Western Balkans agriculture and rural development policy in the context of EU integration : the case of Albania and North Macedonia

The agricultural sector is a cornerstone of social and economic life in the Western Balkan (WB) countries. However, it faces challenges of slow productivity growth, limited access to assets, and vulnerability to external shocks like climate change. Agricultural policies are crucial to enhance productivity, efficiency, and standards compliance in the European Union (EU) integration context. In this context, WB countries have been developing institutional frameworks while steadily increasing budgetary transfers to agriculture and rural development. The paper enables a comparative analysis of the agriculture and rural development support policy in Albania and North Macedonia with focus on main trends and reasons for potential shortcomings in relation to the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Efforts to enhance policy frameworks, institutional capacities, and agricultural productivity will be critical in achieving alignment and fulfilling the aspirations of EU accession.