Мonitoring report: Аction plans Common Regional Market (CRM) – Regional digital area and Green Agenda – Decarbonisation reference in Reform Agenda

The Institute for Democracy’s latest report offers a focused overview of North Macedonia’s progress in implementing its commitments under the Action Plan for the Common Regional Market (CRM) and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, specifically in the areas of digitalisation and decarbonisation.

Key findings from the report:

Digitalisation

• 99.48% of the population has access to fixed broadband internet, but ultra-fast broadband and 5G rollout remain underdeveloped.
  
• Although the National ICT Strategy (2023–2028) prioritises digital skills, no dedicated Action Plan for Digital Education exists.
  
• A roadmap is in place to gradually reduce roaming charges between the EU and the Western Balkans by 2027, aiming to bring them closer to domestic prices.

Decarbonisation

• Coal dependency remains a major challenge despite increased investment in solar and wind energy projects.
  
• The National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) has been adopted, but implementation of reforms is still slow and incomplete.
  
• Efforts are underway to align with EU directives on energy performance of buildings, but full harmonisation has yet to be achieved.

Read more: Monitoring Report on the Action Plans for the Common Regional Market: Digitalisation and Green Agenda – Decarbonisation