Albania to gain EU accession by 2014-15

TIRANA, Nov 20 – European Union officials have recently accepted Albania’s formal application for membership and soon the European Commission will submit an opinion on Albania’s bid.
Albania’s’ path towards EU membership is progressing well and soon will turn into reality by 2014-15, according to New Europe site.
The chances of Albania becoming an EU member are relatively good due to the country’s continued reform process and continued investment in infrastructure and the welfare of its people, the Greek AENews reported.
Between 2002 and 2006 Albania successfully brought one quarter of its poorest people out of poverty. This led to its classification being upped to a middle income country, which meant it could then apply for loans from international financial institutions as oppose to relying on hand-outs from the likes of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Since then Albania has applied for and received several multi-million Euro loans from global banks and governments; including a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to refurbish, renovate and expand (with a new terminal) the country’s largest port at Duress, and another from multiple sources to upgrade road links between the port and land-locked Kosovo into a super highway.
After completing and starting the Stabilization and Association Agreement earlier this year, Albania applied for candidate status in late April and in mid-November the EU’s Council of Ministers agreed to prepare the set of questions to soon hand over to the tiny Balkan country.
That means that Albania has to respond at length to all of them, a process that has normally taken up to 18 months in previous cases.
Following that there is a long walk to complete or fulfill all the required standards set by the European Union.
That is a very optimistic idea as the EU has really set no timing for the membership. It also comes at a time when there are many opposing views inside the EU against further enlargement.
That is very promising to Albanians, still considered to be the poorest compared to the EU member countries or those who may soon become its members.
For the moment common Albanians would likely want to have the visa-free regime to be able to go around Europe like every one else. That does not mean they are free to stay and work in those countries but still it opens that road too.