RTSH 1 – “Negotiations kick off – What’s next? With Gledis Gjipali on ‘Ekspres’, 16 October 2024

Invited to comment on the convening of the Second Intergovernmental Conference on October 15, 2024, which marked the beginning of negotiations for Cluster 1 – Fundamentals, Gledis Gjipali clarified that according to the new Enlargement Methodology, this Cluster will have greater importance compared to other Clusters. Therefore, the standards must be very high throughout the process, because if we make progress in the other chapters but stagnate in the Fundamentals, we will face a blockage in the process. Gjipali also explained that if we take steps backward, for example in the rule of law and human rights, it may happen that the chapters included in the Fundamentals are closed and considered not opened, forcing them to be reopened from the beginning. The negotiating party from the EU consists of representatives from member states in Brussels, who make decisions at the diplomatic level, while the technical part is represented by the European Commission, which prepares the reports. Our team resembles the shape of a pyramid, with the Chief Negotiator at the top, while the Chief Negotiators for each chapter lead the negotiating groups. Regarding the expected speed of the process, there is disappointment because it is not progressing at the speed that was anticipated. There are two elements that directly influence this: the first, relates to how quickly we implement reforms, and the second relates to how ready the EU is to accept us. We are far from predicting this as a moment, but what we have in hand is the completion of the tasks.

RTSH 1 – “Negotiations kick off – What’s next? with Gledis Gjipali on ‘Ekspres’, 16 October 2024

RTSH: The opening of negotiations with the EU, expert Gjipali: The improvement of public administration and justice reform is important!