The ninth meeting of the Accession Conference with Albania provisionally closed the first negotiating chapters on science and research (25), education and culture (26), and external relations (30).
Following the fulfilment of rule of law benchmarks in May, Albania has started to close its first three negotiating chapters. These chapters are of strategic importance for both the EU and Albania. This notable achievement proves Albania’s and the EU’s commitment to continue the path of the country’s European integration. I strongly welcome this significant progress, and I encourage Albania to stay the course on core reforms to move forward in the process, in the coming months.
Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for European affairs and defence of Ireland
The previous Accession Conference on 26 May 2026 confirmed that the country meets the interim benchmarks for Cluster 1 (Fundamentals). This cluster covers notably the functioning of democratic institutions, public administration reform, the rule of law chapters and economic criteria. This last step enabled the EU and Albania to start closing negotiating chapters.
Albania has opened all 33 negotiating chapters in its EU accession negotiations.
According to the negotiating principles endorsed by the Accession Conference, agreements reached in the course of negotiations on specific chapters may not be considered as final until an overall agreement has been reached for all chapters.
Background
Following the introduction of the revised methodology for accession negotiations in 2020, negotiating chapters are divided in 6 thematic clusters:
- Fundamentals
- Internal market
- Competitiveness and inclusive growth
- Green agenda and sustainable connectivity
- Resources, agriculture and cohesion
- External relations
Negotiations on the Fundamentals cluster are the first to be opened and the last to be closed, and progress under this cluster will determine the overall pace of negotiations.
