Two months before the publication, the progress report of the European Union on Albania has been unveiled. As it notes the country’s chances of opening negotiations, the five priorities are again at the center of attention, where emphasis is placed on the need to fight corruption, especially at the high levels of politics and the implementation of Justice Reform laws.

When only two months have passed since the publication of the Enlargement Strategy by the European Commission, progress reports have been released for the Western Balkan states.

In the progress report published by the European Network of Research Organizations, it is stated that next year Albania may have a good opportunity to open negotiations with the EU. Before that happens, Albania must be able to successfully implement judicial reform, particularly the re-evaluation of judges and prosecutors. In addition, the country must show a steady record in the fight against corruption, especially at high levels of politics.

Progress on the five priorities set by Brussels, namely: public administration reform, strengthening of the judiciary, fight against corruption, the fight against organized crime and the protection of human rights remains the same. Additional efforts are needed to improve recruitment procedures for civil servants, public transparency in decision-making and public finance management. More efforts are needed, especially in the fight against corruption, organized crime and drug smuggling. Electoral reform is also considered to have failed since none of the OSCE / ODIHR recommendations have been implemented./tvklan.al