The European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee has approved the report on Albania, paving the way for it to move to the plenary session.
The report drafted by the EP Rapporteur for Albania, Andreas Schieder, was adopted with 58 votes in favour, 7 against and 7 abstentions. According to the report, the objective of the country being ready for membership by 2027 is possible.
"I just want to emphasize that Albania is also considered by our Commissioner, Marta Kos, as one of the two lead countries in terms of enlargement. We have tried to reflect this in this report, but in addition to what is discussed in the Commission's report, we also wanted to emphasize some other issues, which means that reforms should also be reflected in the daily lives of citizens, and we have especially tried to focus on the social situation in Albania," said rapporteur Schieder during the vote in the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Full report:
European Parliament,
– having regard to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Albania, of the other part,
– having regard to Albania's application for EU membership, submitted on 24 April 2009,
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 September 2021 establishing an Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III),
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1449 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 establishing a Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans,
– having regard to the Commission communication of 5 February 2020 ‘Strengthening the accession process – A credible EU perspective for the Western Balkans’,
– having regard to the Commission communication of 8 November 2023 ‘A new growth plan for the Western Balkans’,
– having regard to the Reform Agenda of Albania presented under the EU Reform and Growth Mechanism, as adopted by the Commission on 23 October 2024,
– having regard to the Commission communication of 8 July 2025 ‘Rule of Law Report 2025’, accompanied by the Commission staff working document ‘Rule of Law Report 2025 – Chapter on the situation of the rule of law in Albania’,
– having regard to the Commission communication of 4 November 2025 entitled “Communication 2025 on EU Enlargement Policy”, accompanied by the working document “Report on Albania 2025”,
– having regard to the final report of 23 October 2025 of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission on the parliamentary elections in Albania of 11 May 2025,
– having regard to the declaration of the EU-Western Balkans Summit held in Brussels on 17 December 2025,
– having regard to the previous resolutions on Albania,
– having regard to Article 55 of its Rules of Procedure,
– having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A10-0000/2026),
A. whereas EU enlargement remains a strategic investment in peace, security, stability and democratic and socio-economic development across the European continent;
B. whereas Albania has maintained a clear strategic orientation towards EU membership and has demonstrated full compliance with the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP);
C. whereas Albania has been a candidate country since 2014, has launched accession negotiations in July 2022, has successfully completed the screening process in November 2023 and has opened all negotiation chapters between 15 October 2024 and 17 November 2025;
D. whereas the Commission's 2025 Report confirms that the country continues to make progress in most areas related to membership, while stressing the need for deeper, more sustainable and irreversible reforms;
E. whereas the credibility of the enlargement process depends on strict conditionality, merit-based progress and effective implementation of reforms, not only on the formal adoption of legislation;
F. whereas the strengthening of democratic institutions, the independence of the judiciary, the fight against corruption, media freedom and fundamental rights remain essential for Albania's path towards membership;
G. whereas the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations for improving the electoral process have not yet been fully implemented;
1. Welcomes Albania's extraordinary commitment to EU integration, based on consensus among political forces and broad civic support, as well as the fact that all group chapters were opened within just 13 months;
2. Welcomes the ambition to conclude the negotiations by the end of 2027 and the rapid progress of recent years; stresses the need for full implementation of the legislation;
3. Notes that the electoral framework is generally considered adequate, but expresses concerns about the level playing field, misuse of administrative resources, allegations of vote-buying and pressure on voters; calls for comprehensive electoral reform and the implementation of the recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission;
4. Expresses concern about political polarization and conflicting discourse that undermines the functioning of democratic institutions;
5. Encourages the strengthening of the oversight role of the Assembly, legislative transparency and consultation with civil society;
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## Rule of law, judiciary and the fight against corruption
6. Welcomes the continuation of the judicial reform and the vetting process; notes challenges such as delays in cases and attempts at undue influence;
7. Requires the strengthening of justice governance bodies and investments in infrastructure and digitalization;
8. Stresses that corruption remains a serious concern and requires strengthening of investigations and punishments, especially at high levels;
9. Insists on addressing corruption at all levels to increase citizen trust;
10. Stresses the importance of the fight against organised crime and cooperation with EU agencies such as Europol and Eurojust;
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## Fundamental rights and media freedom
11. Calls for stronger protection of freedom of expression and media pluralism;
12. Encourages the strengthening of the protection of minorities and vulnerable groups, including Roma, Egyptians, persons with disabilities, migrant workers and LGBTIQ+ persons; expresses concern about anti-gender rhetoric;
13. Underlines the need to improve access to justice;
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## Public administration reform
14. Appreciates progress, but calls for depoliticization and merit-based recruitment;
15. Calls for better policy planning and budget transparency;
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## Socio-economic reform and the environment
16. Welcomes the commitment to the EU Growth Plan, but notes structural weaknesses such as informality and low productivity;
17. Stresses the importance of investments in education and innovation;
18. Underlines the importance of social dialogue and trade union representation;
19. Expresses concern about the lack of progress on the environment and climate;
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## Foreign policy and regional cooperation
20. Welcomes the full alignment with the EU's foreign and security policy;
21. Stresses the importance of good neighborly relations;
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## EU support
22. Welcomes the EU's financial and technical assistance, stressing its link to the implementation of reforms;
23. Instructs the President of Parliament to forward this resolution to the relevant EU institutions and the authorities of the Republic of Albania.
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# EXPLANATION
This report assesses Albania's progress towards EU membership and includes Parliament's reaction to the 2025 enlargement report.
Albania, a candidate country since 2014, launched negotiations in July 2022 and opened all group chapters by November 2025, in record time.
To achieve the goal of membership by the end of the decade, effective implementation of reforms will be essential.
Despite progress, challenges remain political polarization, strengthening the rule of law, and consolidating anti-corruption reforms.
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