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Albania is blocked again on the road to the EU! IBAR remains without a date, our country is still in the preliminary phase

2026-04-09 12:01:14 / POLITIKË ALFA PRESS

Albania is blocked again on the road to the EU! IBAR remains without a date, our

Although Prime Minister Edi Rama has said several times that Albania is very close to membership in the large European family, the evaluation process for one of our country's most important steps on the path to the EU, known as IBAR, continues to remain in a preliminary phase, without a clear deadline for completion.

According to a recently published article by "Europa Wester Balkans", it is learned that a stage has not yet been reached where it can be determined when the EU's common position on this report will be adopted. This means that it is not possible to predict when the process will be finalized and will pave the way for the next phases of negotiations.

The IBAR constitutes an essential filter in the integration process, as it reflects the European Commission's assessment of the fulfillment of intermediate standards within Group 1 - "Basics". This group includes some of the most important pillars of the state, such as the rule of law, the functioning of the judiciary, fundamental rights, democratic institutions and public administration reform.

A positive assessment of the IBAR would be crucial for Albania's further progress towards the EU. Without this step, the process cannot advance towards the final closure of the negotiation chapters, despite the fact that the country has already opened all of them.

The latest discussions on this issue took place today, within the Council's Enlargement Working Party, where member states exchanged views, raised questions and received answers from European Commission representatives. However, the meeting did not produce a concrete conclusion, leaving the process in a phase of reflection and negotiation.

Next, the Council Presidency is expected to present a compromise text on the draft EU provisional Common Position for Group 1. This document is a necessary step to move to higher levels of decision-making, including approval by the Permanent Representatives Committee and then holding an Intergovernmental Conference with Albania, where the decision would be formalised.

However, for the moment the entire process remains in its initial phase and without a defined calendar for the next steps.

Albania opened membership negotiations in 2022, along with North Macedonia, and is currently in a phase where the main focus is on meeting the standards that will determine further progress towards the EU.

 

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