What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

Change 8

Removed:12. Encourages Albania to strengthen the institutional framework for the protection of minorities and vulnerable groups, including Roma and Egyptians, persons with disabilities, migrant workers and LGBTIQ+ persons, and to ensure effective implementation of anti-discrimination legislation; is concerned by anti-gender rhetoric present in the political discourse;

Added:15. Strongly condemns the hostility towards independent journalists and media professionals in Albania, including verbal attacks and anti-media rhetoric by high-ranking officials, smear campaigns and misogynistic online harassment, often targeting journalists reporting on the rule of law, corruption and judicial matters; expresses concern, furthermore, regarding the high number of lawsuits against journalists; welcomes the recent changes to Albania’s Criminal Code; regrets, however, that they have not led to the full decriminalisation of defamation and insult, in line with EU and international standards;

Removed:13. Underlines the need to improve access to justice, particularly for vulnerable and marginalised groups;

Added:16. Calls on the Albanian authorities to promote media and digital literacy as a complementary measure to strengthen the resilience of the information environment, including by integrating media literacy initiatives across the education system, supporting teacher training and modern learning resources, and enhancing cooperation with independent media and relevant EU programmes to promote critical thinking and responsible digital engagement;

Added:17. Encourages Albania to strengthen the institutional framework for the protection and promotion of the rights of persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities and vulnerable groups, including Roma and Egyptians, persons with disabilities, migrant workers and LGBTIQ+ persons, and to ensure the effective implementation of anti-discrimination legislation and improved access for ethnic and religious minorities and vulnerable groups to public services, and their meaningful participation in social, economic and political life; is concerned by the anti-gender rhetoric present in Albania’s political discourse; notes that the strengthening of the institutional framework for the protection of minority rights must be accompanied by effective measures that ensure the full and effective implementation of those rights in practice;

Added:18. Calls on the Albanian authorities to ensure sustainable access to education in minority languages for recognised national minorities, and to support the corresponding training of teachers, the development of textbooks and the preservation of cultural identity;

Added:19. Commends the adoption in Albania of the Law on Gender Equality, which is in line with the EU acquis and international human rights standards; expresses alarm, however, at the waves of disinformation and hatred against LGBTIQ+ persons, including smear campaigns against the work of civil society organisations working towards equality for LGBTIQ+ persons; calls on the Albanian authorities to hold persons spreading discriminatory rhetoric accountable before the law; calls for the Albanian Government to draft legal measures, such as registered partnership, to recognise and protect same-sex couples, as per its commitment in the National Action Plan for LGBTI People 2021-2027, and in order to bring Albania’s legislation on human rights in line with the EU acquis;

Added:20. Welcomes the recognition of the long-standing historical presence of the Bulgarian community in regions such as Prespa, Gollobordë and Gora, and encourages the Albanian authorities to ensure full respect for their linguistic, cultural and educational rights, as well as for those of Albania’s other recognised national minorities;

Added:21. Regrets that persistent issues of discrimination and social exclusion affecting minority groups in Albania, particularly regarding access to education, employment and public services, still remain; calls on the Albanian Government to fully align anti-discrimination policies and minority rights with the EU acquis; underlines the need to improve access to justice and political participation, particularly for vulnerable and marginalised groups;

Added:22. Highlights, also, the importance of preserving sites of memory related to the communist dictatorship and of supporting remembrance and educational initiatives that promote historical awareness and strengthen democratic culture, particularly among younger generations;

Added:23. Welcomes Albania’s vibrant and constructive civil society, which is playing a crucial and positive role in the reform process; encourages the Albanian Government to build collaborative relationships, genuinely implicating civil society in a transparent legislative process from an early stage onwards; regrets, however, that civil society organisations in Albania continue to face challenges and receive limited public funding; calls, furthermore, on the Albanian Government to ensure an enabling, safe and non-discriminatory environment for civil society;

