According to official Council of the European Union documents, Chapter 20 is part of Cluster 3, “Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth,” and Albania’s negotiating position on the chapter is under consideration by COELA.

The discussions are aimed at consolidating EU member states’ position on the provisional closure of the chapter in Albania’s accession talks.

Chapter 20 covers EU policies on enterprise and industry, including improving the business environment, competitiveness and support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

In its latest report on Albania, the European Commission assessed the country as being moderately to well prepared in the area of enterprise and industrial policy and noted progress, particularly through the revision of the Business and Investment Development Strategy.

Council documents also show that the Council presidency has submitted a compromise proposal for the draft EU Common Position on Chapter 20 as part of Albania’s accession negotiations.

The COELA review is part of the decision-making process among EU member states before the issue proceeds to the next stages of the accession procedure.

At the previous COELA meeting, the necessary agreement for the provisional closure of Chapter 20 had not yet been reached. The Council had said the issue would return to the agenda on Oct. 6.

If consensus is reached in COELA, the matter is expected to move to the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) before further formalisation at an EU-Albania Intergovernmental Conference.

Albania has opened all negotiating chapters in its EU accession talks. So far, three chapters have been provisionally closed: Chapter 25, “Science and Research”; Chapter 26, “Education and Culture”; and Chapter 30, “External Relations”.

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According to the EU Delegation in Albania, the group will meet with government officials, representatives of EU member state missions, civil society, the business community, and judicial institutions to discuss Albania’s path toward European Union membership.

The EU Delegation emphasized that the visit underscores the EU’s strong commitment to advancing Albania’s accession process based on merit, particularly through tangible and sustainable reforms and their effective implementation.

Albania has opened 28 negotiation chapters in just 11 months, with the latest four chapters launched on September 16 during the sixth Intergovernmental Conference with the EU. This conference focused on Cluster 4: “Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity,” a key area for Albania’s economic and business sectors.

To date, Albania has opened five of six negotiation clusters – Fundamentals; External Relations; Internal Market; Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth; and the Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity.

The EU granted political approval to open accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia on March 24, 2020, followed by the official launch of negotiations at the first Intergovernmental Conference on July 19, 2022. Since then, successive conferences have opened new clusters covering key areas such as the internal market, external relations, competitiveness, and environmental sustainability.

The process continues to advance under the principle of merit-based progress, with the EU reaffirming its long-term commitment to Albania’s European integration.

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