EU-Albania relations
Along with other Western Balkans countries, Albania was identified as a potential candidate for EU membership at the Thessaloniki European Council summit in June 2003.
Albania submitted its formal application for EU membership in 2009. In October 2012, the European Commission recommended that Albania be granted EU candidate status, subject to the completion of key judicial and public administration reforms and the revision of the parliamentary rules of procedure. Albania was granted candidate status in June 2014.
In June 2019, the Council took note of the Commission’s recommendation of April 2018 to open accession negotiations, reiterated in the Commission’s Enlargement Package of May 2019. In March 2020, the European Council endorsed the General Affairs Council’s decision to open accession negotiations with Albania. The draft negotiating framework was presented to Member States in July 2020.
The first Intergovernmental Conference on accession negotiations with Albania was held in July 2022, marking the formal launch of the accession negotiations process. In July 2023, the European Commission submitted the screening report on Cluster 1 – Fundamentals, to the Council, including the benchmarks to be reached for opening negotiations on this cluster.
Following the opening of Cluster 1 in October 2024, Albania progressively met the conditions required to advance in other policy areas. Between 2023 and 2025, the screening process advanced steadily across all six negotiating clusters and was completed in November 2025. Albania received funds under the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans in October 2025.
In December 2025, Albania opened the final negotiating cluster (Cluster 5 – Resources, agriculture and cohesion), marking a significant milestone in its EU accession process by opening negotiations on all 33 chapters in a period of 13 months.
Key milestones
- November 20257th Accession Conference opening negotiations on Cluster 5 – Resources, agriculture and cohesion.
- October 2025Albania receives funds under the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans.
- September 2025Accession Conference opening negotiations on Cluster 4 – Green agenda and sustainable connectivity.
- May 2025Accession Conference opening negotiations on Cluster 3 – Competitiveness and inclusive growth.
- April 2025Accession Conference opening negotiations on Cluster 2 – Internal market.
- December 2024Accession Conference opening negotiations on Cluster 6 – External relations.
- November 2024Albania joins the geographical scope of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) schemes.
- October 2024European Commission approves Albania’s Reform Agenda.
- October 2024Accession Conference opening negotiations on Cluster 1 – Fundamentals.
- November 2023Completion of the screening process.
- September 2023First explanatory screening meeting on Cluster 6 – “External Relations”
- September 2023Final bilateral screening meeting on cluster 4 – “Green agenda, sustainable connectivity”
- July 2023First explanatory screening meeting on Cluster 5 – Resources, agriculture, cohesion
- July 2023Submission of the screening report on Cluster 1 – “Fundamentals” to the Council
- June 2023Final bilateral screening meeting on cluster 3 – “Competitiveness, inclusive growth”
- March 2023First explanatory screening meeting on Cluster 4 - “Green agenda, sustainable connectivity”
- March 2023Final bilateral screening meeting on cluster 2 “Internal market”
- January 2023Final bilateral screening meeting on cluster 1 “fundamentals”
- October 2022First explanatory screening meeting on Cluster 3 – Competitiveness and inclusive growth
- October 2022First explanatory screening meeting on Cluster 2 – Internal market
- September 2022First explanatory screening meeting on Cluster 1 – Fundamentals
- July 2022Inaugural meeting of the screening process
- July 2022Intergovernmental Conference on accession negotiations with Albania.
- May 2021Commission informs Council that Albania has met the remaining condition to be fulfilled prior to the holding of the first Inter-Governmental Conferenc
- October 2020Commission adopts an Economic & Investment Plan to support and bring the Western Balkans closer to the EU.
- July 2020Presentation of the draft negotiating framework to the Member States.
- March 2020The Council decides to open accession negotiations.
- February 2020Revised methodology
Revised methodology, presented by the Commission, to drive forward the enlargement process with a stronger political steer and in a more credible, predictable, dynamic way.
- May 2019The European Commission recommends opening accession negotiations.
- June 2018The Council sets out the path towards opening accession negotiations.
- April 2018The Commission repeats its unconditional recommendation to open accession negotiations.
- June 2014The Council granted the candidate status to Albania in June 2014.
- November 2013The EU and Albania hold the first meeting of the High Level Dialogue on Key Priorities.
- October 2012European Commission recommends that Albania be granted EU candidate status, subject to completion of key measures in certain areas.
- February 2011An action plan addressing the 12 key priorities identified in the European Commission opinion is adopted by Albania.
- December 2010Visa free regime for Schengen area introduced for all Albanian citizens having a biometric passport.
- November 2010European Commission delivers opinion on Albania's EU membership application.
- April 2009Albania submits its application for EU membership.
- April 2009Stabilisation and association agreement enters into force.
- January 2008EU-Albania visa facilitation agreement enters into force.
- January 2007IPA funds available to help Albania prepare for membership.
- December 2006Interim agreement enters into force.
- June 2006Stabilisation and Association Agreement and Interim Agreement is signed.
- May 2006EU-Albania Readmission Agreement enters into force.
- June 2004Council adopts European partnership with Albania.
Key documents
- General publications
- Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood
- General publications
- Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood
- General publications
- Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations
- General publications
- Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations
- General publications
- Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations
