The Permanent Rapporteur of the European Parliament for Albania, Andreas Schieder, expressed today the belief that Albania can close all negotiation chapters for integration by 2027.
At a press conference in the premises of the Council of Europe in Tirana, Schieder announced that the last chapter of negotiations with the EU is expected to open in November, which means that Albania will be negotiating all chapters.
“This means that 2026 will be the year when the chapters are closed one after another. It is a very strict process. The European Commission makes the assessment, and the Council and the European Parliament make the approval. We look at whether the conditions have been met or not,” he said.
Schieder expressed confidence that the majority of chapters will be closed next year and that by 2027 they will be fully closed.
But according to him, it is even more important that the laws are implemented. “The opportunities are there if the necessary actions are taken. Albania is one of the countries in the middle of Europe, tourism shows that many EU citizens come to see what life is like in Albania, how modern Albania is, so I say there are opportunities,” he added.
Schieder emphasized that to enter the European system, the challenges the country faces include the fight against corruption and organized crime and having a professional judicial system.
In this regard, he assessed that the process is getting better and it seems that Albania is taking this process very seriously by thoroughly investigating anyone, regardless of whether they belong to the government, the opposition, or are businessmen.
Schieder spoke about the Justice Reform and the work of SPAK, while emphasizing that Albania has chosen the most radical way to carry out this reform.
“This creates a lot of political discussions, but European standards will mean that the judicial system should be for prosecutors, judges, and legal experts, not politicians. Politics is not allowed to enter this process,” Schieder added.
The Permanent Rapporteur of the European Parliament for Albania, Andreas Schieder, was part of the 20th meeting of the Albania-EU Stabilization and Association Parliamentary Committee held over two days in Tirana.
In the final statement of the meeting, emphasis was placed on the reforms that are still very necessary to bring Albania closer to the EU, while the expectation was highlighted to open the last remaining negotiation chapter before the end of the year.
Albania has opened 5 out of 6 negotiation chapters with the European Union while aiming to close them by 2027 and join in 2030. (October 31)
