TIRANA, May 28 – Justice Minister Toni Gogu held his first meeting in Brussels with European Union Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath in the framework of the Intergovernmental Conference on Cluster 1, “Fundamentals”.

The meeting followed the European Union’s approval of the common position on Cluster 1 negotiations and focused on the upcoming closing of Chapters 23 and 24. Commissioner McGrath described the approval of the interim benchmarks (IBAR) as an important achievement for Albania and said remaining work is still significant, while confirming continued EU support for the accession process and expressing satisfaction ahead of a planned visit to Tirana.

Meanwhile, Minister Gogu said justice reform has moved beyond its structural phase, adding that institutions now enter a stage focused on performance, backlog reduction, and effective execution of court decisions. He said the system structure is already in place, while vetting has been completed and the Special Anti-Corruption Structure is operational.

The discussion focused on judicial independence as a European standard rather than a political condition, along with measurable progress indicators such as backlog reduction at the Supreme Court, the JURONIX platform, and harmonisation of judicial statistics. In addition, talks covered technical cooperation with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice on case management systems, alternatives to detention, and the School of Magistrates.

Gogu said Albania aims to move from receiving European expertise to actively contributing to rule of law dialogue, referring to the Tirana Justice Forum and the World Law Congress. The meeting marked the start of what both sides described as an important working relationship, with a visit by Commissioner McGrath to Tirana expected in the coming months.

/a.p./