Prime Minister Edi Rama will meet on Monday, February 9, with the President of the European Council, António Costa. The meeting in Brussels is expected to focus on the EU accession negotiations process.
Albania has not yet received the Interim Benchmark Assessment Report (IBAR) for Judiciary Reform, covering Chapters 23 and 24. Without approval of this report by EU member states, the process of closing the cluster of chapters cannot begin.
In meetings held so far at ambassadorial level, there have been requests for concrete evidence, including final court convictions of high-ranking officials and the seizure of their assets.
Under the new enlargement methodology, an EU member state may, under such circumstances, request that the process be returned to its initial stage. Chapters 23 and 24, which concern the judiciary and fundamental rights, are opened first and closed last in the accession negotiations.
