Brussels, Albania submits report
04/09/2012

Albania submitted its most recent report about the accomplishment of 12 key priorities, receiving a preliminary evaluation by the European Commission.

“Since November, when a new spirit started to exist in the country, and when we see what has been implemented from the 12 key priorities, the balance is extremely good and positive. Not only the government but all parties and political actors, and the Albanian society in general, can be happy for what has been achieved so far”, declared Stefano Saninno, General Director for Enlargement at the European Council.

Despite the voting of some qualified majority laws, the appointment of the Ombudsman and the passing of the Electoral Rreform, Albania did not close the Parliamentary regulation issue and that of immunities. The latter had an important place in the debate organized by the European Policies Center in Brussels.

“There are several alternatives for a country to pass the immunity lifting law. As you know, the majority has proposed a national referendum which is a democratic instrument to continue it. I don’t see any disagreement about this. It is seen in different ways, but this doesn’t mean that the parties are not committed to fight corruption and establish harsher measures in order to have better control”, declared the Foreign Minister, Edmond Panariti.

“We don’t have enough time to start the debate for the Constitutional amends in September. The immunity lifting is a proposition that we have made since 2003. The other Constitutional amends that are related with the justice system can be discussed later”, declared the Minister of Integration, Majlinda Bregu.

“I want to highlight the role of the immunity lifting law, which is an important element for us. War against corruption is one of the areas that we think it needs more efforts, and this would be a good effort in the right direction. If we see that this law passes not in a forced way, if we can call it that, but with an agreement between all political parties, then this would be an important step ahead, followed by all other things that have been achieved and the efforts that the political forces are making in other areas”, Sanino declared.

The European Commission has already started the progress-report and they will review the recent data handed over by the Albanian government, in order to include them in the document that will be published on October 12th.