TIRANA, April 14 – The European Parliament says key political and administrative reforms needed in Albania are progressing, but have yet to reach a stage at which EU accession negotiations could start.
In a resolution on Albania approved this week, the European Parliament makes it clear Albania has to intensify reforms in the five identified key priority areas if it wants to launch EU accession talks.
The resolution on Albania says that if the Balkan country wants to start EU accession negotiations, it must intensify reforms in key priority areas, such as rule of law, judicial reforms, the fight against corruption and organised crime, public administration reform and fundamental rights.
MEP and rapporteur Knut Fleckenstein stressed the importance of the judiciary reform and the momentum political leaders must keep up.
“Albania is on the right track towards EU membership. The country is currently preparing a very ambitious judiciary reform which will answer the most important concerns expressed by citizens and which will help to fight corruption in everyday life,” said rapporteur Knut Fleckenstein.
“Albania’s citizens want to get ready for EU membership. Now, their political leaders must keep up the momentum and continue implementing the reforms,” he added.
MEPs said they remain concerned about widespread corruption in education, healthcare, the judiciary and several other fields . “Widespread self-censorship among journalists, who are sometimes physically obstructed from covering specific events, assaulted, or threatened because of their work” is also a cause for concern,” they added.
Albania became an official candidate member for the accession to the European Union in 2014, eight years after it signed its Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU. The implementation of further reforms, particularly the judicial reform, are seen as crucial to Albania’s aspirations to join the EU. Several high EU officials have stressed the fact that without a judicial reform, there will be no accession talks.
