TIRANA, Nov. 12 – In its latest annual progress report on Albania’s bid to join the EU, the bloc’s executive arm notes the country has made progress but has more work to do to meet key requirements identified as conditions for opening accession talks.
The report, which measures Albania’s membership readiness, levies strong criticism on the country’s justice system and corruption in the public sector, which says it remains widespread.
The European Commission’s report notes Albania must show “tangible results” from reforms before the country can progress to the next stage in the accession process.
“More needs to be done on the rule of law, in particular on a thorough reform of the justice system, and to create a solid basis in the fight against corruption and organized crime at all levels,” said Johannes Hahn, the EU enlargement commissioner, at a press conference commenting on the report. He added the process of return and compensation for properties seized by the communist regime must also be completed.
The head of the EU delegation to Albania, Romana Vlahutin, said in a press conference that if she could encapsulate the report in one phrase it would be “steady progress.”
She added the report also defines concrete tasks Albania must finish over the next year.
“The whole package of the judicial reform … will be key to a positive opinion on the opening of negotiations in the future,” Vlahutin said. “Secondly, it is the full implementation of the civil service legislation and of course a strengthened management of public finances. Thirdly, a more systematic approach to the protection of fundamental rights, especially those related to domestic violence, to the criminal system, the protection of Roma children, and of special importance is the regulation of property rights.”
Prime Minister Edi Rama said the upcoming justice reform would be key to opening negotiations, adding the report was generally positive for Albania.
“For us it is clear, and this progress report confirms that the road to launching negotiations passes through the judicial reform, which remains today the greatest challenge not only of this the ruling majority, but of the Albanian society and of our state on the road toward accession to the European Union,” Rama said at a joint press conference with Vlahutin.
Rama had earlier set an ambitious target of receiving a positive recommendation from the EU to open negotiations this year by approving the justice reform, which has gotten caught up in a tug of war with the opposition and other actors and delayed.
Rama said this week Albania would meet all the goals and open negotiations next year instead.
Opposition Democratic Party leader, Lulzim Basha, said that the justice reform is not the only barrier keeping Albania from the EU, adding removing people with criminal ties from politics, corruption and crime were also major concerns.
“There are no negotiations without implementing the decriminalization law. There is no progress in the country’s integration if we have this type of corruption and crime,” Basha said.
The report also expressed concern that the track record of investigations, prosecutions and convictions in corruption cases remains limited.
“So far, there are only very few first instance convictions of corruption cases involving high-level state officials,” the report notes. “A number of high-profile cases, including some where evidence of alleged wrongdoing by high-level state officials, judges, mayors and former ministers was leaked to the media, have never been seriously investigated.”
The EU Commission report and EU officials have also expressed serous concerns over an increase in asylum claims filed by Albanian citizens in several European countries.
“The alarming increase of unfounded asylum applications lodged by Albanian citizens in the EU is a matter of serious concern,” the report notes. “Albanian authorities are expected to pursue their efforts to tackle the increasing number of manifestly unfounded asylum applications lodged by its citizens to EU member states and six Schengen-associated countries.”
As of last year, Albania is an EU candidate for membership, and the country hopes to open formal membership negotiations soon, but EU officials have made it clear they want to see more progress before that happens.
It could take a decade or more for Albania to become a full member at the current pace of progress, according to experts.
