BRUSSELS – At today’s accession conference with the European Union, Albania opened cluster 4: “Green agenda and sustainable connectivity”. It is the fifth out of the total of six Clusters Albania has opened in the past 11 months.
Cluster 4 contains four chapters, on transport policy, energy, trans-European networks, as well as environment and climate change.
The reforms contained within this cluster, stressed European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, will make sure that Albania’s economic growth goes hand in hand with the protection of Albania’s natural wealth and resources.
This brings Albania to 28 out of 33 opened chapters with the EU. The only remaining cluster to be opened is cluster 5, which contains EU rules on agriculture and cohesion.
According to Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama, the ambition of the country is to open the final cluster by the end of the year.
In the press conference, Marie Bjerre, Minister of European Affairs of Denmark, stated that, after a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, enlargement has become a geopolitical necessity.
“We need to move on with enlargement for a stronger and more secure EU, and that is exactly why enlargement is a top priority for the Danish EU presidency”, said
She remarked that this is the fifth out of six negotiating clusters Albania has opened within a year.
“Albania has shown clearly that it sees its future in Europe. You are delivering and you deserve recognition”, Bjerre said.
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that “Albania’s speed is impressive”.
“I have no doubt that we will open the remaining cluster soon”, Kos said.
Albania, according to Kos, shows that positive change is possible and that the EU rewards such changes. She noted Albania’s ambition to close all chapters by the end of 2027.
Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that, for the first time in its history, Albania can choose freely “which empire it wants to be part of”.
“This is the empire that we want to be a part of – the empire of rights, values, safety and security”, Rama said.
