German Media Has Good News for Albania's EU Integration

Albania, Macedonia ready for further step towards EU

Albania and Macedonia, according to first information from the European Commission's annual report, will receive recommendations for opening membership negotiations with the EU. Edward Kukan, a member of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Commission and multi-year chairman of the Committee for Co-operation with the Western Balkans, told DW he believes the two countries have made substantial progress on the road to the EU.

“Albania has made a deep judicial reform, which, once implemented, will be the most important reform implemented among states in the enlargement process, and would be more serious than in the case of several EU member states.”

In his assessments, the European Commission underlines that Albania is moving ahead in all five key priorities that are essential to EU integration from public administration reform, judicial reform, the fight against corruption and organised crime, and the protection of human rights.

Earlier this year, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that if Albania continues this way on the path to reforms, the Commission will give a recommendation to start membership negotiations within the first six months of 2018. And that's probably gonna happen.

Will the “unlock” member states Macedonia?

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has long waited to open membership negotiations with the EU. In 2005 Macedonia received candidate status for EU membership. The EC twice recommended opening membership negotiations with Macedonia in 2009 and 2012. Both times Macedonia did not receive the necessary support from member states, primarily because of the name dispute with Greece. After the last elections, dramatic changes took place in Macedonia with the change of government. Brussels' assessment is that Macedonia has “transmitted the political crisis” and has shown “a clear political will for progress”.

Edward Kukan says Macedonia has made considerable progress in the past year. He adds that current Prime Minister Zoran Zaev is running a dynamic foreign policy and is trying to resolve open issues.

“It often means that member states do not base their positions on results reaching a state on the European integration process, but on political and bilateral issues. I would call on the Council to objectively assess the results achieved by Albania and Macedonia on their path to the EU,” said Kukan.

Unofficially, the DW learned from Brussels' diplomatic sources that senior EU officials have held discussions with member states on opening membership negotiations with Skopje and Tirana virtually until the time of the adoption of reports.

Things in Kosovo fail to work properly

According to Edward Kukani, Kosovo, just as Bosnia and Herzegovina should not expect positive reports from the European Commission this year. Rule of the law and economic aspects of the country are still under a major question, while normalising relations with Serbia is in stagnation, with long-standing escalations and tensions on both sides. The European Commission believes reforms in Kosovo have slowed due to the election period in Kosovo last year. Pristina authorities will be required to work efficiently for implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, but also to engage more strongly in dialogue with Belgrade. This framework includes implementing all agreements reached so far in the first place the establishment of the Serb Communist Community in Kosovo.

I believe this report will not bring much encouragement to Kosovo, because it could have done much more. How long did it take the Kosovo Parliament to approve the demarcation agreement with Montenegro? This is proof that things in Kosovo do not go well. I expect a series of tough recommendations in the report for what should be done in the future on the European road,” said Kukan.

As for visa liberalisation, it will not be part of the Kosovo report. After a long time, Pristina fulfilled one of the remaining two conditions for visa liberalisation and approved a demarcation agreement with Montenegro. In Brussels, it hears to say that in order to support visa liberalisation for Kosovo, which still needs visas to enter Schengen, the European Commission can present some positive aspects in the fight against corruption and organised crime in Kosovo, which is the last remaining condition. On the other hand, because of major immigration from Kosovo, member states are more than cautious when it comes to including Kosovo on the Schengen white list.

Serbia, Montenegro lead, but with apparent problems in rule of law

Last year, Serbia and Montenegro received the title of “ ” from the European Commission on the road to the EU.

It is clear that these countries will receive support from the EC to open and quickly close membership chapters, coupled with insistence on meeting all criteria without concessions, Eduard Kukan says.

What is clear is that one of the most important parts, if not the most important part of the European Commission's Serbia report, will be the process of normalising relations with Kosovo. There is a delay in implementing the agreements reached, but also in normalising relations between the two countries.

In this report, The EC will remind Serbia that its progress on the road to the EU will depend on domestic reforms as much as normalising relations with Kosovo, including implementation of agreements reached so far in dialogue, primarily in the field of energy.

Despite good estimates she receives for her economic reforms and for the positive role in regional relations Serbia is again facing criticism for judicial reform, the fight against corruption and organised crime, and freedom of expression. These are painful elements throughout the region, which continue to exist since the start of the EU integration process. /Deutsche Welle