Albania

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn says the EU should not postpone the plans for accession of the Western Balkan countries.

A delay was proposed by the party of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Radio Deutsche Welle reported on Tuesday.

Rehn believes that the economic crisis and efforts to ratify the Lisbon Agreement on institutional reforms within the EU should not affect the bloc's efforts to expand.

Taking advantage of the pro-enlargement Czech EU Presidency, Albania will present its European Union membership application before the end of June, the country's prime minister, Sali Berisha, announced on Sunday (8 March).
Background:

Applications for EU membership are usually filed in coordination between the applicant country and the European Commission. The only countries in the Western Balkans to have not yet filed membership applications are Albania, Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Kosovo, which declared independence in February 2008, is a special case as it has not been recognised by all EU countries.

The EC is determined to continue the process of scrapping visa restrictions by the end of the year for Western Balkan countries headed for EU integration, says EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn.

The EU enlargement commissioner also said that all Balkan countries would join the EU based on merit, but that before the EU doors opened Balkan border and other disputes would need to be considered, reports the BBC.