The official opening of negotiations for Albania’s membership in the EU becomes almost impossible, as 5 member states consider that Albania has not accomplished the preconditions for holding the first intergovernmental conference.
These are the latest news by journalist Erisa Zykaj from Brussels during a direct connection with Abc News Albania. As the journalist reports, these countries consider that the condition for electoral reform has not been accomplished.
Erisa Zykaj reports that the five countries, already known as the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Spain and France, go beyond the European Commission’s assessment of failing to accomplish two preconditions regarding the non-functioning of the Constitutional Court and the Media Law.
These countries, according to the journalist, consider that they have a more realistic assessment than the European Commission for key reforms in Albania and that for holding the first intergovernmental conference all preconditions must be accomplish.
Points that require further implementation, the 5 states in question:
–To respect the opinion of the Venice Commission on the constitutional changes in the electoral code.
-To ensure the transparency of the financing of political parties
-Germany, France, Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain agree with the European Commission that the condition for the functioning of the Constitutional Court has not been accomplish. But they make the difference for the Supreme Court, stating that the Supreme Court with 3 out of 19 judges cannot be considered functional.
-Although the establishment of the SPAK is welcomed, it has been noticed the lack of evidences for investigations, prosecutions and convictions of senior officials.
– It is estimated that for NBI(National Bureau of Investigation) there is no appointment other than the director and that it is important to conduct further recruitment, so that this structure is fully functional.
-Its being needed the European Commission’s assessment of media law and calls for progress in the area of freedom of expression through following the recommendations of the Venice Commission.
-To implement the action plan for addressing the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force and cooperating with the relevant authorities of the member countries is required.
– It is also pointed out that the total number of asylum applications, that still remains high and are needed continuous efforts from the Albanian authorities./abcnews.al