Added:24. Is concerned that, in the global rankings published in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025, Albania fell from 23rd place in 2024 to 36th place in 2025, indicating a widening gender gap; regrets that the legal framework for combating gender-based violence is not yet aligned with the Istanbul Convention; urges the Albanian Government to enhance support services for victims, particularly in healthcare, funding for women’s shelters, free legal aid, and reintegration and rehabilitation programmes;

Added:25. Is concerned about the fact that Albania’s National Agenda on the Rights of the Child (NARC) 2021-2026 is not yet fully implemented, and access to justice for children is hindered by delays, limited legal aid and inadequate institutional coordination; regrets the fact that the majority of children in Albania remain at risk of poverty; calls on the Albanian authorities to effectively implement the NARC by providing assistance to children facing exclusion and poverty;

Public administration reform and governance

Change 9

Changed:14.26. Acknowledges the progress made in public administration reform, including strategic planning and coordination; welcomes the adoption of the Cross-Cutting Public Administration Reform Strategy 2025-2030; stresses, however, that further efforts are required to ensure merit-based recruitment and the depoliticisation of the civil service, including the adoption and implementation of a new legislative framework for the civil service;

Change 10

Removed:15. Calls for improved policy planning, evidence-based decision-making and transparent budgetary processes, including strengthened parliamentary oversight of public finances;

Added:27. Is concerned that neither the legal framework for public procurement nor company law legislation is fully aligned with the EU acquis; calls on the Albanian authorities to continue their efforts to fully align Albania’s legislation with the EU acquis; calls for strengthened parliamentary oversight, independent audits and full transparency in public procurement procedures, in order to ensure compliance with EU standards on competition, data protection and anti-corruption;

Removed:Socio-economic reforms and environment

Added:28. Welcomes the ongoing work of Albania’s cross-party parliamentary committee on territorial reform; stresses that any reform in this area should be conducted through an inclusive process and based on objective socio-economic criteria and European standards of local self-government;

Removed:16. Welcomes Albania’s engagement in implementing the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans; notes, however, that structural weaknesses persist, including informality, limited productivity growth and a challenging business environment; reiterates the importance of improving the transport infrastructure between the Western Balkan countries and developing connections with EU Member States;

Added:29. Calls for improved policy planning, evidence-based decision-making and transparent budgetary processes, including strengthened parliamentary oversight of public finances; insists that the financial resources, administrative capacity and fiscal autonomy of local authority units be improved;

Removed:17. Highlights the importance of investing in education, skills development and innovation to support sustainable growth and social cohesion;

Added:30. Commends the Albanian authorities for the recent adoption of the National Cyber Security Strategy 2025-2030; welcomes the alignment of Albania’s current Law on Cybersecurity with the EU’s NIS 2 Directive; commends the Albanian authorities for adopting an updated list of operators of critical and important information infrastructure;

Removed:18. Underlines the key importance of genuine social dialogue for delivering benefits of enlargement to different segments of the population; regrets the low frequency of National Labour Council meetings; calls for strengthening of the tripartite consultation process, including adequate trade union representation; stresses the need to further support capacity building of social partners;

Added:31. Welcomes Albania’s continuous improvement in its transmission of data to Eurostat; calls on the Albanian authorities to further increase its production and distribution of high-quality data;

Removed:19. Notes with concern the Commission’s assessment that there had been no progress on environment and climate change over the past year;

Added:32. Commends the Albanian Government for adopting the new laws on trademarks and patents; calls on the Albanian authorities to fully align Albania’s intellectual property law with the EU acquis and to continue to strengthen it;

Added:Socio-economic reforms and the environment

Added:33. Welcomes Albania’s engagement in implementing the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans; notes, however, that structural weaknesses persist, including informality in business, limited productivity growth and a challenging business environment; regrets that the large informal economy impedes the business environment and competition; reiterates the importance of improving the transport infrastructure between the Western Balkan countries and further developing their train and air connections with EU Member States; commends the Albanian authorities for providing VAT exemptions for EU-financed projects in Albania;

