The 8th meeting of the Stabilisation and Association Committee between Albania and European Union took place on 4 October 2017. The meeting was co chaired by Ms. Eralda Çani, Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania and Ms. Genoveva Ruiz Calavera, Director for Western Balkans in the Directorate General for European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations at the European Commission.

The SA committee took stock of the most important developments since the last SA Committee in the five key priorities for opening of the accession negotiations as well as in the other European integration related reforms in economic development, trade, transport, energy, education and research, social policy and environment.

The European Commission welcomed the steady progress made by Albania in all areas and encouraged further tangible results notably on the justice reform with a focus to the vetting process of judges and prosecutors, as the key to the opening of the accession negotiations with Albania and as a prerequisite for the result oriented delivery in the other key priorities, notably the fight against corruption and organized crime, as well as in other European integration related reforms such as good governance and rule of law in economy.