Brussels, 04/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 4 June, the European Commission confirmed its recommendation that Albania be granted EU accession candidate status. “The Commission confirms its recommendation that the Council should grant Albania candidate status”, the Commission stated in its progress report on Albania's fight against corruption and organised crime, and on Albania's judicial reform - a report which was adopted on 4 June. Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle stated that this confirmation is made “beyond any doubt, with no conditionality or reservations”. “I am encouraged by the commitment demonstrated by Albania and by its past and on-going reform efforts. I see a solid argument for a positive decision by the member states”, Füle said in a press release, before travelling to Tirana for the third high-level dialogue.
The Commission report, requested by member states in December (see EUROPE 10987), will serve as a basis for deciding whether or not to grant Albania candidate status at the General Affairs Council on 23 June and at the European Council on 27 June. Some countries still seem wary of granting Albania this status.
In its report, the Commission underlines that Albania has continued to implement and consolidate its EU-related reform measures, particularly those relating to candidate status. There is “continued political will to act decisively in the prevention and fight against corruption and (…) structural reforms testify to an all-encompassing approach including a wide range of institutions”, the Commission says. The Commission also underlined that important legislative reforms have been introduced in the fight against organised crime and that investigations had yielded positive results in the fight against drug trafficking and in other areas of serious organised crime. Albania has demonstrated its “commitment to judicial reform”, the Commission added.
The Commission called on Tirana to continue it systematic reform approach, adding that there were a number of crucial EU integration challenges on which Albania needed to make progress. The Commission listed the progress needed in the fight against corruption and organised crime, and judicial reform. In addition, it stated in its report that it is essential for Albania's reform process to be accompanied by a reinvigorated and consolidated political dialogue between government and opposition. (CG)