On Wednesday 4 October, the European Commission called on Albania to continue to encourage its people to stop making asylum requests to the EU – the vast majority of which are rejected.
At the eighth meeting of the Stabilisation and Association Committee between Albania and the EU, "the Commission acknowledged the commitment of the Albanian authorities in tackling the phenomenon of unfounded asylum applications to EU member states and urged them to pursue the steady continuation of efforts to address the issue", the Commission says in a press release. Between 2,500 and 3,000 Albanians request asylum in the EU every month and only 2 to 3% of these applications are accepted.
At the meeting, the Commission also hailed Albania's positive progress in many areas such as trade, while underlining "the need to see tangible results, notably on justice reform and the vetting of judges and prosecutors". The Commission also called for continuing progress in all key priorities, including the fight against corruption and organised crime, "cannabis cultivation and trafficking", public administration reform and fundamental rights.
The Commission recalled that regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations are an essential part of Albania's progress on the path towards European integration. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)