TIRANA, August 4 – Albania’s provisional closure of Chapter 30 – External Relations commits the country to align future trade agreements with European Union rules, including a clause allowing their termination without compensation once Albania joins the bloc.
EU affairs expert Geron Kamberi said the chapter focuses on the EU’s Common Commercial Policy and Customs Union. He explained that every future trade agreement with non-EU countries must comply with the Union’s trade framework.
Albania also commits to fully harmonise its trade legislation with EU rules before accession. From the first day of membership, the country will replace its national customs tariffs with the EU’s Common External Tariff for imports from non-member states. Kamberi noted that this change will also affect existing trade arrangements with countries such as Türkiye, Brazil and China, as EU customs rules will take precedence.
In addition, Albania must prepare to implement the EU framework for the liberalisation of trade in services. This requires full alignment of domestic legislation and international agreements before accession to ensure seamless integration into the EU single market.
Kamberi acknowledged that the transition could initially challenge businesses that rely on imports from third countries. However, he said the government should work closely with the business community throughout the negotiation process to ease the adjustment and minimise the impact on consumers.
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