The main Albanian political players are still at an impasse on the election of a new president. [Reuters]

Albania curbs immunity to impress EU ahead of report

TIRANA (Reuters) – Albania’s main parties agreed to curb the immunity from prosecution of lawmakers and judges on Tuesday to convince the European Union that Tirana means business in fighting corruption.
The bill was passed in a bipartisan vote as Tirana races to ensure its reforms feature in an EU report on its eligibility for candidate status due in mid-October.
After rejecting Albania’s application twice in two years, the EU said it expected the Balkan state to address problems in a dozen areas, including fighting corruption.
The EU’s economic crisis has not deterred impoverished Albania from pursuing its goal of joining the 27-member bloc, the biggest donor to the former communist country.
“The adoption of this law is an important step in strengthening Albania’s legal framework for fighting corruption,” said the EU’s Albania delegation head, Ettore Sequi.
“By continuing to work together, Albania’s political leaders can ensure that the country achieves the critical mass of results necessary to achieve candidate status,” Sequi added.
In Brussels, the EU’s Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule said Albania could make progress on its European path provided it “delivers a critical mass of concrete results in addressing the 12 key priorities from the Commission’s Opinion”.
The government and the opposition need to cooperate to adopt a law on the High Court and complete the parliamentary reform.
A belligerent political culture and a row over the 2009 elections have caused Albania to lag behind its Balkan neighbours in its efforts to join the European Union.
“Albania needs to intensify its efforts to build up an independent and efficient judiciary and to establish a solid track record in the fight against corruption and organised crime,” Fule said.
(Reporting By Benet Koleka, Editing by Rosalind Russell)