Added:34. Recalls the potential of the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans to enhance regional connectivity through rail and road; urges, in that respect, the authorities in all countries concerned to complete the Corridor VIII projects connecting Albania, North Macedonia and Bulgaria;

Added:35. Calls for the implementation of a comprehensive foreign direct investment screening mechanism as a strategic initiative for protecting Albania’s national interests, enhancing security, and ensuring predictability for investors and consistency with EU standards;

Added:36. Highlights the fact that the internal control system of Albania’s Public Internal Financial Control remains partially effective; calls on Albania to increase the accountability and transparency of state-owned enterprises by making their annual financial performance reports publicly available; calls on the Albanian authorities to fully implement the recommendations of the Albanian Supreme Audit Institution;

Added:37. Welcomes the adoption of Albania’s Strategy for the Modernisation and Harmonisation of Albanian Customs Information Systems with the EU systems for the period 2025-2030; commends the Albanian authorities for their efforts to meet EU standards by harmonising and improving customs infrastructure;

Added:38. Commends the Albanian authorities for aligning the private pension fund legislation with the EU acquis; calls on Albania to complete its alignment with the EU acquis on insurance, capital markets, securities markets, investment funds and financial market infrastructures;

Added:39. Warmly welcomes the Commission proposal to open negotiations to extend the EU ‘roam like at home’ regime to the Western Balkans, and calls on the Council to swiftly authorise the opening of negotiations, in this regard, with the Western Balkan partners;

Added:40. Highlights the importance of investing in education, skills development and innovation to support sustainable growth and social cohesion; commends the Albanian Government for the adoption of legislative acts to reform higher education and for the continuous implementation of the National Strategy for Education 2021-2026; calls on the Albanian authorities to finalise the implementing legislation for the Law on Cultural Heritage and Museums; encourages the development of policies aimed at reducing youth emigration and brain drain, and at strengthening opportunities for young professionals through improved labour market conditions, education reform and innovation support;

Added:41. Calls for the further development and effective implementation of the social housing framework in Albania, based on the continuation and improvement of the National Strategy for Social Housing 2016-2025, so as to ensure stable and decent living conditions for lower-income and vulnerable groups; underlines, in particular, the importance of accessible and affordable social housing for young people, including students and apprentices, as this supports their geographical mobility, access to education and training, and successful integration into the labour market;

Added:42. Underlines the key importance of genuine social dialogue for delivering the benefits of EU enlargement to different segments of the population; welcomes the improvement of database transfer and early connection to the European Employment Services (EURES), which were made possible by the full alignment of the national list of occupations with the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO) multilingual classification; regrets, however, the low frequency of National Labour Council meetings; calls for the strengthening of the tripartite consultation process, including adequate trade union representation; stresses the need to further support the capacity building of social partners;

Added:43. Calls for increased efforts to foster compliance with EU labour law and the EU occupational health and safety framework, including the full implementation of non-discriminatory policies and equality measures, and urges the relevant national authorities to ensure effective monitoring, enforcement and adequate sanctions in cases of non-compliance;

Added:44. Underlines that progress towards EU accession requires an actual track record of implementation and enforcement of the environmental acquis, notably on environmental assessments, nature protection laws and public participation rights;

Added:45. Takes notes of the Albanian Government’s announcement that it will reform the country’s waste management sector, centralising and improving waste collection and management; notes with concern, however, that, according to the Commission’s assessment, there has been no progress on environment and climate change over the reporting period; urges the Albanian Government to prioritise the implementation of climate adaptation strategies and the development of renewable energy sources, and to support sustainable economic growth;

Added:46. Deeply regrets the fact that Albania’s 2015 Law on Strategic Investments has been extended, in view of its provisions enabling accelerated permitting procedures and reduced environmental scrutiny, which risk adversely affecting protected areas and other environmentally sensitive zones; calls for the repealing of the 2024 amendments to the Law on Protected Areas, which allow the development of large-scale tourism infrastructure within protected areas and transfer key governance and decision-making competences to the National Council of Territory, thereby weakening environmental oversight;

