TIRANA, July 8 /ATA/ -“ Albania has already made progress in meeting the requirements that are a must before the first inter-governmental conference.
EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, in an interview with DW, revealed the contents of the draft- negotiating frames for Albania and North Macedonia.
The European Commission made available last week to the European Council the draft-frame of EU accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia.
Presenting the draft –negotiating frames for Albania and North Macedonia to the EU Council marks an important step in the journey of Albania and North Macedonia towards the European Union. Our proposals are based on the revised enlargement methodology, which we presented in February, to make the admission process more credible, more dynamic, more predictable, and with a stronger political orientation. I look forward to discussions with member states and holding as soon as possible of the first Inter-Governmental Conferences with the two countries. “Their future clearly lies in the European Union, and I am confident that they will continue to implement reforms on their pathway to the EU, as they have done so far, the Commissioner said.
According to Varhelyi, “every draft negotiating framework sets the directives and principles for EU accession negotiations for each candidate country and divides into three parts: the first part concerns the guiding principles, essential for EU accession talks, the second part concerns the core of EU acquis; the third is about the procedure of negotiations. The aim of negotiations is to make sure that Albania and North Macedonia will adopt the EU Acquis in its entirety, and fully enforce and strengthen implementation during the EU accession process.
“Draft negotiating frameworks are being compiled based on the experience of previous EU enlargements and ongoing accession negotiations. They integrate the revised enlargement methodology, take into account the evolution of EU Acquis, and properly reflect the merits of the countries themselves and their specific situations, “he said.
Regarding the revised enlargement methodology, Commissioner Várhelyi stated that, “the revised methodology aims to make the enlargement process more credible, with a stronger political orientation, more dynamic and predictable.
Asked if Albania is on the right track, Várhelyi said that, “in general and despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak, Albania has continued to show its commitment and achieve tangible and sustainable results in key areas, identified in the conclusions of the General Affairs Council in March 2020 ”.
“In particular, Albania has already made progress in delivering on the conditions that are a must before the first Intergovernmental Conference. The latest achievement was the inter-party agreement on electoral reform, with the participation of all political parties, inside and outside parliament. This shows commitment, it also proves that Albania is delivering results even in the most difficult of times. We are confident that Albania will continue to successfully implement the necessary reforms. No date has been set yet for the First Inter-government Conference, which should convene as soon as possible after the approval of the negotiating frame by the European Council, ” he said.
“It is rather important that Albania builds on latest achievements and pushes ahead with reforms in the rule of law, judiciary, fight against corruption and organized crime. The Commission will continue to oversee and support Albanian authorities in their endeavor.”
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