The European Parliament has included in the resolution on the opening of negotiations with Albania, the 15 conditions set by the EU , which Albania must have met before the holding of the First Intergovernmental Conference.
At the June 18 meeting, the EP voted with 388 votes in favor, 280 against and 19 abstentions, the amendment that the Group of European People’s Parties (EPP) had requested for the resolution drafted by MEP Tonino Picula.
The text of the resolution will now include the following:
“[The European Parliament] emphasizes the 15 conditions set by the Council of the European Union that Albania must have met before convening the first Intergovernmental Conference with the Member States.”
The request for amendment was made because according to the EPP, Picula’s resolution is general and did not mention the conditions that Albania had to meet by the first quarter of 2021, when the First Intergovernmental Conference will be held.
Prime Minister Edi Rama categorically denied the existence of the conditions last week, adding they were “non-existent” and people should stop talking about it.
The conditions include prosecuting politicians and officials implicated in vote-buying (this would include head of the electoral reform committee Damian Gjiknuri and potentially Rama himself), ensuring the media law is in line with Venice Commission recommendations (essentially scrapping it completely), and ensuring the High Court and Constitutional Court are operational.
