Brussels checking Albania’s aid management

TIRANA, Jan. 19 – A delegation of the European Union is holding a visit to the country to check how Albania makes the decentralized management of the aid the bloc gives.
Heads of the EU departments of enlargement, employment, agriculture, local issues and the preparation of the Albanian administration for the decentralized management met regarding European assistance.
Albania applied in late April last year for candidate status after the Stabilization and Association Agreement was ratified by all EU member countries.
In November the bloc decided to continue the process with the tiny Balkan country with a questionnaire which was handed over in December.
Now Albania must answer all 2,200 questions within six months. The government has pledged to do so earlier than requested.
Following that, the EU will check the answers and if pleased will then ask all the member states to give their approval for candidate status, which will normally bring more aid to the country.
As a potential candidate country, Albania benefits from the first two Components of IPA, including Component I for Transition Assistance and Institution Building and Component II for Cross-Border Cooperation. The indicative allocations to Albania under the Multi-annual Indicative Financial Framework (MIFF) for 2008-2010 amount to EUR 245.1 million. Assistance will be in line with the recommendations of the 2007 Enlargement Strategy and Progress Report, the European Partnership priorities and will address the requirements under the SAA.