
On October 15, Albania will open negotiations with the European Union for the first group chapter, the day when the second intergovernmental conference with the EU will be held in Luxenburg.
According to the new methodology of the EU enlargement process, the chapters dealing with fundamental rights and the rule of law should be opened first, as there should be more time in the negotiation process to meet the criteria as well to close the chapters.
The meeting will serve to open negotiations with Albania on basic areas and chapters, such as the functioning of democratic institutions; Public administration reform; Chapter 23 – Judiciary and fundamental rights; Chapter 24 – Justice, freedom and security; Economic criteria; Chapter 5 – Public procurement; Chapter 18 – Statistics and Chapter 32 – Financial control.
After the presentation of the revised methodology for the accession negotiations in 2020, the negotiating chapters are divided into six thematic groups: Basics; Internal market; Competitiveness and inclusive growth; Green agenda and sustainable connectivity; Resources, agriculture and cohesion; and foreign relations.
This is the first chapter out of 33 in general that Albania must open and close in order to join the EU.
Albania's application for EU membership was submitted on 24 April 2009. In October 2012, the European Commission recommended that Albania be granted candidate status, subject to the completion of key measures in the areas of judicial and public administration reform and the review of regulation of the parliamentary procedure.
On July 19, 2022, which was considered a historic day for Albania, the first intergovernmental conference with the European Union was held. The parties presented the negotiating framework, officially opening membership negotiations.