Plenary Session of National Convention on European Integration 2021-2023 in Albania, 20 December 2021

On December 21st 2021, the Plenary Session that marked the resumption of the National Convention on European Integration in Albania 2021-2023, implemented by EMA since 2014 in partnership with Slovak Foreign Policy Association and with the financial support of SlovakAid took place online. 

The event started with the opening remarks of Gledis Gjipali, Executive Director of EMA and Tomáš Strážay, Director at the Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association, who among others reiterated the importance of cooperation between Albania and Slovakia with regard to the EU Integration process while explaining in concrete terms the mission of the National Conventions that are being implemented in various Western Balkans countries.

During the first session, Martin Klus, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia expressed the significance of the European Integration of the region of the Western Balkans, not just on a technical level but further beyond, mentioning here the transcendence of the European values. Klus, expressed his appreciation for the “bottom-up approach” that the convention represents in Albania. In addition, Megi Fino, Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs in Albania, underlined the importance of making this process participatory and inclusive of various actors in the country. Fino stated that “If there is anything we should be certain of, it is that our future is European.” Furthermore, Adea Pirdeni, Deputy Minister of Justice in Albania, referred to the need to push the process forward through the internal agenda. Pirdeni also highlighted the challenges of integration as well as the efforts and achievements with regard to the judiciary reform.

Throughout the second session, examples from the region along with success stories of the National Conventions in the framework of the EU Integration processes were presented to attendees. Miroslava Pisklová, researcher at the Research Center of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association brought to attention the Slovak experience and presented the activities undertaken within the scope of the National Convention. Pisklová stressed the importance for such activities to continue being implemented even after the integration process is complete. The discussion was then continued by Konstantin Minoski, Coordinator of the Working Groups at the National Convention on the European Union in North Macedonia. Minoski paid particular attention to the importance of bringing the integration process closer to the citizens and went on to present the success of the Working Groups which focus on chapters 23,24,27 and 19 while highlighting the impact produced through the involvement of such groups in the process. Through the listing and presenting of the sessions of the Working Groups, Minoski explained the results and recommendations produced by these groups on different chapters, where he highlighted 250 adopted recommendations, meaning around 35-40% of them are taken under consideration and are followed-up by North Macedonia. Momçilo Radulović, President of the European Movement in Montenegro, in this line of discussion, shared the experience of Montenegro in terms of the National Convention and highlighted the Regional Convention on European Integration that brought together Montenegro, Serbia and Albania in conducting joint regional meetings on common challenges of European Integration process. In his intervention, Radulović expressed the crucial significance that cooperation between different actors plays and the added values that NGOs offer.

During the third session, Gledis Gjipali dhe Nirvana Deliu from EMA, explained in detail the activities implemented within the framework of the National Convention in Albania since 2014. Gjipali gave an overview of objectives of the Convention itself, to institutionalize the public debate on EU related issues, strengthening expert capacities, engagement of citizens and different governmental and non-governmental actors as well as the transfer of the knowledge, best practices and experience of the Slovak counterpart, encountered in the road towards the EU Integration. Moreover, Gjipali introduced the work done by the 6 Working Groups established within the framework of the Convention along with activities implemented under this framework. Gjipali highlighted the 40 sessions of the Working Groups that have taken place not only in Tirana, but also in other regions such as Fieri, Lushnja, Elbasani, Durrësi with particular topics in focus such as the environment, agriculture and food safety. Participants in these activities come from public institutions, civil society, the business sector and academia. Gjipali concluded his intervention by introducing the product of these ongoing activities, i.e. Policy Recommendations, published and shared with stakeholders.

Meanwhile Deliu focused on the activities  of the Convention during the period 2019-2021, where four sessions each were conducted for five Working Groups, with the participation of a number of Ministries such as the Ministry of Justice, that of Internal Affairs, Agriculture and Finance. Deliu underlined the good cooperation with other institutions as well such as the Albanian Development Fund, the Assembly and the National Council of the European Integration and the Chamber of Advocates which contributed to the smooth implementation of the activities. During these sessions, with the participation of actors of the civil society, the university and the private sector, were issued a number of recommendations for which developments were observed in terms of drafting of legislation as well as the increase of institutional capacities and strengthening of cooperation between different actors. Some of the recommendations identified constitute recommendations on improving the law on asylum and the law on foreigners (WG II – Chapter 24) and developments in this regard, the establishment of FADN that collects data on farmers (WG III – Chapter 11) where is one of the priorities outlined by the European Commission or even legislative developments in the field of Consumer Protection. Deliu concluded her intervention by emphasizing that these areas and topics will be addressed during the next Convention in order to monitor and follow up on these challenges.

In the last session of the launching event of the Convention, a section of questions and answers was held with the participants where some of the initiatives undertaken by representatives of the attending organizations were presented and questions were addressed regarding the European Integration of Albania and the new enlargement methodology.

You may find more on the National Convention on European Integration in this link: www.eurokonventa.al