Another Step Towards EU Integration

TIRANA, Dec. 16 – Head of the European Union Delegation in Tirana, Ambassador Helmuth Lohan, on Wednesday handed over to Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha the questionnaire necessary to prepare an assessment of the country’s readiness to fulfill European Union membership obligations.
The responses provided by the Albanian authorities will serve as a basis for the Commission to prepare an Opinion on the application for EU membership presented by Albania in April 2009.
The European Commission will need 12 months to evaluate the answers.
“Today’s handing over of the questionnaire marks an important milestone on Albania’s European path. Replying to the questionnaire is a demanding task which requires strong commitment from the entire public administration,” Lohan said on behalf of Commissioner Rehn.
“EU calls on all the political parties in Albania to pursue a constructive political dialogue while being included in the Parliament. I noted the call of the Prime Minister to open this dialogue,” said Lohan.
The questionnaire consists of 2,280 questions on 384 pages.
The questions relate to all segments of the European legal framework and the Copenhagen criteria for EU membership. The questionnaire attaches particular importance to the political criteria. Good governance, the rule of law, judiciary reform, the fight against corruption, media freedom – these are all key issues which will form the core of our assessment.
The European Commission’s Opinion on the country’s readiness to become candidate country will be presented to the EU Council of Ministers who will make a decision.
Berisha said the government would work with great devotion, an all-embracing framework of the political spectrum, civil society and the groups of interest so that to provide the European Commission with true responses.
Berisha considered an historical moment the presentation of the questioner for the country and expressed the commitment of about 800 employees of the Albanian administration who will work with great intensity for the study and completion of the questioner while the Inter-ministerial Integration Committee will examine the progress of the process every week.
He also said that the government remains very open to listen to voice of the opposition and its experts about all the major issues that the Questionnaire carries.
PM Berisha took the opportunity to invite the chairman of the Socialist Party to greet together in a news conference this historic moment for all the Albanians like an expression of the common willingness of the political forces to make a contribution in the process of the EU integration of the country.
Berisha handed over the questionnaire to Integration Minister Majlinda Bregu.
“I would like to hand over the questioner in front of you to the Integration Minister Majlinda Bregu while having great trust and with devotion we shall fulfill our major obligations in front of the Albanian citizens, our European partners and the European Commission while having the full assurances that the Prime Minister will extend all support to this process which is the most important, the prime process of all the reforms that we have undertaken”, said Berisha.
“Today’s handing over of the questionnaire marks an important milestone in Albania’s European path,” said Lohan. “This is an indicator of the seriousness of the European commission necessary to prepare an assessment of the country’s readiness to fulfill EU membership obligations and especially Copenhagen criteria.”
Lohan said that the questionnaire attached particular importance to the political criteria, functioning of democracy and the democratic institutions, the rule of law and the respect of the minority rights- “these are all key issues which will form the core of our assessment.”
“The further progress toward the EU needs undertake of further and difficult reforms. The hard reforms should be based on the greatest possible consensus. Hence, I reiterate that the Parliament is the place of the political debate,” he said.
Albania is in a political crisis following the June parliamentary election. The Socialist opposition has boycotted the parliament accusing Berisha’s Democrats of deforming the electoral counting process and asking for a recount. They have been in a series of protests which they say will continue until the government agrees to open a number of ballot boxes or leave the post.