MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Unfortunate expression of approval for Albania’s accession to the EU – E-002177/2024

Question for written answer  E-002177/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Emmanouil Fragkos (ECR)

The EU Ambassador to Albania said in a statement that Albania can continue its accession path ‘without the need for a plan B’ and he praised ‘the efforts of the Albanian Government in a particularly lengthy and complex process in which candidate countries are asked to implement a series of economic, legislative and sometimes constitutional reforms’. This was following the approval given by the intergovernmental conference (IGC) of the European Council, which ‘examined the negotiating chapters overall for Albania’.

Unfortunately, this ‘overall examination’ appears hypocritical when one looks at the actual implementation of the Copenhagen accession criteria. Albania shows no respect for the rights of minorities and the implementing authority has full control over the (inexistent) judiciary, as can be seen from the concerted action against the Greek ethnic minority of Northern Epirus. It is clear that the arrest of the elected mayor of Himara, who was a member of the Greek ethnic minority of Northern Epirus, and his removal from office, show a defeat of the institutions, of democracy and of the rule of law against the political machinations of a mafia state and of micropolitical decisions.

In view of the above:

• 1.Does the Commission not agree that the full reinstatement of the elected mayor of Himara would be the only way of showing genuine respect for the rule of law and for the rights of the Greek ethnic minority in Albania?
• 2.Does it not believe that the failure to reinstate the Greek mayor of Himara should be considered a blocking issue for Albania’s accession tot he EU?

Submitted: 18.10.2024