On 17 December 2025, EU and Western Balkans leaders met in Brussels for the annual EU–Western Balkans Summit, reaffirming the Union’s commitment to enlargement while stressing that progress remains strictly merit-based. The Summit reviewed reform developments across the region and confirmed that advancement toward EU membership depends on concrete results in the rule of law, democracy, and fundamental rights.
What was agreed at the Summit
EU leaders underlined that enlargement is a strategic priority for the Union’s security and stability, while reiterating that reforms under the so-called “fundamentals”—rule of law, judiciary independence, anti-corruption, freedom of expression and media freedom—remain decisive. The Summit also reaffirmed the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, linking financial support and gradual economic integration with sustained reform implementation.
European Council President António Costa highlighted Albania’s progress in the accession process, noting the rapid opening of all negotiating clusters. At the same time, EU institutions stressed that this momentum must be matched by consistent reforms, particularly in areas affecting democratic governance and fundamental rights.
Albania and media freedom
In its accompanying conclusions, the Council explicitly recalls that media freedom and freedom of expression in Albania need to be strengthened. These issues are assessed within the fundamentals cluster, which has a direct impact on the overall pace of accession negotiations.
The Council’s conclusions reiterate the importance of protecting fundamental rights, strengthening media pluralism and independence, and ensuring an enabling environment for journalists and civil society. These references place media freedom firmly within the core conditions Albania must meet as it advances in the accession process.
For journalists in Albania, the Summit’s outcomes are politically significant. Media freedom and journalist safety are not treated as secondary concerns but as structural benchmarks tied to EU accession progress. This means that persistent problems can directly affect Albania’s EU trajectory. By reaffirming these standards at the highest political level, the EU has once again linked Albania’s path to enlargement to measurable improvements in freedom of expression and journalists’ safety. These areas remain central to democratic accountability and the public’s right to information.