EU candidate status for Albania
25 Jun 2014 11:35 AM
Ministers from the EU
Member States have agreed – based on the recommendation by the European
Commission to grant EU candidate status to Albania, subject to endorsement by
EU heads of states at the forthcoming European Council on Friday in Brussels.
For Albania, the decision should
translate into a strengthened endorsement of its reform agenda: Albania still
needs to meet key priorities, with particular focus on administration and
judiciary reform, fight against corruption and organised crime and fundamental
rights, as highlighted in the Council Conclusions of December 2013 Moreover, a
constructive and sustainable political dialogue will remain essential to
consolidate and continue reforms.
Candidate status does not mean
that the EU will automatically start accession negotiations with Albania, which
is a subsequent, separate step in the EU integration process, for which
additional progress, in the key priorities, is required.
EU-Albania relations -
timeline
Along with other Western Balkan
countries, Albania was recognised as a potential country for EU membership in
2003. A Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) entered into force on 1
April 2009. In the same month, Albania submitted its application for EU
membership. The Commission recommended that Albania be granted EU candidate
status in October 2013. The Commission reconfirmed its recommendation in its
June 2014 report to the Council.
What does candidate status mean
in practice?
Being recognised as an EU
candidate country has a number of implications for Albania. It is an important
political signal for Albania and its citizens, showing that the country is
moving to the next phase of the European integration process. From an economic
perspective, candidate status will encourage foreign investments and, as a
result, lead to job creation.
The candidate status raises the
relationship between Albania and the EU to a higher level: Albania will now
receive invitations to Council meetings open to candidate countries. Its access
and cooperation with EU agencies will be easier – for example its
participation in the Fundamental Rights Agency as an observer. Joint Committees
between Albania and the Committee of Regions as well as the Economic and Social
Committee might also be set up. As a candidate country, Albania will continue
to profit from EU funds under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA)
in order to carry out comprehensive reforms and strategic investments, and will
benefit from the participation in EU programmes.
The way forward
The European Commission will
continue to work closely together with Albania to support its reforms and
prepare it for the next step in the integration process, namely the opening of
accession negotiations. The opening of negotiations depends on further concrete
and sustainable reforms in Albania; agreement from all EU Member States is also
required.