EU says Albania must reform before starting EU accession talks

Albania will only be able to move forward towards EU membership when it starts showing more progress on its reform agenda, the Council of Ministers underlined on Tuesday.

“Albania has made limited progress in meeting the political criteria for membership and the 12 key priorities for the opening of accession negotiations,” the Council of Ministers said in Brussels.

“Further efforts are particularly required in key areas including the judiciary, the fight against organised crime and corruption and the protection of minorities as well as property rights,” it added.

Albania first applied for EU candidacy status in April 2009, but its bid was turned down for the second time in October.