Regional Director of Represent Communications agency, Jelena Mikić, addressed the members of the European Parliament and presented what it means to do business in the Balkans peninsula, a space that has many common points, but is divided across several levels, including the borders between the EU and its candidates.
“The strength of the region lies in integration, because this ‘individuality’ can cost us a lot. And I do not mean it only in the context of operating costs, I’m talking about the price we will pay if we are unable to grow. Instead of a Serbian company, we need to become a Balkans company, or European company, or wider.
“We in the Represent Communications system are planning to expand. Any solution that saves costs, reduces or eliminates barriers or opens up new opportunities, is precious to us,” said Jelena Mikić in Brussels
In February 2018, the European Commission presented a new Strategy for a more credible perspective of enlargement and stronger engagement of the European Union in the region. The strategy puts an emphasis on an open European perspective in the region, which can be achieved by 2025, if the process of reform and harmonization of regulations and policies is continued, as well as solving open issues with neighbors. In this sense, the Euro commerce chambers and the investment forum of the West Balkan six have published a common statement of the European economy about the new Strategy and the EU enlargement to the Western Balkans in general. In this joint statement, the chambers express their support for the enlargement process, pointing to mutually beneficial economic effects of enlargement. They particularly emphasize the importance of the credibility of the enlargement process for the business environment and the significance of the perspective for EU entry in 2025.
