BRUSSELS, Nov. 4 /ATA/ – Albania has made progress in implementing key reforms required for EU membership but the country must maintain momentum to meet the target of wrapping up accession negotiations by the end of 2027, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said on Wednesday.
Kos was speaking at a meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, where she presented the European Union’s 2026 Enlargement Package.
The European Commission adopted its annual Enlargement Package on Wednesday, assessing progress made over the past year by candidate countries seeking EU membership and setting out reform priorities for the period ahead.
The Commission described enlargement as one of the EU’s most important policies for ensuring peace, stability and prosperity across the continent, adding that a credible, merit-based process was increasingly becoming an investment in Europe’s collective security.
This year’s package shows that sustained reform efforts can deliver tangible progress towards EU membership, as demonstrated by Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine.
All four countries have advanced in their accession negotiations, opening negotiating clusters and provisionally closing chapters at an unprecedented pace, according to the Commission.
“Albania’s delivery on EU reforms is a sign of its commitment to EU accession. Progress has been made in implementing key reforms,” Kos said.
“This year, a major milestone was reached with the fulfilment of the interim benchmarks on the fundamentals. Since then, Albania has provisionally closed four chapters and is working to meet the closing benchmarks for additional chapters,” she added
“At the same time, continued focus and progress are needed in key areas. This is important for Albania to meet its ambitious but achievable target of closing accession negotiations by the end of 2027,” Commissioner Kos said.
“At the heart of every reform effort must be the rule of law, an independent judiciary, media freedom and the protection of fundamental rights. Progress on environmental issues should also be a priority,” she added.
“This matters not only for EU membership, but also for Albanian society and its citizens’ everyday lives. Meaningful involvement of the whole of society is essential to ensuring a robust legislative process,” Kos concluded.
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