TIRANA, June 17 – The European Parliament adopted its annual resolution on Albania with 483 votes in favor, 103 against and 70 abstentions, expressing broad support for the country’s EU integration process.
Lawmakers welcomed Albania’s recent progress and called on authorities to ensure full implementation of adopted legislation. They also noted that the quality of reforms will determine the overall accession timeline.
At the same time, the resolution highlighted remaining challenges. These include political polarization, rule of law consolidation and stronger anti-corruption reforms.
The report, drafted by rapporteur Andreas Schieder, maintains the goal of concluding accession negotiations by 2027. Schieder said this target is realistic, given Albania’s current reform pace.
Earlier, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos also praised Albania’s progress, alongside other Western Balkan partners. She said EU enlargement has returned to the center of European political debate as a tool for stability and resilience.
Kos highlighted Albania and Montenegro as the most advanced candidates. She pointed to Albania’s achievement of IBAR benchmarks on rule of law, which allows the country to begin closing negotiation chapters.
She said Albania has taken an important step forward but stressed that further work remains to consolidate reforms. She also emphasized the need to anchor EU standards more firmly within national institutions.
The resolution overall described Albania’s current stage as a key moment in its accession process, with negotiations entering a more advanced phase.
/a.p./
The post European Parliament backs Albania EU integration progress with 483 votes appeared first on RTSH English.
