In his opening remarks, KKIE co-chair Taulant Balla said the council was established as an inclusive platform for cooperation between institutional actors and civil society.

“From the very beginning, KKIE was created to unite all actors, institutional and civil society alike, and to serve as a meeting point with civil society organisations,” Balla said.

According to Balla, the meeting comes at a crucial moment in Albania’s EU integration process, with 2026 expected to be the most intensive year for parliamentary activity. The focus will be on aligning national legislation with the EU acquis and implementing a large volume of reforms directly linked to the negotiation process.

“In 2026, parliamentary work will be at its most intensive. This is not just about the laws to be passed for legislative alignment, but about a substantial number of reforms tied directly to the EU accession negotiations,” he said.

Balla noted that over 30 laws were approved in just the last two parliamentary sessions, advancing the benchmarks required for the next Intergovernmental Conference between Albania and the EU. He estimated that more than 200 laws will need to be reviewed, either by the end of the current session in July or continuing into the second session of the year.

He highlighted food safety as a key challenge, pointing to the need for a more proactive and integrated institutional approach, including stronger inspections, expanded capacities at the Food Safety Authority (AKU), laboratory development, and stricter border standards.

Balla said new legislation on official controls, aligned with the EU 2017 regulation, as well as a new food law, are critical steps toward a modern and reliable food safety system.

He concluded that Albania is on the right path toward EU membership but stressed the process requires accelerated progress to complete negotiations within the planned timeframe and achieve full membership within this decade.

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