EU Opens New Chapter in Accession Talks with Albania: Internal Market Discussions Begin

According to the European Council, the EU has opened Chapter 2 – Internal Market – as part of the accession talks with Albania. The decision was made at the fourth meeting of the Intergovernmental Accession Conference with Albania at the ministerial level, held today in Luxembourg.

As part of the Internal Market cluster, negotiations have been opened on the following chapters:

• Chapter 1 – Free movement of goods
• Chapter 2 – Freedom of movement for workers
• Chapter 3 – Right of establishment and freedom to provide services
• Chapter 4 – Free movement of capital
• Chapter 6 – Company law
• Chapter 7 – Intellectual property law
• Chapter 8 – Competition policy
• Chapter 9 – Financial services
• Chapter 28 – Consumer and health protection

The European Union has also set benchmarks that Albania must meet for these chapters to be provisionally closed.

This follows the previously initiated negotiations within Cluster 1 – Fundamentals, and Cluster 6 – External Relations, during the accession conferences held on 15 October and 17 December 2024.

According to the statement from the European Council, the monitoring of progress in aligning with EU legislation and implementing European standards will continue throughout the entire negotiation process. The Accession Conference will return to this cluster at the appropriate time.

Six Thematic Clusters

Since 2020, accession negotiations with EU membership candidates have been conducted according to a revised methodology, under which negotiation chapters are grouped into six thematic clusters:

• Fundamentals
• Internal Market
• Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth
• Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity
• Resources, Agriculture and Cohesion
• External Relations

Negotiations on the Fundamentals cluster are the first to be opened and the last to be closed, with progress in this cluster determining the overall pace of negotiations.

(EUpravo zato)