‚Latent’ Interest Groups Involvement in Coping with the Challenges of EU Accession: The Case of Albania
‚Latent’ Interest Groups Involvement in Coping with the Challenges of EU Accession: The Case of Albania

Author(s): Dorian Jano, Besjana Kuci, Elira Hroni
Subject(s): Civil Society, Governance, EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment
Published by: IDM – Instituti për Demokraci dhe Ndërmjetësim
Keywords: EU Accession Process; Latent Interest Groups (LIG)
Summary/Abstract: While powerful private interest groups such as banks and other financial institutions, industrial groups, media etc. dispose all the necessary resources and leverage for their involvement and representation in strategic reforms and EU accession process, a number of ‘ne-glected’ yet extremely important interest groups are facing great challenges with regard to EU accession. In Albania latent interest representation and involvement in policy and reform processes remains weak. Furthermore, there is a literature gap in understanding their specific challenges, capacity-needs and potential to generate added-value to the EU integra-tion process by such latent interest groups (LIG) This research offers a modest contribution to address such gap and to bring sensitivity among key stakeholders on the missing role of non-state interest groups under the EU accession process. The analysis relies on comprehensive literature review and field research with members of various LIG in Albania in order to gather qualitative and quantitative data. Based on gathered evidence the paper suggests a set of concrete recommendations to strengthen the involvement of Albanian latent interest groups in the EU accession process.

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