2023 and 2024 Commission reports on Albania

Wording as published by the EP, in English.

1. Amendment 4Rejected

   Recital C a (new)

   Tabled by Pierre-Romain Thionnet, Matthieu Valet, Afroditi Latinopoulou +1 · PfE

   Added: Ca. whereas Albanian criminal networks are heavily involved in trafficking weapons, including firearms and explosives, to the EU via the Balkan route; whereas these trafficking activities in the region exacerbate security concerns for the EU;

2. Amendment 5Rejected

   Recital C b (new)

   Tabled by Pierre-Romain Thionnet, Matthieu Valet, Afroditi Latinopoulou +1 · PfE

   Added: Cb. whereas Albania is a significant producer of cannabis in Europe, with estimates suggesting that a large portion of the cannabis consumed in Europe is cultivated in Albania; whereas Albanian criminal networks are heavily involved in smuggling heroin, with Albania being a critical entry point for heroin that is later smuggled into the EU;

3. Amendment 6Adopted

   Paragraph 22 a (new)

   Tabled by Afroditi Latinopoulou · PfE

   Added: 22a. Calls on Albania to fully respect the autonomy of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania and refrain from any actions that undermine its freedom of religious expression or its property rights; calls for an end to interference in ecclesiastical appointments and for dialogue with religious authorities to safeguard religious pluralism;

4. Amendment 7Adopted

   Paragraph 23

   Tabled by Afroditi Latinopoulou · PfE

   … national minorities; calls on Albania to provide education for national minorities in Removed: minority languages Added: their mother tongue, including adequate primary and secondary schooling in Greek in regions traditionally inhabited by the Greek national minority, and to ensure Removed: adequate Added: unrestricted access to state primary, secondary and higher education for all of its …

5. Amendment 8Adopted

   Paragraph 23 a (new)

   Tabled by Afroditi Latinopoulou · PfE

   Added: 23a. Calls on Albania to protect and preserve the religious and cultural heritage of the Greek Orthodox minority, including through the restoration and legal recognition of churches and cemeteries; calls on the authorities to refrain from expropriating or demolishing properties of historical or cultural significance to the Greek minority;

6. Amendment 9Rejected

   Paragraph 23 b (new)

   Tabled by Afroditi Latinopoulou · PfE

   Added: 23b. Calls on Albania to fully respect the rights of the Greek national minority, including in the areas of education, language, religious freedom and property restitution, in line with its commitments under the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and international conventions; stresses the need to ensure effective political participation, the protection of cultural heritage and the transparent resolution of long-standing property claims in regions traditionally inhabited by the Greek minority;

7. Amendment 10Rejected

   Paragraph 26

   Tabled by Afroditi Latinopoulou · PfE

   … serve as a positive model for conducting a population census in the Removed: region; Added: region;, expresses concern, however, about reports from the Greek minority of procedural irregularities during the 2024 census; calls on the Albanian authorities to comply with OSCE and Council of Europe standards;

8. Amendment 11Rejected

   Paragraph 58 a (new)

   Tabled by Afroditi Latinopoulou · PfE

   Added: 58a. Calls on all political actors in Albania to unequivocally reject any form of historical revisionism or territorial claims against neighbouring countries; underlines that good neighbourly relations must be grounded in the inviolability of borders and in mutual respect;

9. Amendment 12Rejected

   Recital A

   Tabled by Alexander Sell, Stanislav Stoyanov, Milan Uhrík · ESN

   A. whereas Removed: enlargement is the most Added: cooperation, rather than enlargement, should be considered the most realistic and effective EU foreign policy instrument and a geostrategic investment in long-term peace, …

10. Amendment 13Rejected

    Recital C

    Tabled by Alexander Sell, Stanislav Stoyanov, Milan Uhrík · ESN

    … whereas enlargement is a merit-based process based on democracy, the rule of Removed: law and fundamental rights; whereas Albania’s EU accession depends on lasting, in-depth and irreversible reforms across fundamental areas, starting with the rule of law and the functioning of democratic institutions; Added: law, fundamental rights and economic preparedness; whereas candidate countries must demonstrate stable democratic institutions and possess a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope with competitive pressures within the EU internal market;

11. Amendment 14Rejected

    Paragraph 4

    Tabled by Alexander Sell, Stanislav Stoyanov, Milan Uhrík · ESN

    4. Removed: Welcomes the EU’s new Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans, which will provide EUR 922 million in grants and loans to Albania when it meets Added: Stresses that Albania’s fulfilment of the conditions set out in its ambitious Reform Removed: Agenda; Added: Agenda should not lead to the disbursement of EUR 922 million under the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans; calls for the funds to be redirected immediately to benefit the current Member States;

