Stano: We want concrete results

 In an interview for Top Channel, the Spokesperson for Commissioner Fule, Peter Stano, underlined that despite the progresses reached with the autumn political agreement, concrete results are needed for fulfilling the criteria.

Top Channel: So far it has been said that Albania must fulfill all criteria for receiving the candidate status and starting the membership negotiations. There have been voices circulating recently about an idea for the division of these conditions, in order to help the country at least for receiving the status this autumn. Which would be the criteria in this case?

Peter Stano: The key to this question is at the 12 key recommendations. The results of the 12 key priorities will approach Albania with the member countries, if they see that these criteria have been fulfilled and if the commission proposes a positive evaluation, recommending the candidate status for which the member countries will decide, and if they will see that there is enough progress, based on the results, there could be a recommendation for opening the negotiations. But we must take things step by step. First of all, the focus should be on the results of the 12 key priorities. Then we should wait for the progress report in October, and after we evaluate the progress reached or at what level has Albania fulfilled the 12 priorities, the Commission will plan the recommendations about which the member countries will take a decision.

But these are some steps. I would say to take them one by one, without leaving any of them out, because the negotiations are in the second or third phase of the process, while Albania is still in the third phase, which consists of the results with the 12 priorities and the work that must be made for enabling the European Commission’s recommendation for the candidate status.

We are not dividing the process, which is clearly established, in an open and transparent way. We have 12 key priorities, and the most important thing for advancing in the European road is to give results with these priorities. Only after seeing that there are results and that they are concrete and stable, after seeing that the European agenda is really an inter-partial agenda and from the entire Albanian nation, we would happily assess that Albania has given results and we can recommend to go to the next phase. By I would not speculate on a possible division of the criteria, because the criteria have been set, and only after giving results you will receive what the EU has promised.

Top Channel