2021 Report on Albania

Albania has been an EU candidate country since June 2014. The Council decided on 25 March 2020 to open accession negotiations, after the country had made some progress towards meeting the political criteria and the five key priorities that need to be fulfilled to become an EU Member State; the European Council endorsed this decision the following day. However, negotiations have not yet started, and Albania is advancing towards EU membership at a very slow pace. The main obstacles remain flaws in the functioning of its judiciary, in the fight against corruption, and in safeguarding media freedoms and minority rights. Parliament's position on the European Commission's 2021 annual report on Albania is scheduled for a plenary vote in May.