On Thursday 8 September, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and Enlargement Negotiations Commissioner Johannes Hahn urged Albania to implement the reforms of the judicial system endorsed in July (see EUROPE 11599).
At a press conference after the EU-Albania Stabilisation and Association Council meeting, Mogherini said she thought that all political parties have their role to play in ensuring rapid implementation of legislation. Describing adoption of the reform as an "important stage" for Albania’s move in the direction of Europe, the High Representative said that implementation would also require the launch of a verification process for judges and prosecutors. The Enlargement Negotiations Commissioner also stressed the importance of implementing the reform, hoping that the positive spirit witnessed in July when the reforms were adopted would apply for implementation. Hahn warned that legislation must not only exist on paper, but also in practice.
Albania’s prime minister Edi Rama was confident about the upcoming opening of accession talks for his country. Albania applied to join the EU in June 2014 (see EUROPE 11107). He said that key reforms would continue to be implemented, mainly reform of the justice system, which would provide a solid basis for opening negotiations. He repeated a number of times that the adopted reforms were a solid basis for obtaining the European Commission’s recommendation to open accession talks, and was clear that it was crucial for Albania to have a positive recommendation.
Adoption and implementation of the reforms of the judicial system are not the only conditions to be met for the accession talks to begin. In March, Mogherini said that adoption of the reforms would allow opening of the talks (see EUROPE 11505), but Hahn said that the recommendation to open accession negotiations was related to five key priorities which, in addition to reform of the judicial system, cover reform of public administration, the fight against organised crime and corruption, protection of human rights anti-discrimination policies and implementation of property rights.
Although, in the Association and Stabilisation Council press release, the EU welcomed measures taken in Albania to tackle corruption and organised crime, it says the situation is complicated in terms of reform of the civil service and human rights. In a report, Transparency International announced on Thursday 8 September that Albania was vulnerable to corruption due to political interference and the lack of independence of the major surveillance institutions, but Mogherini recognised that Albania needed to resolve the problems of corruption and organised crime, highlighting the country’s leaders’ strong determination to deal with these important issues. She said work was already under way. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)