The EU has developed a policy to support the gradual integration of the Western Balkan countries with the Union. The EU aims to promote peace, stability and economic development in the region&nbsp;and open up the prospect of EU integration.

In order to apply for EU membership a country has to be European and respect the EU’s democratic values. It also needs stable institutions guaranteeing democracy and the rule of law; a functioning market economy; and the ability to take on and carry out the obligations of EU membership.

Parliament is fully involved in the Stabilisation and Association Process &nbsp;and must also consent to any new accession to the EU. In addition, through its budgetary powers, it has direct influence over the amounts allocated to the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance. Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs appoints standing rapporteurs for all candidate and potential candidate countries. Parliament expresses its positions on enlargement in the form of annual resolutions responding to the Commission’s latest annual country reports.

On 1&nbsp;July&nbsp;2013, Croatia became the first of the seven countries to join, and Montenegro, Serbia, the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania are official candidates. Accession negotiations and chapters have been opened with Montenegro and Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are potential candidate countries.

EU Enlargement - Western Balkans

Albania applied for the EU membership in April 2009 and received the candidate status in June 2014. In April 2018, the Commission issued an unconditional recommendation to open accession negotiations. The Council set out the path towards opening accession negotiations in June 2019, depending on progress made in key areas such as the judiciary, fight against corruption and organised crime, intelligence services and public administration. In March 2020 the members of the European Council endorsed the General Affairs Council’s decision to open accession negotiations with Albania and in July 2020 the draft negotiating framework were presented to the Member States.

EU - Albania (2019 - 2020)

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with Elisa SPIROPALI, Speaker of the Albanian Parliament

Delegation to the EU-Albania Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee Constitutive meeting

17th SAPC EU-Albania meeting

EP Plenary session - Report on Albania

15th  EU-Albania SAPC Meeting

EP Plenary session - 2021 Report on Albania

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Lindita NIKOLLA, Speaker of the Albanian Parliament

EP Plenary session - Instrument for pre-accession assistance

2nd Western Balkans speakers' Summit 28 June - Group photo

2nd Western Balkans speakers' Summit 28 June

2nd Western Balkans speakers' Summit - AFET Committee in association with the EP Standing delegations for the Western Balkans, with the Speakers of the Western Balkans parliaments

Press confrence - Reports on the 2019-2020 Commission Reports on Albania and North Macedonia

EP Plenary session - Joint debate - 2019-2020 Progress reports on Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Edi RAMA, Albanian Prime Minister

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Edi RAMA, Albanese Prime Minister

Official visit by David SASSOLI, EP President to Tirana - Meeting with Lulzim BASHA, President of the Democratic Party of Albania

EP President, Roberta METSOLA, participates to the EU-Western Balkans Summit. Before her address to the Council, she speaks to the press. One year after the 2022 summit in Tirana, EU and Western Balkans leaders met in Brussels for their fourth annual summit. The summit is an opportunity to reaffirm the EU membership perspective of the Western Balkans and also the need for partners’ sustained and irreversible reform achievements, underpinned by EU values and principles.

EU-Western Balkans Summit: Doorstep by Roberta METSOLA, EP President

MEPs welcome accession negotiations with Albania. In the 2022 draft report on Albania, MEPs welcome the country’s commitment to EU integration, and describe it as a reliable foreign policy partner and an important geopolitical ally. The accession negotiations with Albania were formally opened in July 2022. Closing by Olivér VÁRHELYI, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement and by Isabel SANTOS (S&D, PT), Rapporteur

2022 Report on Albania: Closing by Olivér VÁRHELYI, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement and by Isabel SANTOS (S&D, PT), Rapporteur

MEPs welcome accession negotiations with Albania. In the 2022 draft report on Albania, MEPs welcome the country’s commitment to EU integration, and describe it as a reliable foreign policy partner and an important geopolitical ally. The accession negotiations with Albania were formally opened in July 2022. MEPs debate

2022 Report on Albania: MEPs debate

MEPs welcome accession negotiations with Albania. In the 2022 draft report on Albania, MEPs welcome the country’s commitment to EU integration, and describe it as a reliable foreign policy partner and an important geopolitical ally. The accession negotiations with Albania were formally opened in July 2022. Opening statement by Isabel SANTOS (S&D, PT), Rapporteur, and by Olivér VÁRHELYI, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement. The transcript is the result of an automated process. Please check against delivery

2022 Report on Albania: Opening statement by Isabel SANTOS (S&D, PT), Rapporteur, and by Olivér VÁRHELYI, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement

Closing statements of the MEPs debate on the official start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania last July and to call on the EU to grant visa liberalisation to Kosovo. They are also likely to urge Serbia to align with the EU’s restrictive measures and policy towards Russia. Opening statements by Oliver VARHELYI, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement.

