The project will build up on the achievements of the SEI Project and will support the Government of Albania in its EU accession process by focussing on four key areas: 

• Support to the negotiation process: This will include technical assistance and capacity building support in particular to the office of the Chief Negotiator to conduct the accession process, including compiling negotiating positions, opening/ interim/ closing benchmarks and regular monitoring of the process; developing necessary strategies (such as the National Programme for European Integration), but also technical systems needed for the management of the accession process. 
• Support to alignment and approximation to the EU: This will entail direct technical assistance support to dedicated ministries and agencies on specific legislation, including support to assessing levels of approximation, legal drafting and implementing relevant measures. It may also include support to socio-economic alignment, as outlined in the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. 
• Support to accelerated integration: The accelerated integration instrument is introduced as a new instrument by European Commission as part of new Enlargement methodology (2020). This will entail direct technical assistance support to dedicated institutions on how to evaluate and benefit from this instrument. 
• Support to the implementation, monitoring and reporting on Growth Plan and Reform Agenda: This will require intensive support in the monitoring progress, reporting on reform milestones and handling the overall process. 

Overall objective - The overall objective (Impact) to which this action contributes is:

• To support the Government of Albania in successfully managing the EU integration process.

Specific objective(s) of this project are:

• Improve the capacities of Albanian institutions to manage the EU negotiation process, including in aligning national legislation with the EU acquis;
• Support Albania in the implementation, monitoring and reporting on the Growth Plan, including through the promotion of accelerated integration.

Delegation of the EU to Albania

Adrian Kamenica, Director General 
OPM Department for Policies and EU Integration