On the 2025 Commission report on Albania
AFET-PR-784259
Committee on Foreign Affairs · Rapporteur: Andreas Schieder
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This draft report evaluates Albania's EU accession progress and sets out Parliament's expectations for reforms. It welcomes Albania's commitment and rapid opening of all negotiation clusters, while urging deeper reforms in rule of law, anti-corruption, media freedom, and socio-economic areas.¶¶¶ It calls for comprehensive electoral reform, stronger parliamentary scrutiny, and implementation of OSCE/ODIHR recommendations. It also stresses the need to combat corruption and organised crime, protect fundamental rights, and improve public administration.¶¶¶ The report welcomes Albania's full alignment with EU foreign policy and its constructive regional role. It insists that EU financial support remain linked to concrete reform implementation.¶¶¶
Committee position. The rapporteur proposes a resolution that welcomes Albania's progress and EU alignment, but calls for sustained reforms in rule of law, anti-corruption, media freedom, and socio-economic areas, with a focus on implementation.¶¶¶
Key points
- Welcomes Albania's EU integration commitment and the opening of all negotiation clusters within 13 months, and supports the goal of closing negotiations by end of 2027.¶¶
- Calls for comprehensive electoral reform, full implementation of OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission recommendations, and addressing concerns about uneven playing field and vote-buying.¶
- Expresses concern about political polarisation and calls for stronger parliamentary scrutiny, transparency, and consultation with civil society.¶¶
- Welcomes justice reform and vetting, but calls for further strengthening of judicial governance, efficiency, and investment in infrastructure.¶¶
- Stresses that corruption remains serious and insists on consolidating track record of investigations, prosecutions, and convictions, especially in high-level cases.¶¶
- Calls for intensified cooperation with Europol and Eurojust to combat organised crime, money laundering, and drug trafficking.¶
- Calls for protecting media freedom, transparency of media ownership, and effective investigation of threats against journalists.¶
- Encourages strengthening protection for minorities and vulnerable groups, and expresses concern about anti-gender rhetoric.¶
- Acknowledges progress in public administration reform but stresses need for merit-based recruitment and depoliticisation.¶
- Notes structural weaknesses in economy and calls for investment in education, skills, and innovation; regrets low frequency of National Labour Council meetings.¶¶¶
- Notes with concern no progress on environment and climate change over the past year.¶
- Commends Albania's full alignment with EU foreign policy and participation in CSDP missions, and welcomes its regional cooperation.¶¶
Who is affected
- Albanian government and parliament: must implement reforms in rule of law, anti-corruption, electoral framework, and public administration.¶¶¶
- Albanian civil society and social partners: called for more meaningful consultation and capacity building.¶¶
- Albanian media professionals: need safeguards against pressure and effective investigation of threats.¶
- Minorities and vulnerable groups in Albania: need stronger institutional protection and access to justice.¶¶