By Clive Rumbold*
The granting of candidate status is a hugely important achievement for the Albanian people’s future. Above all it is a well-deserved recognition of the hard reform work delivered by Albania and the progress the country has achieved on its EU path. I want to warmly congratulate both government and opposition for this work, as well as the state institutions and civil society for their vital contribution.
It takes years of work by all a country’s actors to reach this stage. And of course, none of this would have been possible without the huge public support for your EU future that Albania enjoys.
I believe that recognition as an EU candidate country is a strong encouragement to pursue the reform process with determination. Albania has a clear agenda for the period ahead: the five key priorities which need to be addressed for the European Commission to be able to recommend further steps towards the EU.
Building on the progress achieved and on the sound basis of the government’s Road Map, Albania will now need to redouble its efforts to push forward reform, with particular focus on judicial and public administration reform, fighting corruption and organised crime, as well as protecting fundamental rights. The EU’s Member States in the Council highlighted this in their Conclusions of December last year and again last week.
Being one step closer to the European Union is an immense responsibility. Candidate status brings EU aspirants under the spotlight. Albania will need to continue to consolidate its systemic approach to reforms and address existing shortcomings to tackle the remaining EU-related challenges. Albania’s recent very welcome steps on fighting drugs, to take just one example, will have to continue with decisiveness and vigour.
The EU’s values are strong and the standards that flow from them are high and not easy to reach. But working to achieve them will not only take you further on the road to the EU. It will also bring concrete benefits to your citizens’ lives as you improve and better implement your laws, strengthen your public institutions and upgrade your investment climate.
Meeting these challenges will be a demanding task requiring determination, political courage, vision and responsibility – on all sides.
I believe the granting of candidate status underlines the EU’s continued and credible commitment to support Albania in its efforts towards this goal. As Commissioner F
