Eu and albania

2. European Union
• The European Union (EU) is an economic
and political union of 28 member states that
are located primarily in Europe. The EU
operates through a system of supranational
independent institutions and
intergovernmental negotiated decisions by
the member states.[
Institutions of the EU
include the European Commission, the
Council of the European Union, the European
Council, the Court of Justice of the European
Union, the European Central Bank, the Court
of Auditors, and the European Parliament.
The European Parliament is elected every five
years by EU citizens

3. • The EU's de facto capital is Brussels. The EU
has developed a single market through a
standardised system of laws that apply in all
member states. Within the Schengen Area
(which includes 22 EU and 4 non-EU states)
passport controls have been abolished. EU
policies aim to ensure the free movement of
people, goods, services, and capital, enact
legislation in justice and home affairs, and
maintain common policies on
trade,agriculture,fisheries, and regional
development.

5. Political & Economic relations
Albania is a potential candidate country for EU
accession following the Thessaloniki European
Council of June 2003. On 18 February 2008 the
Council adopted a new European partnership with
Albania. The Stabilisation and Association
Agreement (SAA).(with the country was signed on
12 June 2006 and entered into force on 1 April
2009. It supersedes the Interim Agreement on trade
and trade-related aspects, which entered into force
in December 2006.The EU-Albania visa facilitation
agreement entered into force in January 2008 while
the readmission agreement entered into force in
2006.SAA)

6. Following the steps of the recently
admitted Eastern European countries
in 2004, Albania has been extensively
engaged with EU institutions, and
joined NATO as a full member in
2009. It has also maintained its
position as a stability factor and a
strong ally of Western Europe in the
troubled and divided region of the
Balkans
Following its application for EU
membership, the Council of the
European Union asked the European
Commission on 16 November 2009 to
prepare an assessment on the
readiness of Albania to start
accession negotiations, a step in the
accession process that usually takes
about a year.On 16 December 2009,
the European Commission submitted
the Questionnaire on accession
preparation to the Albanian
government. Albania returned
answers to them on 14 April 2010.

7. Candidacy status was not granted by the EU
in December 2010 due to the long-lasting
political row in the country.The parliament in
August 2012 rejected a proposal to abolish
immunity for parliament members, ministers
and people in some other official positions.
The EU required this to be abolished along
with 11 other main issues, so candidate
status was further delayed . However, in
September 2012 a constitutional amendment
was unanimously passed which limited the
immunity of parliamentarians . In October
2012 the European Commission evaluated the
progress of Albania to comply with 12 key
conditions to achieve official candidate status
and start accession negotiations. Four key
priorities were found to be met, while two
were well in progress and the remaining six
were in moderate progress.

8. The report concluded that if Albania managed to hold a fair and
democratic parliamentary election in June 2013, and also implemented
the remaining changes to comply with the eight key priorities still not
fully met, then the Council of the European Union would recommended
granting Albania official candidate status.The EU ambassador to
Albania said on July 17 that Albania had met many of these conditions,
and might be an official candidate by December 2013..

9. On 16 October 2013 the European Commission released its annual
reports on prospective member states which concluded that the
Albanian election was held in an "orderly manner" and that
progress had been made in meeting other conditions and as such
recommended granting Albania candidate status.A decision on
making Albania a candidate is expected to be made at the European
Council in December 2013
On 1 January 2008 the visa
facilitation and readmission
agreements between Albania and
the EU entered into force.Albania
received a road map from the EU
for further visa liberalisation with
Schengen countries in June
2008. On 8 November 2010 the
Council of the European Union
approved visa-free travel to the
EU for citizens of AlbaniaThe
decision entered into force on 15
December 2010.

10. On 16 October 2013 the European Commission released its annual
reports on prospective member states which concluded that the
Albanian election was held in an "orderly manner" and that
progress had been made in meeting other conditions and as such
recommended granting Albania candidate status.A decision on
making Albania a candidate is expected to be made at the European
Council in December 2013
On 1 January 2008 the visa
facilitation and readmission
agreements between Albania and
the EU entered into force.Albania
received a road map from the EU
for further visa liberalisation with
Schengen countries in June
2008. On 8 November 2010 the
Council of the European Union
approved visa-free travel to the
EU for citizens of AlbaniaThe
decision entered into force on 15
December 2010.