European Union Ambassador to Tirana Sofia Moreira de Sousa has presented the European Commission’s 2026 Progress Report to business representatives in Albania. At the center of the discussion, according to her public statements, were the rule of law, legal certainty and fair competition — three issues that directly affect the business climate and that have for years remained a test for Albanian institutions.
The report was presented to the business community
According to the announcement made by the ambassador on the social network X, the report was presented with representatives of the business community, with an emphasis on the impact the European integration process has on the economy and the entrepreneurial environment in the country.
She stressed that business has a direct interest in Albania’s path toward the EU and that it has much to gain from this process.
Focus on the rule of law and legal certainty
In her statements, de Sousa singled out the rule of law, legal certainty and fair competition as key issues. These remain terms frequently repeated in European reports, but also areas in which business in Albania has continuously sought stronger guarantees and consistent enforcement of the rules.
The message conveyed is that the business climate does not depend only on political promises, but on the actual functioning of the law and equality in the market.
Call for genuine public consultations
Another point raised during the meeting was the need for genuine public consultations. According to the ambassador, there was a general consensus that laws work better when those who must implement them are consulted from the early stages.
This is a direct signal about the way policies and legal acts are drafted in the country, at a time when businesses have often raised concerns about a lack of consultation and one-sided decision-making.
The EU single market as the final objective
According to the version made public by de Sousa, the “prize” of this process is access to the European Union’s single market. She presented achieving this objective as a joint effort between institutions and economic actors.
The EU’s political message remains clear: the economic benefits of moving closer to the union are closely linked to the standards Albania manages to implement in practice, not only to the rhetoric of integration.
The presentation of the Progress Report to the business community shifts attention to a fundamental point: how credible Albanian institutions are in guaranteeing clear rules, fair competition and legal certainty.
It is precisely there that not only the business climate is measured, but also the seriousness of the country’s path toward the European Union.