EC Recommends Starting Negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia

TIRANA, March 2

Albania and North Macedonia, from June 2018 to today, made enough progress and delivered results to starting accession negotiations, the report issued by the European Commission on progress made by both countries confirms.

The European Commission presented on Monday the updates on the progress by highlighting that Albania and North Macedonia stepped up their work.
“The Commission stands firmly by its recommendations to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia and I hope that the Member States will take a positive decision in the coming weeks,” the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi said on Monday.

The update will hopefully convince France and other countries to lift opposition to the opening of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia.
French President Emmanuel Macron said during the annual Munich Security Conference held in mid-February: “We have to see what the Commission is going to say about the state of the expected progress,” he added and, “if the results are positive and confidence is established, we then we should be able to open negotiations.”

The report highlights that in the case of Albania, the update outlines progress in the implementation of justice reform and the vetting process of judges and prosecutors, on the track record demonstrated in the fight against corruption and organized crime, including when it comes to cannabis cultivation and hard drugs trafficking.

Report: update-on-the-republic-of-albania
Source: ec.europa.eu