Signature of Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the EU and the Republic of Albania

Summary: Signature of Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the EU and the Republic of Albania (Luxembourg: 12 June 2006)

At a ceremony held in Luxembourg on 12 June 2006 the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Albania, of the other part, was signed for the European Union by:

Ms Ursula PLASSNIK , Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria, President of the Council,

Mr Olli REHN, Member of the European Commission,

and, on behalf of the Member States, the Foreign Ministers or their representatives,
for the Republic of Albania by:Mr Sali BERISHA, Prime Minister.

On the same occasion, an Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related matters was also signed.
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The Stabilisation and Association Agreement establishes a comprehensive contractual framework between the EU and Albania. As such, it represents an important step on Albania's path towards the EU. Albania's relations with the EU have so far been covered by the Trade, Commercial and Economic Co-operation Agreement which was signed in May 1992 and entered into force on 4 December 1992.

The Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Albania is the third to be signed with a country in the Western Balkans region. Similar have been signed and have entered into force with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (signed on 9 April 2001 and in force 1 April 2004) and with Croatia (signed on 29 October 2001 and in force 1 February 2005).
Pending the ratification of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, the Interim Agreement will allow the trade and trade-related provisions of the Agreement to enter into force as soon as possible.
The Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Albania was modelled on the agreements with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Croatia, apart from a number of provisions designed to reflect the specific situation in Albania. The agreement focuses primarily on the following points:

provision for political dialogue with Albania;
provisions on enhanced regional co-operation, including the perspective of establishing free trade areas between the countries of the region;
the perspective of the establishment of a free-trade area between the EU and Albania within ten years of the entry into force of the Agreement;
provisions on the movement of workers, freedom of establishment, supply of services, current payments and movement of capital;
the commitment by Albania to approximate its legislation to that of the EU, notably in key areas of the internal market;
provisions on co-operation with Albania in a wide range of fields, including justice, freedom and security.
provision for the establishment of a Stabilisation and Association Council which supervises the implementation of the Agreement, of a Stabilisation and Association Committee and a Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee.

The Interim Agreement and, subsequently, the Stabilisation and Association Agreement will replace the Trade, Commercial and Economic Co-operation Agreement between the European Community and Albania. The more favourable trade concessions granted by Council Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000 of September 2000 introducing exceptional trade measures for countries and territories participating in or linked to the European Union's Stabilisation and Association process will continue to apply, in parallel to the Interim Agreement and, subsequently, to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement.

Ref: CL06-125EN
EU source: Council
UN forum:
Date: 12/6/2006

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