The eighth meeting of the Accession Conference with Albania confirmed that Albania has, overall, met the interim benchmarks on the so-called cluster 1: fundamentals. This cluster covers notably the functioning of democratic institutions, public administration reform, the rule of law chapters and economic criteria.
Today’s milestone for Albania confirms the fulfilment of the interim benchmarks for the fundamentals cluster. It demonstrates the country’s commitment to further advance its path towards EU membership and marks the beginning of a demanding phase focused on implementation, solid track records and lasting results. Enlargement is a geopolitical necessity for the EU and a top priority for the Cyprus presidency. It is a merit-based process, in which determined reforms lead to concrete progress towards accession.
Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister for European affairs of the Republic of Cyprus
The meeting follows the opening of all negotiating clusters with Albania in Accession Conferences held in 2024 and 2025, including the latest one on ‘Resources, agriculture and cohesion’ on 17 November 2025. With today’s step, the EU and Albania will be in a position to start closing negotiating chapters.
Monitoring of progress in the alignment with and implementation of the EU acquis and relevant European standards will continue throughout the negotiations.
The EU also set benchmarks for the provisional closure of the chapters that belong to cluster 1. The Accession Conference will return to cluster 1 at an appropriate moment.
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.
- EU common position on Cluster 5 : Resources, agriculture and cohesion
- EU common position on Cluster 4 : Green agenda and sustainable connectivity
- EU common position on Cluster 3 : Competitiveness and inclusive growth
- EU common position on Cluster 2 : Internal market
- EU common position on Cluster 6: External relations
- First meeting of the Accession Conference with Albania, 19 July 2022
- Second meeting of the Accession Conference with Albania, 15 October 2024
- Third meeting of the Accession Conference with Albania, 17 December 2024
- Fourth meeting of the Accession Conference with Albania, 14 April 2025
- Fifth meeting of the Accession Conference with Albania, 22 May 2025
- Sixth meeting of the Accession Conference with Albania, 16 September 2025
- Seventh meeting of the Accession Conference with Albania, 17 November 2025
- Albania (background information)
