Stabilization and Association Committee: EU to set date for first Conference with Albania

“Recognizes the transformative nature of the accession negotiations that will take place according to the revised enlargement methodology; “emphasizes the need for a close and effective partnership in the emergency response between the EU and Albania, commending the EU’s health and socio-economic support for Albania,” the document reads.

DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS

The Parliamentary Commission of the EU-Albania Stabilization and Association (SAC) held its 14th meeting on 23-24 February 2022 in Tirana, under the co-chairmanship of Mr. Taulant Balla for the delegation of the Albanian Parliament and Mr. Manolis Kefalogiannis for the delegation of the European Parliament.

Opinions were exchanged with:
– HE Luigi SORECA, Head of the EU Delegation to Albania, on behalf of the European Commission and the European External Action Service, on behalf of the European Commission, and
– Sh.S. Mrs. Olta XHAÇKA, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Government of Albania.
Members of the Stabilization and Association Parliamentary Committee addressed the following issues:

• The state of relations between the EU and Albania;
• Progress on the rule of law, including justice reform and the fight against organized crime, trafficking and corruption;
• Fundamental rights, including minority rights and media freedoms;
• Political dialogue and electoral reform;
• Health, including the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Energy, the transition to a green economy and environmental issues
• Regional cooperation.

The Stabilization and Association Parliamentary Committee, in accordance with Rule 3 of its Rules of Procedure and Article 122 of the EU-Albania Stabilization and Association Agreement, addresses the following recommendations to the Stabilization and Association Council and the institutions of Albania and the EU. Union:

1. Underlines the importance of advancing a credible EU membership perspective as a key factor in maintaining public support and commitment to the continued implementation of comprehensive and transformational reforms; Recalls the support that the European Parliament has given to Albania’s European path, among others in the last resolution of March 25, 2021, in which it expresses its support for the convening of the first Intergovernmental Conference without further delays; Recalls the European Commission report of 19 October 2021, which reiterates that Albania has continued to meet all other conditions and has made further, substantial, sustained progress in addressing the other priorities set by the Council; Notes with concern that the Council has not yet set a date for the first Intergovernmental Conference; therefore calls on the EU Member States on the basis of merit performance to agree to adopt the negotiating framework and to set the date for the first Intergovernmental Conference and, in accordance with the Council Decision of 25 March 2020, adopted by the Council European Union, to open membership negotiations with Albania;

2. Emphasizes that European integration represents the aspirations of generations of Albanian citizens towards democracy and prosperity and that the prospect of merit-based EU membership contributes to the political stability, security and economic growth of the Union itself; Reaffirms the importance of European values ​​and reforms in the fight against foreign direct and approximate foreign interference and misinformation that tend to destabilize the region; Welcomes the high level of support for EU integration among Albanian citizens, as well as among political parties; Welcomes Albania’s continued active participation in the Common Security and Defense Policy missions and operations and appreciates Albania’s full alignment with the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy;

3. Recognizes the transformative nature of the accession negotiations that will take place according to the revised enlargement methodology; Stresses the need for a close and effective partnership in the EU-Albania emergency response, commending the EU’s health and socio-economic support for Albania;
4. Welcomes the progress of justice reform in Albania, which represents a key step towards a free and independent judiciary and a solid basis for the fight against corruption and organized crime; welcomes the commencement of the functions of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and the Specialized Structure for Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK), as well as the tangible results of the temporary re-evaluation of all judges and prosecutors (vetting process); evaluates the full work done by the vetting institutions and the cooperation with the International Monitoring Operation (IMO) and the Public Commissioner; Welcomes the extension of the mandate of the Independent Qualification Commission (IQC), which is essential for the consistency and integrity of the process, as confirmed by the Venice Commission’s opinion on the matter; encourages Albania to support and further intensify efforts to restore the integrity of the judiciary, strengthen the rule of law and fight corruption and organized crime; stresses the need to combat drug production and trafficking; Raises concerns about the high-level corruption highlighted in the IT report and encourages justice to fight corruption wherever it occurs regardless of the political, institutional or social status of persons involved in corrupt acts.

5. Welcomes the progress that Albania has made in protecting human rights and fundamental rights; encourages further efforts to protect fundamental rights, including the rights of minorities, in accordance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; Welcomes the adoption of secondary legislation related to the 2017 Framework Law on the Protection of National Minorities and urges Albania to promptly adopt and implement the remaining bylaws, in particular the self-identification and use of minority languages, in line with European standards and involvement of all stakeholders; and commends Albania for its important role in accepting Afghan refugees, rescuing them from oppression and threatening their lives;
6. Welcomes Albania’s commitment to regional cooperation, considers that Albania has continued the dialogue to ensure good neighborly relations and underlines the importance of including regional initiatives; Reiterates that good neighborly relations and regional stability are essential elements of the Stabilization and Association process and enlargement; Takes positive note of the ongoing efforts to implement a comprehensive land sector reform and consolidate property rights and calls on the authorities to continue to pursue such efforts, in a transparent manner by consulting with all relevant actors, including addressing cases of document forgery and rapidly advancing the registration and compensation process;
7. Recognizes the essential contribution of civil society and the media in the continuous development of democracy in Albania; recognizes the constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression and media freedoms; expresses its concern, however, and urges Albania to continue and intensify its efforts to guarantee media freedom; encourages further progress in the exercise of freedom of expression, media independence and pluralism, in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission; calls for increased transparency of media ownership, funding and public advertising;
8. Encourages constructive political dialogue and sustained cross-party cooperation between political parties in Albania in all policy areas, in particular directed at working on electoral reform in line with OSCE / ODIHR recommendations and addressing electoral shortcomings by preventing the misuse of resources. administrative and financial, pressure on civil servants, vote-buying practices, sensitive personal data flow of 900,000 Albanian citizens that made voters vulnerable to pressure to improve accessibility and integrity of elections, including digitalisation, protection of data, equal access to the media and the revised Rules for the financing of political parties, in line with European best practices and the recommendations of the Venice Commission; welcomes continued progress on gender equality and appreciates the increased participation of women in national politics;
9. Emphasizes that the EU is the largest provider of financial assistance to Albania; Recalls the EU support for the sustainable recovery of Albania after the earthquake at the International Donors Conference “Together for Albania” on February 17, 2020, when the EU and international donors promised 1.15 billion euros for reconstruction after the earthquake of November 26, 2019 in Albania; promises continued EU support for Albania in this regard and 1.35 billion euros in EU pre-accession funds for the period 2007-2020, including 115 million euros in EU grants for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Albania after the earthquake of 2019; underlines the EU support for the recovery of Albania after the pandemic, as well as the support of 180 million Euros in the Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) disbursed for Albania; underlines the importance of strengthening inter-institutional cooperation in responding to the pandemic to enable rapid and effective measures during this crisis and in sharing the latest solutions for inter-institutional cooperation between the Western Balkans and the EU;

10. Welcomes the implementation of the Commission’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans and underlines that investments should contribute to the objectives of the Paris Agreement and to the EU objectives for decarbonisation; urges the Albanian authorities to try to implement the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, which reflects the priorities of the European Green Agreement and the Brdo Declaration, which was adopted at the EU-Western Balkans summit in Brdo pri Kranju on 6 October 2021; Stresses the importance of biodiversity, water, air and climate measures and regional waste management.

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