Speech by Mr Olli Rehn
Member of the European Commission, responsible for Enlargement

"Deeds must follow words - Albania moves towards implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement"

Address to the Albanian Parliament
Tirana, 11 November 2005

Dear President, dear Members of the Parliament

It is a pleasure to be in Tirana today to present the Progress Report the Commission has adopted on your country. I am honoured to have the opportunity to present to your parliament the main conclusions and recommendations.

Let me start with a few thoughts on the future of EU enlargement. I know that people in the Western Balkans have been worried by the debate in the EU about enlargement this year. But I can assure you that the door to Europe is still open to you. The EU last month opened negotiations for accession with Croatia and Turkey, proving that it is ready to move forward with each country once it is fully prepared for the next stage in the accession process. There is no question of any country moving before it is ready, but the EU is committed to progress once the conditions are met.

The EU's activities in this region have a sound base in the commitments made by the European Council in Thessaloniki two years ago. The EU's heads of state and government have repeatedly confirmed that all of the Western Balkans has the prospect of eventual EU membership.

However, the road to the EU is still long for Albania, and there are no short-cuts. The work on reforms is essential - to the economy, the public administration, and many other institutions. Our Progress Report for this year shows how much still needs to be done.

The progress report

In its Progress Report, the Commission has assessed Albania's progress in the development of its legislative and institutional framework and its administrative capacity. Our conclusion is that Albania has now made sufficient progress to allow the proper implementation of its future Stabilisation and Association Agreement. This paves the way for the conclusion of SAA negotiations. Following the finalisation of the text, I intend to recommend conclusion of the agreement to the Council.

Congratulations, this is an important achievement. The Stabilisation and Association Agreement will be the first major step on the road to the EU. This agreement will deepen our relationship, and create political and economic bonds between your country and the European Union.

Challenges in concluding the Stabilisation and Association Agreement

However, between now, the signature and the subsequent ratification of the agreement, Albania must ensure that progress continues. The Commission can make a proposal to the Council to conclude the SAA with Albania, but our Member States must then adopt it and sign and ratify the agreement. It is therefore essential that Albania can convince not only the Commission but also our Member States that it is ready to start implementing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement.

Successful implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement

If Albania can make that case convincingly, it will move into an important new phase on its path towards the EU. It will then face an even greater challenge - that of successfully implementing a Stabilisation and Association Agreement, and thus making further practical progress towards the EU.

International perceptions of Albania in areas such as corruption are far from good. Albania must show results in fighting corruption. Cases must be dealt with firmly, but strictly according to the rules, and independently of party affiliation. This is important because Albania needs to improve its administrative capacity in order to implement the Stabilisation and Association Agreement properly.

The Stabilisation and Association Agreement will provide a framework for real further progress - but the framework has to be properly used. The Commission will help, with its political guidance and financial assistance, but only the Albanian authorities can do the difficult and detailed work required to maximise the country's benefit from the future Stabilisation and Association Agreement.

Benefits of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement

This agreement will prepare the ground for Albania to move towards European norms and standards. It will help your country to develop the administrative capacity to apply EU rules properly. The trade provisions will start to open up markets, and help Albania to develop a functioning market economy that has the capacity to cope with competitive pressures within the EU's internal market.

It will bring important benefits to ordinary citizens: the Stabilisation and Association Agreement will allow an expansion of trade with the EU, attracting investment to Albania. That will create jobs because companies will seek to expand their activities in response to the removal of obstacles to the movement of goods. People here will also see more high-quality goods in the shops at better prices, and enjoy better consumer protection. In addition to the economic side, the people of this country will benefit from wide-ranging cooperation with the EU in many policy areas where there are serious problems - for example, to tackle organised crime and trafficking across borders, as well as to improve environmental standards.

The need for cross-party consensus

The goal of European integration will benefit all of the people of Albania, regardless of political affiliation. Only by working together across party lines can you reach this goal.

I am glad that a strong consensus exists in Albania on the country's EU ambitions. But it is easier to agree on broad lines and objectives than on the details of legislation. Albania also needs to develop constructive cross-party consensus at working level.

The role of the Parliament

The parliament plays a vital role in Albania's democratic life. For this reason, it was particularly important that this summer's elections were conducted in a fundamentally sound manner. We encourage you to continue to improve the standards of conducting elections, in the interests of the country's future development. In doing so, I would encourage to you to take careful note of the recommendations set out in the OSCE/ODIHR report on the conduct of the elections.

Conclusions

As the Commissioner responsible for enlargement, my aim is to deepen the relationship between the European Union and your country. Together, we are making tangible progress. I congratulate Albania on achieving this move forward on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. Many ministers in successive governments worked to take your country towards Europe. This is the result of all their efforts.

I look forward to working with you in the years ahead. We have a big job ahead of us, but it will be worth the effort to bring the benefits to the citizens of Albania. We owe it to them to do that work well.