European Commission recommends status for Albania
16/10/2013

The European Commission stated that Albania fulfilled the Candidate Status conditions, but to convince the hesitating member countries that will vote in December, our country must keep up with the fight against organized crime and corruption.

“The European Union concluded that Albania marked good progress with the European Integration, especially the essential measures connected with the candidate status, and by continuing reforms defined as key priorities in the Opinion of the Commission of 2010. Albania took the first steps for improving the efficiency of investigations and prosecution in fight against organized crime and corruption. The Parliamentary Elections of 2013 were generally calm and in good order. Based on this, the European Commission recommends that Albania should receive the candidate status, in the sense that Albania is continuing to take actions in the fight against organized crime and corruption”, declared the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Stefan Fule.

According to the Commission, for Albania to open the accession talks, which are the next step, first it must fulfill the four remaining conditions of the Opinion 2010.

“Albania must continue with the public administration reform; must undertake further actions for reinforcing independence, efficiency and responsibilities of the judiciary institutions; must make more decisive steps in the fight against organized crime and corruption, including the establishing of strong evidence tracking and proactive investigations, criminal prosecution and convictions. Albania must take efficient measures to strengthen the human rights protection, including policies for the Roma community, together with anti-discrimination policies and the implementation of property rights laws”, Fule declared.

The Commissioner declared that Albania’s positive commitment in the region is essential for the European future of the country, and that a constructive and stable dialogue between the government and the opposition is vital for the European integration reforms.

As for the Copenhagen Economic criteria, the Commission assessed that Albania was able to keep the macro-economic stability, but the domestic economy remains delicate and vulnerable to internal structural weaknesses and to the global economic destabilization.

Concerns remain about the high budget deficit, bad loans of the banking system, public debt and its short-term provisions, The progress report says that the fiscal prediction should be guaranteed from lowering the current overestimation of revenues, and by collecting taxes with more efficiency.

As for the adaptation to European laws, Albania has reached progress in the areas of public procurement, statistics, justice, customs, freedom and security. But there is limited progress in the areas of copyright protection, taxes, energy, environment and climatic changes. The progress report demands stable efforts in strengthening the administrative capacities and in implementing the legislations for improving transparency and accountability.