European Commission has published the annual report on EU enlargement policies 2023 for Albania, which will be presented by the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.
In the report, it is estimated that in terms of political criteria, parliamentary activity continued to be affected by political polarization, against the background of ongoing deep divisions within the largest opposition party, while parliamentary oversight of the executive remained limited.
The report assesses the local elections on May 14, 2023 as regular while adding that they took place in a generally peaceful manner. “The observers evaluated them as well-administered, competitive and with the participation of the main political actors. “The concerns relate to the misuse of state resources, allegations of pressure on public sector employees and voters, and allegations of vote buying,” the report said.
The report estimates that Albania remains moderately prepared in the field of public administration. “Considerable efforts were made to digitize public services, but it remains essential to ensure equal access to services for citizens with limited digital skills or limited access to IT equipment. Increased attention to digital security and protection of personal data is also required, especially after cyber attacks in 2022 and a series of data leaks,” the report further states.
As for the justice system, the European Commission estimates that Albania has a moderate level of preparation for the functioning of the judiciary. “The implementation of the justice reform continued, resulting in good progress overall. Appointments to the Constitutional Court have been completed with all nine judges already in office, eight of whom have a full one-year term,” the report states.
“The Specialized Structure against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) achieved further results and in December 2022 the new special chief prosecutor was elected after a sound process,” the report notes while emphasizing that the efficiency of the judicial system and access to justice continued be affected by the long duration of the procedures, the increased workload and the large number of pending cases, which remains particularly high in the courts of appeal and first instance.
Furthermore, the European Commission assesses that Albania has a level of preparation in the fight against corruption, but the report emphasizes that, despite some progress and ongoing efforts in the fight against corruption, it remains an area of serious concern.
“SPAK bodies have conducted investigations into a number of high-profile cases, ordering several arrests and convictions in a number of high-profile cases.” is quoted in the report. The EC notes that the 2022 recommendations have only been partially implemented, so they remain valid: strengthen the investigation, prosecution, trial and final punishment of corruption cases, especially at the highest level, and increase the seizure and confiscation or recovery of criminal assets resulting from acts related to corruption:
-further strengthen SPAK’s capacities to fully reflect its operational needs, including increasing human resources, providing specialized equipment and adopting a strategy that prioritizes cases as a way to handle the number of cases constantly growing:
– adopt a new anti-corruption strategy to effectively curb corruption, including action plans and indicators dedicated to sectors most vulnerable to corruption, and effectively address the recommendations of the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GREECE).
In the field of fundamental rights, the EC requests that efforts to implement the legal framework and policies should be intensified. The report estimates that for the protection of national minorities, the adoption of the remaining implementing legislation has not advanced. “Furthermore, Albania must put in place strong legal and institutional safeguards to prevent further breaches of personal data.”
Regarding the freedom of the media, the report estimates that Albania is at a moderate level, where it is emphasized that limited progress has been made.
The EC assesses that, after the first Intergovernmental Conference that opened EU membership negotiations with Albania in July 2022, the government has renewed its overall political commitment to the country’s path to the EU. “Albanian institutions have mobilized significant resources to actively engage in the review process, which is proceeding smoothly, and to prepare for the next steps in the membership negotiations,” the report further states.
“Albania is the only country in the region that has signed cooperation agreements with all EU justice and home affairs agencies.”
Albania is a candidate country of the European Union since 2014. In 2018, the Commission recommended the opening of negotiations with Albania without conditions. In March 2020, the European Council approved the decision to open membership negotiations with Albania.
/abcnews.al
