Moghrin and Hahn: Albania, on irrevocable Road to EU

This week, our vision of a truly united Europe comes a step closer. EU member states defined a clear path towards opening membership negotiations with Albania in June 2019. This is due to the impressive progress Albania achieved during the past year, not only on its way to the European Union, but also to improve the daily life of its people”, two senior European officials write.

“We want to congratulate the Albanian people and Albanian institutions for the results achieved. A new chapter of our joint work begins today: The European Commission began preparations immediately and we are confident that you will also maintain the same impressive determination and hard work.

Progress in the area of the Justice Reformation is evident and has already made a tangible and positive change. The property system, which is at the heart of the Justice Reform and includes re-evaluating judges and prosecutors, is producing the first results. This required political courage and unity in the country. Constitutional changes were unanimously adopted to enable a package of judicial reforms in 2016.

This is not just a legal but a social transformation. You have new means to make your leadership responsible in the field of justice but also in other areas. The more Albania does for its people's needs and requirements, the more it will progress towards EU membership.

You have made a conscious choice: more than 80 per cent of Albanians support the European project. And we really need your enthusiasm and commitment to the European project. Now is the time for Albania to rely on progress made and to continue working with the same determination, especially for judicial reform and the fight against corruption and organised crime. Work over the next year is an investment in your EU integration.

Every step matters. Walking on this road not only allows you to open negotiations, but also to do so in the most effective way possible. The moment negotiations officially open, you're already running. This will be a year's work for the EU as well. The commission has already begun the necessary preparation work towards June 2019, including, among other things, the next negotiating framework. Everyone has a role to play in this historic process.

All political groups and parties, local authorities and civil society must work together more than ever to prepare for opening membership negotiations and to take full responsibility for this process. Our Union doors are open. Your path to the European Union has become irreversible.

Now it is up to you to move forward on this road to a future of shared prosperity and security. It's the free and sovereign decision of your people, of no one else. Our common dream of a united European continent is in your hands”, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Moghrini and Commissioner for European Policy of Culture and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn.