Commission reports on progress made by Albania and North Macedonia

Today, the Commission presented updates on the progress made by Albania and North Macedonia in further addressing rule of law related reforms, in particular in the areas set by the Council in June 2018. Both countries have delivered further tangible and sustainable results and therefore the Commission’s recommendation to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia remains valid. Upon the presentation of the reports Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi commented: “After the February adoption of the revised methodology for the accession process, we are today presenting our updates on Albania and North Macedonia. They show that the countries stepped up their work and delivered further tangible and sustainable results in the key areas identified in the Council Conclusions of June 2018. The Commission stands firmly by its recommendations to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia and I hope that the Member States will take a positive decision in the coming weeks.” The full press release is available online together with the updates on Albania and North Macedonia. The factographs Albania on its European path and North Macedonia on its European path are also available online.