Albania opens 8 new EU negotiation chapters in Brussels
Less than a month after its last session, the European Union held its fifth intergovernmental conference with Albania, advancing the country’s membership process with the opening of negotiations on eight new chapters.
Why is this important: This marks another major leap in Albania’s EU accession talks. In just eight months, Albania has opened negotiations in 27 policy areas, a pace that reflects strong alignment with EU benchmarks and increasing political will on both sides. The government aims to close negotiations by 2027 and secure full EU membership by 2030.
Context: The Brussels meeting was led by Albanian Foreign Minister Igli Hasani, with discussions focused on Cluster 3: Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth.
The newly opened eight chapters cover core areas critical to long-term development:
- Chapter 10 – Digital Transformation and Media
- Chapter 16 – Taxation
- Chapter 17 – Economic and Monetary Policy
- Chapter 19 – Social Policy and Employment
- Chapter 20 – Enterprise and Industrial Policy
- Chapter 25 – Science and Research
- Chapter 26 – Education and Culture
- Chapter 29 – Customs Union
These chapters address everything from tax reform and labor standards to digitalization, media freedom, and scientific cooperation. EU officials say progress in these areas is essential to ensure Albania’s fiscal stability, business competitiveness, innovation, and participation in Europe’s digital and research ecosystems.
The bigger picture. With today’s step, Albania has now formally opened:
Cluster 1: Fundamentals (October 2024)
Cluster 6: External Relations (December 2024)
Cluster 2: Internal Market (April 2025)
Cluster 3: Competitiveness (May 2025)
The Albanian government has stated its intention to open all remaining clusters by the end of 2025, wrap up negotiations by 2027, and join the EU by 2030.
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