McAllister: the EU should recognise the achievements of countries moving forward with reforms and leave no room for third countries in the region

David McAllister, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, has called on the European Union to recognise the achievements of candidate countries that meet the conditions and advance with reforms, turning these results into concrete steps towards membership.

In a video message addressed to the Inter-Parliamentary Conference “Strategic agenda for EU enlargement and Albania’s membership”, McAllister stressed that the enlargement process is important for strengthening the continent’s long-term security and stability.

According to him, the EU should not allow gaps in the region for third countries to expand their negative influence. McAllister said responsibility in the integration process is two-sided: candidate countries must continue with reforms, while the European Union must respond to their progress.

“At the heart of the EU’s programme are prosperity, well-being and security, and enlargement helps strengthen all three of these pillars. It brings economies closer together, strengthens democracies and helps long-term resilience on our continent. Russia’s attack on Ukraine has underlined the importance of EU enlargement. Leaving the region in such prolonged uncertainty creates opportunities for third parties to expand their negative influence there.

The EU must move negotiations forward whenever conditions are met, and countries that implement reforms must increase their trust in the EU. The EU must keep the commitment it has undertaken. Responsibility is two-sided: countries must move forward with reforms and the EU must recognise the achievements and turn them into further steps towards membership,” he said.

Referring to Albania, McAllister praised the opening of all negotiation clusters, describing it as the result of significant work. However, he underlined that the process requires continued reforms, particularly in strengthening the independence of the judiciary, fighting corruption and the functioning of public institutions.

The European Parliament, he said, will continue to support Albania and Montenegro on their path towards European Union membership.

“Albania has opened all the clusters and these achievements reflect a great deal of work done by the government and many of us who are committed to seeing Albania’s future in the EU. This work must be recognised for Albania. The challenge now is strengthening the independence of the judiciary and achieving sustainable results in the fight against corruption, as well as ensuring that public institutions serve their citizens well. I urge you to pursue these reforms with the same determination. The European Parliament will continue to support Albania and Montenegro on their path towards membership,” he said.