Report Boosts Albania’s European Prospects

Brussels, Tirana | 15 September 2009 |
The EU considers that Albania is now in a more favourable position to move ahead with its European integration processes.

“Albania is in a better position [...] [after] the OSCE-ODHIR report on elections,” Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt said on Tuesday, referring to an observer study on Albania’s June parliamentary poll.

The OSCE-ODHIR observer mission submitted its report late on Monday. It states that the conduct of the elections showed “marked progress on previous polls, but that the elections still did not meet international standards”.

Enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn says that he agrees that Albania now has a better chance of progressing in its European processes.

Albania submitted its application for EU candidacy in April. The EU has always said that it will only deal with the application after the observers’ election report was in, adding that the conduct of the elections would have a significant impact on how Brussels will act vis-a-vis Tirana.

According to sources in Brussels, in October the EU will likely provide a mandate to the European Commission to conduct an in-depth analysis of whether Albania has met all the conditions required of an EU candidate state.

The EU decision does not necessary require foreign ministers’ support and can be made at any ministerial meeting. Source: Balkaninsight

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