In recent days, Albania’s European integration process has been accompanied by a wave of reports that have created the perception of an imminent crisis in relations between Tirana and Brussels. At the center of these media publications has been COELA, the Council of the European Union’s working group on enlargement, described in some cases as an arena where Albania has been warned or even punished for internal political developments. But verification of institutional facts reveals a more nuanced – and much more technical – reality.
COELA is a working structure of the Council of the EU, where representatives of member states discuss the progress of candidate countries periodically. It is not a political decision-making body and does not produce public statements or sanctioning decisions. Discussions are conducted on the basis of approved agendas and are reflected in internal technical reports. According to European sources who closely follow the work of this group, Albania has not been the subject of discussion in recent COELA meetings, neither in the official agenda nor in subsequent reports. “Neither in the agenda nor in the final report were there any references to Albania, not even in the sections on other issues,” an EU official explained to Albanian Post, emphasizing that any topic considered important for a candidate country is formally reflected.
The same source added that, although such meetings may involve exchanges of views in the corridors or bilateral talks between delegations, they do not constitute an institutional position of the EU and cannot be interpreted as official decisions or warnings. “If something were a serious problem, it would have been reflected in the documents,” he underlined.
A similar approach is also reflected in the stance of German representatives in European institutions. In informal communications, the German side has avoided any comment on internal positions in EU bodies, emphasizing a constant principle: support for Albania’s accession process, directly linked to concrete progress in the rule of law. “Effective prosecution of corruption, including high-level cases, is a necessary prerequisite for progress in this performance-based process. We expect the judiciary to be able to prosecute these cases quickly and without hindrance,” is the line repeated by diplomatic sources.
This context helps to understand why the recent developments in Brussels and Tirana are not related to specific names or individual issues, but to a very important technical moment for Albania: the preparation of the IBAR (Interim Benchmark Assessment Report).
The IBAR for chapters 23 and 24 – rule of law, justice and fundamental rights – is the real gateway to the next phase of negotiations. Without the fulfillment of these interim benchmarks, the chapters cannot be closed, despite having been formally opened. As the European Commission stressed in its communications with the Albanian Post, “it is essential that Albania continues its efforts to fulfill the interim benchmarks, as they need to be fulfilled before negotiations can advance.” Prime Minister Edi Rama’s visit to Brussels on Monday, where he is expected to meet the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, should also be seen in this light.
The meeting is included in the Council’s official agenda and takes place at a time when Albania has opened all negotiation chapters and is facing the challenge of closing them. European sources describe this meeting as part of the regular political dialogue at a high level, with a focus on the pace of reforms and institutional capacities for the next phase. (Euronews.al)