The chair of this working group is Dr. Veronika Efremova
She is a highly distinguished expert in the fields of governance, rule of law, judicial reform, and gender equality, with extensive professional and academic experience across South East Europe. She holds multiple internationally recognized certifications, including ECQA Certified EU Project Manager, Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Certified Professional Manager, and MEIRC Certified Professional Manager. Her professional portfolio reflects in-depth expertise in human resource management, financial leadership, innovation systems, and knowledge management.
As a Certified EU Funding Manager, she possesses substantial experience in external fundraising and proposal development for major EU funding mechanisms, including Horizon Europe, IPA, and Erasmus+, and has successfully led and contributed to large-scale projects ranging from €3 million to €14 million. Her work has consistently focused on strategic project implementation, co-financing mechanisms, and transnational cooperation frameworks.
With over two decades of experience in EU accession and enlargement processes, she has contributed extensively to legal approximation and policy harmonization with the EU acquis, particularly in relation to Chapters 5 (Public Procurement), 8 (Competition Policy), 10 (Information Society and Media), 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights), 24 (Justice, Freedom and Security), and 28 (Consumer and Health Protection). Her expertise has been instrumental in supporting institutional reforms, legislative alignment, and strategic EU integration pathways in the Western Balkans.
She holds a Master’s degree from the Institute of Economics at the University “St. Cyril and Methodius” in Skopje, and earned her first Doctorate in Business Law from the Faculty of Law “Iustinianus Primus”, also in Skopje. Recognized as one of the leading legal scholars in the South East European region, she was awarded a prestigious doctoral research fellowship at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg, Germany. She is currently pursuing a second doctoral degree at the renowned Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
Her academic profile is available at: https://hu-berlin.academia.edu/VeronikaEfremova
Her core expertise lies in the development of evidence-based policy recommendations, strategic frameworks, and legislative drafting aligned with the EU acquis communautaire. She has led comprehensive gap analyses, facilitated training needs assessments (TNA), and designed and delivered training of trainers (ToT) programs as part of broader capacity-building and institutional strengthening initiatives. Her work extends to the creation of advocacy strategies, stakeholder engagement campaigns, and policy manuals tailored to the needs of universities, judicial institutions, line ministries, public authorities, and civil society organizations.
She has played a pivotal role in advancing regional judicial cooperation and institutional capacity in South East Europe, particularly by facilitating peer exchange and knowledge transfer on European standards in judicial education. Her contributions have fostered strong institutional networks with European and international organizations, including the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), the Academy of European Law (ERA), the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA), and the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN).
Her academic and research contributions span EU Law, Economic Policy, Business Law, and Gender Studies. She is the co-author of the first university-level textbook on “EU Law after the Lisbon Treaty” and co-developer of the first comprehensive Glossary on “EU Terminology” published in North Macedonia, both of which have served as foundational academic resources.
In addition to her technical and academic leadership, she has successfully managed complex national and regional programmes, negotiating and establishing formal collaborations with a wide array of European Union and United Nations institutions, academic networks, research centres, and universities. She has also played a coordinating role in the establishment of four major thematic networks, which continue to serve as platforms for regional cooperation and knowledge exchange.
- the South East European Law School Network (2011) (https://seelawschool.org/) comprising thirteen public Law Faculties from WB6;
- the Network of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs from South East Europe (2014) focused on strengthening capacities within EU accession process mainly on EU negotiations, EU lobbying and diplomatic correspondence skills;
- the Consumers Organizations Network South East Europe–ConWeb (2016) as the voice of over 50 million consumers from South East Europe to raise awareness of consumers and to contribute to Chapter 28;
- the Network of EU Integration Offices from South East Europe (2014) as a platform for exchange between institutions that are strongly involved in the coordination and steering of EU accession, as well as EU accession negotiation processes of the countries in the region.
The “Rule of Law, Governance and Justice” working group is focused on projects that contribute to the advancement of EU integration of accession countries, foster rule of law, democracy and human rights, facilitate governance and cross-border judicial cooperation.
Here are the key tasks and responsibilities that this working group undertake to ensure meaningful progress aligned with European values, democratic standards, and regional priorities, the 23rd Working Group will center its efforts around the following key areas:
1. Access to Justice
Promote inclusive and affordable access to justice for all, especially for marginalized and vulnerable groups, ensuring the removal of legal, economic, and institutional barriers.
2. Strengthening Rule of Law
Advance the independence, integrity, and accountability of the judiciary and public institutions. Strengthen constitutional checks and balances, and ensure consistent application of legal norms.
3. Digitalization of Justice
Support the integration of digital technologies into justice systems to improve efficiency, transparency, and accessibility. Focus areas include e-justice portals, case management systems, and AI-assisted legal tools.
4. Cross-border Judicial Cooperation
Foster regional and EU-level cooperation mechanisms, particularly in civil and criminal matters, through harmonized procedures, mutual recognition of judgments, and shared databases.
5. Equal Rights and Non-discrimination
Ensure protection and promotion of fundamental rights through comprehensive anti-discrimination frameworks and inclusive public policies, addressing systemic inequalities.
6. Anti-Corruption
Reinforce preventive and punitive measures against corruption through institutional strengthening, transparency tools, whistleblower protections, and cross-border cooperation.
7. Gender Justice
Mainstream gender equality into justice systems by promoting legal reforms, gender-sensitive judicial practices, and access to justice for women and gender-diverse individuals.
8. Judicial Training
Enhance the capacities of judges, prosecutors, and legal professionals through targeted, continuous, and interdisciplinary training in EU law, human rights, digital tools, and gender sensitivity.
9. Policy Advocacy
Engage in evidence-based advocacy for legislative and institutional reforms, align national efforts with EU accession criteria, and promote civil society participation in policy dialogue.
Projects:
1. Strengthening Democratic Governance and Public Trust
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Promote transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption mechanisms in public institutions, leveraging digital tools and civic engagement platforms.
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Foster open government practices and strengthen the role of civil society in policy-making and public oversight.
2. Enhancing the Rule of Law and Judicial Reform
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Support independent and efficient judicial systems, ensuring merit-based appointments, judicial accountability, and reduction of case backlog.
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Promote access to justice and the digitalization of judicial processes, including cross-border digital cooperation in legal matters.
3. Addressing Gender Equality in Governance and Judiciary
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Advance gender-sensitive legal and governance reforms, ensuring parity in decision-making and eliminating legal, institutional, and cultural barriers to gender equality.
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Mainstream gender perspectives into all legislative and policy processes through gender impact assessments, quotas, and capacity building.
4. Alignment with EU Acquis and Enlargement Agenda
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Monitor and support the alignment of candidate and potential candidate countries with the Copenhagen criteria, focusing on rule of law, judiciary reform, and democratic institutions.
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Facilitate peer-to-peer learning and Twinning exchanges between EU Member States and Enlargement countries on governance and judicial best practices.
5. Human Rights, Freedoms and Institutional Resilience
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Promote protection and promotion of fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, media freedom, anti-discrimination policies, and safeguards for vulnerable groups.
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Strengthen institutional resilience against political interference, hybrid threats, and external disinformation campaigns.
6. Gender & Justice in the Context of Green and Digital Transitions
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Address emerging legal and gender-related dimensions of the green and digital transformations – e.g., access to green jobs, gender bias in AI, and legal frameworks for sustainable governance.
