Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-05-15-Speech-3-328"
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"en.20020515.12.3-328"2
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". – I should like at the outset to thank the honourable Member for her excellent report on Albania. It must be said that the views expressed in it are, to a very large extent, shared by the Commission.
I want to make one final point on the draft negotiating directives which, as the House knows, are being finalised in the Council. Firstly, I fully share the view expressed in the report that the negotiating directives to be given to the Commission must enable us to ensure that Albania will be in the position to implement all commitments it may undertake during negotiations. I can assure the House that the Commission wants to carry out serious negotiations, and does not intend to finalise them until it is satisfied that Albania can effectively implement its obligations under a Stabilisation and Association Agreement. Moreover, I can also confirm that the draft negotiating directives address the various subjects indicated under Paragraph 10 of the report’s resolution – such as human and minority rights, the Rule of Law and so on – and that proper attention will be paid to these topics during negotiations.
A final point: these negotiations, these agreements, are not a political fix, they are not a political gesture. They are contractual agreements of very considerable importance and we cannot allow them to be determined by political lobbying. They have to be decided by real action, real reform and real commitment on the ground.
The serious financial crisis in 1997 brought Albania to the verge of total collapse as a state. However, in overcoming this crisis, Albania embarked on a period of relative stability. This allowed Albania to start to implement reforms and to address a number of crucial problems. Since 1998, we have seen the adoption of a relatively modern constitution and legislative framework, an overall improvement in macro-economic stability and fiscal sustainability, the effective implementation of the privatisation process, a considerable strengthening of the customs and tax administrations and real improvements in terms of security and public order. Albania has also been positively contributing to the fragile stability of the region. Its position regarding the recent conflict in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, for example, has been pretty helpful.
This progress allowed the Commission, in June 2001, to recommend
the opening of Stabilisation and Association Agreement negotiations with Albania, on condition, however, that it continued a consistent reform effort, including reinforcing democratic standards and administrative capacity.
Things have, alas, not gone nearly as well as we would have liked since June last year. Although the 2001 parliamentary elections marked progress over previous elections, a number of isolated but serious irregularities were identified by international observers. As a result of these irregularities, the opposition decided to boycott the parliament. For several months, this decision impeded the proper functioning of Albania’s democratic institutions. The internal conflicts within the ruling Socialist Party – very present since last autumn in the Albanian political arena – ultimately led to the fall of the Meta government in February. These developments have not enhanced Albania’s case for early negotiation of an agreement.
For several months, the attention of Albanian politicians has been diverted from the essential task ahead: that of addressing, rapidly and efficiently, the many shortcomings identified in the June 2001 report by the Commission. The reform process has slowed, there has been a loss of momentum and Albania is not in the position to afford this.
The Majko government needs now to refocus very rapidly on the needed reforms and accelerate their implementation; to regain momentum and to guarantee a long-term commitment to reform. This is the only way for Albania to ensure that it will be in a position to implement a future Stabilisation and Association Agreement in full.
The report before the House usefully underlines the points which the Commission has been making to the Albanians. As a result of our shared messages, we have recently seen some attempts by the Albanian authorities to reinvigorate the reform process: important laws and bylaws are being passed. Initial steps for the implementation of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights recommendations have been carried out, the political environment appears to be becoming a little less confrontational. But these steps need to be consolidated. Albania must demonstrate unequivocally that it is committed to the path of reform. This will be a crucial consideration for Member States in deciding when, and at what pace, to conduct Stabilisation and Association Agreement negotiations.
Albania needs to ensure long-term political stability as a
to tackle the difficult challenges ahead. In this context, the forthcoming presidential elections are a key test. The Commission shares the report’s recommendation that a new president elected in a climate of consensus would be, by far, the best way to preserve – and further strengthen – stability. As I have just mentioned, the Commission views political stability as a pre-condition for meaningful reform. This is why we believe that the manner in which these elections will be conducted and the potential impact of their results on Albania's political stability should be factors to be taken into account when deciding to open negotiations.
The Commission’s views coincide with the Pack report as regards the issues considered as important for the implementation of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement. These include: reinforcement of the implementation capacity of the Albanian administration; Albania’s judicial system should be substantially improved and freed from corruption and political interference; organised crime and all types of trafficking should be vigorously combated; energy sector reform should be rigorously implemented in order to prevent more serious consequences for the Albanian economy and so on. I am sure the House will have noticed that the recent Commission report on the stabilisation and asociation process makes very similar points."@en1
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