A session of the accession conference with Albania is taking place today in Brussels, marking the opening of negotiations on the so-called Cluster 5: resources, agriculture and cohesion.
This cluster is the last remaining one and covers, in particular: agriculture and fisheries, food safety and cohesion policies.
"Enlargement is a geopolitical necessity for the EU and a key priority of the Danish presidency. The accession of our Western Balkan partners, once the necessary reforms have been fulfilled, is of exceptional importance. Today’s step, the opening of the final negotiation cluster with Albania, demonstrates the country’s commitment to further progress towards EU membership", said Marie Bjerre, Denmark’s Minister for European Affairs and current holder of the EU presidency.
Since October 2024, Albania has opened five of the six negotiation clusters and now has only one left to open. Albania’s declared goal is to close all negotiation chapters by the end of 2027.
Monitoring progress in aligning with and implementing the acquis and relevant European standards will continue throughout the entire negotiation process.
The EU has also set benchmarks for the provisional closure of chapters belonging to Cluster 5. The accession conference will return to this cluster at the appropriate moment.
After the revised negotiation methodology was introduced in 2020, the accession chapters were grouped into six thematic clusters:
- Foundations
- Internal market
- Competitiveness and inclusive growth
- Green agenda and sustainable connectivity
- Resources, agriculture and cohesion
- External relations
"Albania has achieved the unimaginable: all negotiation chapters have been opened within 12 months, an absolute record in the European integration process," Prime Minister Edi Rama wrote on Facebook last week.
He also stated that nothing prevents Albania from achieving its main goal, which is completing negotiations by 2027 and gaining full EU membership by 2030.
"No one can prevent us from achieving our main goal, closing the negotiations in 2027, because despite the difficulties, obstacles and inevitable setbacks, we are developing and strengthening Albania month by month," said Rama, who recently pledged not to leave office until Albania becomes part of the EU.
Last week, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, presenting the progress report on candidate and potential candidate countries, assessed that Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and Moldova had advanced the most in the EU accession process.
Kos emphasised that Albania aims to complete negotiations by the end of 2027 and added that the European Commission supports it in this goal.
(EUpravo zato)