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Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Albania

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Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Albania

SUMMARY OF:

Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and Albania

Decision 2009/332/EC, Euratom concluding the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and Albania

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DECISION AND THE AGREEMENT?

The decision marks the European Union's (EU’s) conclusion of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Albania.

The aims of the agreement are to:

support the efforts of Albania to strengthen democracy and the rule of law;
contribute to political, economic and institutional stability in Albania, as well as to the stabilisation of the region;
provide an appropriate framework for political dialogue, allowing the development of close political relations between the EU and the Albania;
support the efforts of Albania to develop its economic and international cooperation, including through aligning its laws more closely to those of the EU;
support the efforts of Albania to complete the transition into a functioning market economy;
promote harmonious economic relations and gradually develop a free trade area between the EU and Albania;
foster regional cooperation in all the fields covered by this agreement.

KEY POINTS

The SAA comprises 10 headings.

1.
General principles
The SAA is based on a number of essential principles. Albania agrees to:
- respect democratic principles and human rights, international law and instruments as well as the principles of market economy;
- cooperate and fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their means of delivery, including by:
  - taking steps to sign, ratify, or accede to, as appropriate, and fully implement all relevant international instruments;
  - establishing an effective system of national export controls, controlling the export as well as the transit of WMD-related goods, including a WMD end-use control on dual use technologies, and containing effective sanctions for breaches of export controls;
- fight against terrorism and fulfil international obligations in this area;
- promote international and regional peace, stability and foster cooperation and good neighbourly relations in the region, including by:
  - developing projects of common interest;
  - allowing an appropriate level of mutual concessions concerning the movement of persons, goods, capital and services.
2.
Political dialogue
Political dialogue between the two parties is to be further developed. It will promote in particular:
- full integration of Albania into the community of democratic nations and gradual harmonisation (rapprochement) with the EU;
- an increasing convergence of positions of the parties on international issues;
- regional cooperation and the development of good neighbourly relations;
- common views on security and stability in Europe, including in the areas covered by common foreign and security policy of the EU.
3.
Regional cooperation
Albania is required to:
- actively promote regional cooperation;
- negotiate with the countries which have already signed an SAA with the EU — with a view to concluding bilateral agreements on regional cooperation;
- pursue regional cooperation with countries involved in the stabilisation and association process (SAP) in some or all the fields of cooperation covered by this agreement;
- conclude, if possible, cooperation agreements with any EU candidate country not involved in the SAP.
The EU supports projects having a regional or cross-border dimension through its technical assistance programmes.
4.
Free movement of goods
- The two parties are committed to gradually establishing a bilateral free trade area over a period lasting a maximum of 10 years.
- The SAA sets out a process for reducing and removing customs tariffs and quotas on goods from both the EU and Albania.
5.
Movement of workers, establishment, supply of services and movement of capital
- Albanian nationals working legally in an EU country must be free of any form of discrimination compared to nationals of the country concerned.
- Rules must be established to coordinate the social security system for Albanian nationals legally employed in the territory of an EU country, and for the members of their families legally resident there.
- Companies (as well as subsidiaries and branches) based in one party will be allowed to set up operations on the territory of the other party under the same conditions as companies based in that territory.
- Both parties must take steps which progressively allow their companies or nationals to supply services in the territory of the other party.
- Any payments and transfers on the current account of balance of payments between the EU and Albania must be permitted in a freely convertible currency.
6.
Alignment of the laws of the country to those of the EU
- Albania agrees to ensure that its existing laws and future legislation will gradually be made compatible with the EU acquis and that such laws will be properly implemented and enforced.
- Both sides are bound by competition rules, based on EU law, relating to actions that may affect trade between the 2 parties.
7.
Justice, freedom and security
The SAA emphasises the importance of the rule of law and reinforcing institutions at all levels. Cooperation focuses on a number of specific areas, including:
- independence of the judiciary, the improvement of its effectiveness and training in legal professions;
- visas, border control, asylum and migration;
- preventing and controlling illegal migration;
- preventing and combating organised crime, corruption, terrorism and other illegal activities.
8.
Cooperation policies
The EU and Albania should establish close cooperation on a wide range of policy areas to help the development and growth potential of Albania.
9.
Financial cooperation
- To help achieve the objectives of this agreement, Albania may receive financial assistance from the EU in the form of grants and loans, including loans from the European Investment Bank.
10.
Supervision
The agreement establishes a stabilisation and association council (SAC) to supervise the application and implementation of the agreement.The SAC is assisted by a stabilisation and association committee, composed of representatives of the Council of the EU and the European Commission, on the one hand, and of representatives of the government of Albania on the other.

FROM WHEN DO THE DECISION AND THE AGREEMENT APPLY?

The decision has applied since 26 February 2009 and the agreement since 1 April 2009.

BACKGROUND

For further information, see:

Albania (European Commission)
Western Balkans (European External Action Service)
Overview — Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (European Commission)
EU enlargement package 2018 (European Commission).

MAIN DOCUMENTS

Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Albania, of the other part Protocols Declarations (OJ L 107, 28.4.2009, pp. 166-502)

Successive amendments to the agreement have been incorporated into the original document. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

Council and Commission Decision 2009/332/EC, Euratom of 26 February 2009 concerning the conclusion of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Albania, of the other part (OJ L 107, 28.4.2009, p. 165)