12. Amendment 15Rejected

    Paragraph 20 a (new)

    Tabled by Christine Anderson, Alexander Sell · ESN

    Added: 20a. Regrets that interpretations of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) hinder Member States’ ability to manage migration effectively, even when fundamental rights standards are upheld, as shown by the obstacles faced by Italy in establishing return hubs in Albania; calls for the modernisation of these interpretations to reflect current migration realities; urges the Council and the Commission to engage with the Council of Europe to reform the ECHR, particularly Article 3 and Protocol No 4, to enable lawful returns to safe third countries with adequate safeguards;

13. Amendment 15Rejected

    Paragraph 20 a (new)

    Tabled by Christine Anderson, Alexander Sell · ESN

    Added: 20a. Regrets that interpretations of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) hinder Member States’ ability to manage migration effectively, even when fundamental rights standards are upheld, as shown by the obstacles faced by Italy in establishing return hubs in Albania; calls for the modernisation of these interpretations to reflect current migration realities; urges the Council and the Commission to engage with the Council of Europe to reform the ECHR, particularly Article 3 and Protocol No 4, to enable lawful returns to safe third countries with adequate safeguards;

14. Amendment 15Rejected

    Paragraph 20 a (new)

    Tabled by Christine Anderson, Alexander Sell · ESN

    Added: 20a. Regrets that interpretations of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) hinder Member States’ ability to manage migration effectively, even when fundamental rights standards are upheld, as shown by the obstacles faced by Italy in establishing return hubs in Albania; calls for the modernisation of these interpretations to reflect current migration realities; urges the Council and the Commission to engage with the Council of Europe to reform the ECHR, particularly Article 3 and Protocol No 4, to enable lawful returns to safe third countries with adequate safeguards;

15. Amendment 16Rejected

    Paragraph 29 a (new)

    Tabled by Alexander Sell, Stanislav Stoyanov, Milan Uhrík · ESN

    Added: 29a. Welcomes the bilateral agreement signed between Italy and Albania, which provides for the transfer of illegal migrants and migrants with expulsion orders to return centres in Albania; praises this agreement as a concrete and pragmatic example of regional cooperation in addressing illegal migration and combating human smuggling networks;

16. Amendment 17Rejected

    Paragraph 60 a (new)

    Tabled by Sarah Knafo, Alexander Sell · ESN

    Added: 60a. Opposes Albania’s accession to the European Union;

17. Amendment 21Rejected

    Paragraph 23 a (new)

    Tabled by Cristian Terheş · ECR

    Added: 23a. Acknowledges the progress Albania has made in recognizing the Aromanians as a national (ethnic) minority, a community that continues to face persistent challenges related to the preservation of its language, culture, and heritage; calls for the Government of Albania to take further measures to ensure the full preservation of the Aromanian community’s identity;

18. Amendment 22Adopted

    Paragraph 24 a (new)

    Tabled by Cristian Terheş, Alberico Gambino · ECR

    Added: 24a. Encourages the Government of Albania to address and rectify the injustices inflicted by the communist regime upon all religious denominations;

19. Amendment 23Adopted

    Paragraph 24 b (new)

    Tabled by Cristian Terheş, Alberico Gambino · ECR

    Added: 24b. Expresses concern over the slow restitution of the religious properties confiscated by communists; notes with concern, furthermore, that, despite numerous requests by religious denominations, the Government of Albania has not returned all sacred objects, relics, icons and archives confiscated during the Communist regime1a; 1a https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom/albania/.

20. Amendment 24Adopted

    Paragraph 56 a (new)

    Tabled by Cristian Terheş, Alberico Gambino · ECR

    Added: 56a. Expresses concern over the growing influence of Russia in the EU neighbourhood; commends the actions taken by Albania’s Electronic and Postal Communications Authority (AKEP) in October 2024, which resulted in the closure of 155 Russian-operated online accounts involved in disseminating disinformation, as well as eight accounts linked to cyber espionage groups1a; underlines that these measures reflect Albania’s ongoing efforts to mitigate cyber threats; urges the EU to enhance its support to Albania in countering Russia’s malign influence and safeguarding regional stability; 1a https://politiko.al/english/e-tjera/-mbyll-155-llogari-ruse-ne-internet-per-dezinformimin-ne-tirane-i517028?.