EU-Western Balkans relations in light of the new enlargement package: closing statement by Oliver VARHELYI, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement

MEPs debate on the official start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania last July and to call on the EU to grant visa liberalisation to Kosovo. They are also likely to urge Serbia to align with the EU’s restrictive measures and policy towards Russia.

EU-Western Balkans relations in light of the new enlargement package: MEPs debate (part 2)

MEPs debate on the official start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania last July and to call on the EU to grant visa liberalisation to Kosovo. They are also likely to urge Serbia to align with the EU’s restrictive measures and policy towards Russia. first part of the debate.

EU-Western Balkans relations in light of the new enlargement package: MEPs debate (part 1)

MEPs debate on the official start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania last July and to call on the EU to grant visa liberalisation to Kosovo. They are also likely to urge Serbia to align with the EU’s restrictive measures and policy towards Russia. opening statements by Oliver VARHELYI, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement.

EU-Western Balkans relations in light of the new enlargement package: opening statement by Oliver VARHELYI, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement

On the 14th September 2022, Ursula von der LEYEN, EC President, delivers her State of the European Union (SOTEU) speech in the European Parliament. This infoclip illustrates one of the main stake of the coming year: the future of the Europea Union. Following the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoe) which took place from May 2021 to May 2022, EU citizens have asked for a revision of the treaties and a reconstruction of the EU. Furthermore, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia have been granted the candidate status to join the EU, while discussions to enlarge the European Union to Western Balkans countries are ongoing.

Infoclip: Future of the European Union

&lt;p>EU and Western Balkan leaders meet in Brussels ahead of the June European Council meeting. Leaders discuss progress on EU integration and the challenges stemming from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.&lt;/p>

EU-Western Balkans leaders' meeting: arrival and doorstep by Roberta METSOLA, EP President

In two resolutions, MEPs are set to warn that the enlargement process could potentially have historically important implications for security in Europe. The draft reports, to be put to a vote on Thursday, assess the progress made by Albania towards EU membership. They urge the Council to officially start accession negotiations with the country, pointing to the geostrategic context of relations with Russia and its aggression against Ukraine. Closing statements by Isabel SANTOS (S&D, PT), rapporteur and Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice.

2021 Report on Albania: closing statements by Isabel SANTOS (S&D, PT), rapporteur and Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice

In two resolutions, MEPs are set to warn that the enlargement process could potentially have historically important implications for security in Europe. The draft reports, to be put to a vote on Thursday, assess the progress made by Albania towards EU membership. They urge the Council to officially start accession negotiations the country, pointing to the geostrategic context of relations with Russia and its aggression against Ukraine.

Report on Albania 2021: MEPs debate

In two resolutions, MEPs are set to warn that the enlargement process could potentially have historically important implications for security in Europe. The draft reports, to be put to a vote on Thursday, assess the progress made by Albania towards EU membership. They urge the Council to officially start accession negotiations with the county, pointing to the geostrategic context of relations with Russia and its aggression against Ukraine.

2021 Report on Albania: opening statements by Isabel SANTOS (S&D, PT), rapporteur and Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice

Members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) hold an exchange of views with the Speakers of the Parliaments from the Western Balkans on the key role of Parliaments in the EU enlargement proces, in Brussels. Extracts from the meeting with the EP delegations for the Western Balkan and with the Speakers of the Western Balkans’ parliaments.

2nd European Parliament - Western Balkans Speakers Summit: extracts from the meeting with the EP delegations for the Western Balkan and with the Speakers of the Western Balkans’ parliaments

David SASSOLI, EP President, invites speakers from the parliaments of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia to meet for the Summit of EP - Western Balkans’ Speakers of Parliament. They debate the role that parliaments should play in EU post-COVID-19 enlargement.

2nd EP - Western Balkans Speakers' summit chaired by David SASSOLI, EP President; arrivals, roundtable, signing of joint declaration of Western Balkans Speakers Summit 2021 and family photo

During the plenary session (24-25 March 2021) in the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate on 2019-2020 progress reports on Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia. Opening statements by Isabel SANTOS (S&D, PT), Albania rapporteur; Viola VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL (Greens/EFA, DE), Kosovo rapporteur; Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew, BG), North Macedonia rapporteur and Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK), Serbia rapporteur. After that, statements also by Olivér VÁRHELYI, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement and by Ana Paula ZACARIAS, Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs. (This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery).

Joint debate on 2019-2020 progress reports on Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia: opening statements by Isabel SANTOS (S&D, PT), Viola VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL (Greens/EFA, DE), Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew, BG) and Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK)

Isabel SANTOS (S&D, PT), EP Standing Rapporteur for Albania, and Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew Europe, BG), EP Standing Rapporteur for North Macedonia, give a press conference after they presented their reports in a debate during the plenary session. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Press conference by Isabel SANTOS (S&D, PT), EP Standing Rapporteur for Albania, and Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew Europe, BG), EP Standing Rapporteur for North Macedonia

During the plenary session (24-25 March 2021) in the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate on 2019-2020 progress reports on Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia.

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