Elections, conditions for status

Diplomatic sources in Brussels confirm for Top Channel that the member countries are divided in three groups: supportive, critic and neutral.

The first group has countries that are satisfied with the Commission’s recommendation for giving the status after the three remaining laws will pass. This group includes most of the new members from Eastern Europe and Baltic region, and certainly the permanent supporters like Italy, Slovenia and to a certain point even Greece, despite the persistence for resolving the problematic issues between the two countries.

The other group that is not yet satisfied with the Commission’s assessments, especially on the rule of law, corruption and war against organized crime, has countries such as Netherlands, Germany, France, Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden and Spain. The other countries are still neutral.

Top Channel learned from confidential sources that Germany could propose to include in these conclusions the parliamentary elections of 2013 as a condition for the EU candidate status. This would postpone the EU decision for the candidate status in December 2013.

According to the same sources, even if Tirana fulfils the three conditions, with or without the second Commission report, the countries that hold a critic position might not change their mind, based in the opinion that last-minute reforms cannot be considered reliable.

The working groups of the member countries will discuss Albania’s position even next Monday and Wednesday, before the enlargement file with the respective draft-conclusions will pass to the EU ambassadors for discussion, on November 28th. On December 11th, the Council of Ministers is expected to pass in unanimity the conclusions that will be supported later by the EU heads of states and governments on December 14th, on the second day of the European summit.

Prepared by: ARTA TOZAJ

Top Channel