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News

Albania files EU membership application[fr][de]

Published: Wednesday 29 April 2009

Albania formally applied to join the European Union yesterday (28 April), embarking on a lengthy path toward membership of the bloc, which is still digesting past enlargements and finds itself engulfed by economic crisis at present.

Background:

Applications for EU membership are usually filed in coordination between the applicant country and the European Commission. Besides Albania, the only countries in the Western Balkans who have yet to file membership applications are Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Kosovo, which declared independence in February 2008, is a special case, as it has not been recognised by all EU countries.

Last December, Montenegro surprisingly filed a formal application for EU membership during the final days of the French EU Presidency, despite the fact that the subsequent Czech Presidency is more supportive of the Balkan country's accession bid (EurActiv 16/12/08). Montenegro's move was widely expected to encourage Serbia and Albania to follow suit by formally applying for EU membership too.

Taking advantage of the pro-enlargement Czech EU Presidency, Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha announced last month that his country would present its European Union membership application before the end of June (EurActiv 10/03/09).

In an exclusive interview with EurActiv, Erhard Busek, special enlargement adviser to the Czech EU Presidency, recently confirmed that Tirana was preparing to file its application (EurActiv 17/04/09).

Albania is one of Europe's poorest countries, and faces an uphill struggle to join the EU. Brussels remains unconvinced of the West Balkan country's democratic credentials.

Other related news:

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha made the application to Czech Prime Minister-in-resignation Mirek Topolánek, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, in Prague.

"There is a long way ahead for Albania and I hope it will be crowned with success," Topolánek told a news conference.

In a report released in November, the European Commission said Albania needed to make more progress in strengthening the state administration and courts, and in fighting organised crime and corruption.

The Commission had urged Albania to wait until after parliamentary elections on 28 June to make its application, saying that polls in post-Communist Albania had never been certified free and fair by international observers.

Albania's bid follows that of fellow Balkan state Montenegro, which applied in December, and may be followed by Serbia later this year.

Albania and Croatia joined the US-led NATO security alliance earlier this month.

The EU enlargement process may also be slowed by some current members' hesitance to take in more members after past waves of enlargement.

Early entry is seen unlikely for any countries but Croatia, which is in an advanced stage of negotiations, and possibly crisis-hit Iceland, which may be put on a fast-track membership path.

(EurActiv with Reuters.)

Positions:

Michael Leigh, director-general of the European Commission's enlargement directorate, welcomed Albania's application in a written statement.

"The Commission welcomes the application for EU membership presented by the prime minister of Albania, Mr Sali Berisha, to the president of the European Council, Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek. Today, Albania has reached a historical milestone marking the country's important engagement to common European values and fundamentals. It is for the Council to decide on the way ahead. The Commission stands ready to prepare an 'opinion' about Albania's application, should the Council invite us to do so," Leigh stated.