Foreign policy and regional cooperation

Change 11

Changed:20.47. Commends Albania’s continued full alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy, including restrictive measures, Albania’s continued engagement in CSDPEU common security and defence policy missions and operations, and its constructive role in promoting regional stability;stability, which confirms the country’s strong Euro-Atlantic orientation; welcomes the enhanced cooperation on security and defence issues through the EU-Albania Security and Defence Partnership and Security and Defence Dialogues; stresses the importance of further cooperation, such as joint training initiatives, shared intelligence capabilities, and enhanced border security measures to address regional and global security challenges;

Change 12

Removed:21. Underlines the importance of good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation as essential components of the enlargement process and welcomes Albania’s active participation in regional initiatives;

Added:48. Stresses that participation in international initiatives and organisations should remain consistent with EU values, regional stability and Albania’s EU integration objectives; emphasises the importance of transparency and appropriate parliamentary scrutiny in decisions related to international commitments;

Added:49. Underlines the importance of good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation as essential components of the EU enlargement process, and welcomes Albania’s active participation in regional initiatives; underlines the need for deeper security cooperation within the Western Balkans, fostering closer coordination among regional partners to combat organised crime, cyberthreats, and hybrid challenges; recognises the strategic importance of the Adriatic-Ionian region for European security and economic stability; calls on Albania to enhance its maritime security capabilities in coordination with the EU and NATO, including strengthening naval infrastructure, improving surveillance systems and intensifying efforts to combat illicit activities such as human trafficking; encourages Albania to cooperate more closely with EU coastal states to ensure the protection of critical maritime routes and environmental sustainability in the region;

Added:50. Warns that initiatives developed outside the EU framework, including the ‘Open Balkan’ initiative, risk creating parallel structures that could undermine the Berlin Process and the Western Balkans Common Regional Market;

EU support

Change 13

Changed:22.51. Welcomes the EU financial and technical assistance provided to Albania under IPA III and the Reform and Growth Facility, and stresses that such support must remain firmly linked to concretethe reformconcrete implementation of reforms and measurable results; calls for strengthened EU support for regional security initiatives that enhance stability and resilience across the Western Balkans; welcomes the European Peace Facility’s bilateral assistance measures in support of Albania’s armed forces, which enhance Albania’s potential to contribute to EU common security and defence policy missions and operations;

Change 14

Added:52. Calls for strengthened oversight and meaningful participation of civil society organisations, business associations and social partners in all stages of the Western Balkans Reform and Growth Facility, including the design of reform measures, implementation of projects and monitoring of results;

Added:53. Calls on the EU to provide additional financial and technical assistance to Albania, to support sustainable rural development and reduce the urban-rural divide, in line with EU cohesion policies;

Added:54. Expresses concern over the serious irregularities identified by the European Anti-Fraud Office in the implementation of the EU’s Instrument for Pre-Accession for Rural Development (IPARD II) programme in Albania; underlines the importance of ensuring full transparency, accountability and effective control mechanisms in the use of EU financial assistance, in order to safeguard the EU’s financial interests and maintain public trust; calls for the immediate implementation of the necessary corrective measures;

Added:55. Calls on the Commission to continue providing clear guidance on reform priorities, and to ensure transparent and rigorous monitoring of the progress of reforms; calls, furthermore, on the Commission to set up an information campaign in all Member States and in Albania to explain the positive impact of EU enlargement to citizens;

Added:56. Encourages the Commission, together with the European External Action Service, to further help boost Albania’s resilience to hybrid threats, in the area of cybersecurity, information manipulation and the protection of critical infrastructure; stresses the need to improve coordination and address disinformation and hybrid threats that seek to undermine public support in Albania for EU accession by more strategically emphasising the EU’s relevance to people in the Western Balkans;

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Change 15

Changed:23.57. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the PresidentCouncil ofand the EuropeanCommission, Council,and to the Council,President toof the Commission,European Council, to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, to the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and to the President, Government and Parliament of the Republic of Albania.