• European Commission
• Enlargement
• Potential candidates
• Albania
• EU-Albania relations

Albania - EU-Albania 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. As from 15 December 2010 visa liberalisation for Albania citizens travelling to the Schengen area entered into force.

Albania has profited from the EU autonomous trade measures since 2000. Albania's trade with the EU expanded with the additional preferences granted following the entry into force of the Interim Agreement in December 2006. The EU is Albania's main trade partner and in 2010 trade with the EU reached 64% of total Albanian trade. In 2010 Albania exports to the EU totaled €0.8 billion and imports from the EU totaled € 2.2 billion respectively, an increase compared to the previous year. Albania's trade deficit with the EU is of €-1.4 billion. Inward processing, particularly textiles and garments, and footwear represents the main volume of Albanian exports to the EU. In 2010 foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows amounted to approximately €815 million. By the end of 2009 the FDI from EU-27 accounted for about 64% of all inflows.

Albania submitted its application for EU membership on 28 April 2009. On 16 November 2009 the Council asked the Commission to prepare an Opinion [49 KB] on the country's application. The Commission adopted its Opinion on 9 November 2010.

This Opinion covers all aspects of the accession criteria , political, economic and relating to Albania's capacity to implement EU law, building on the December 2006 European Council conclusions on a renewed consensus for EU enlargement, and based on rigorous and fair conditionality and the 'own merits' principle.

The Commission considers that negotiations for accession to the European Union should be opened with Albania once the country has achieved the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria. In this regard, the country needs to meet in particular a number of key priorities.

Key dates in Albania's path towards the EU:

15 December 2010- Entry into force of visa liberalisation for Albanian citizens travelling to the Schengen area.

9 November 2010 - adoption of the Commission Opinion on Albania's application for membership of the European Union

8 November 2010 - EU decision granting visa liberalisation to Albania

27 May 2010 - the European Commission adopts a proposal to enable citizens of Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina to travel to Schengen countries without needing a short term visa.

15 April 2010 - Albania delivers replies to the Commission's Questionnaire

28 April 2009 - Albania submits its application for EU membership

1 April 2009 - Entry into force of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA)

June 2008 - The European Commission presents a road map identifying specific requirements for visa liberalisation with Albania.

18 February 2008 - Council decision on a revised European partnership for Albania

January 2008 - The visa facilitation agreement between Albania and the EU enters into force.

January 2007 - Entry into force of the new instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA).

December 2006 - Entry into force of the Interim Agreement

June 2006 - Signature of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement [2 MB] (SAA)

May 2006 - Entry into force of the EC-Albania readmission agreement

January 2006 - Council decision on a revised European Partnership for Albania

June 2004 - Council decision on a first European Partnership for Albania

June 2003 - at Thessaloniki European Council the Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP) is confirmed as the EU policy for the Western Balkans. The EU perspective for these countries is confirmed.

2001 - First year of the Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation (CARDS) programme specifically designed for the Stabilisation and Association Process countries

November 2000 -Zagreb Summit launches the Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP) for five countries of South-Eastern Europe, including Albania

June 2000 - Feira European Council states that all the SAP countries are "potential candidates" for EU membership.

1999 - Albania benefits from Autonomous Trade Preferences with the EU.

1999 - The EU proposes the new Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP) for five countries of South-Eastern Europe, including Albania.

1997 - Regional Approach. The EU Council of Ministers establishes political and economic conditionality for the development of bilateral relations.

1992 - Trade and Co-operation Agreement between the EU and Albania. Albania becomes eligible for funding under the EU's Phare programme.